I can only relate what I remember - and it was over 40 years ago. Apparently it was prior to "Hooked on Phonics brand - which came out in 1987." - and it started mainly in the first grade. We'd sit with the teacher in a circle, on the floor, one kid in her lap, looking over the piece of writing, which was all words, and only a small picture at the top. So it was basically a page of words. Each kid would take turns sitting on Mrs. Gieger's lap and reading the story aloud or sounding it out. And hand writing was basically mimicry or sounding out the word, and coping what was on the board.

We started with spelling out or sounding out words - like codes, then moved to reading, and were read to a lot, and asked to repeat what we had heard. Emphasis was on audio over visual.

Looked it up - most likely : Explode the Code, 1976, Educators Publishing Service

Or the Spalding Method?

https://www.memoriapress.com/articles/what-classical-approach-phonics/

This was done in the mid 1970s, around 1975-1976. I was in the first grade around 1974-1975, I think.