Common Core Standards
Reading: Foundational Skills, Kindergarten
Reading RF.K.3.A
Demonstrate basic knowledge of one-to-one letter-sound correspondences by producing the primary sound or many of the most frequent sounds for each consonant.
Maybe you've heard every linguist's favorite phonetics joke: ghoti is an alternate spelling for fish.
Despite the fact that English pronunciation has its "quirks," its letters generally match up with specific sound(s). And if students have letters and their sounds down pat, they'll be able to sound out everything from conservative to antidisestablishmentarianism.