What's the difference between sight reading and phonics?

[Quenelle]

DS is 18mo and recognises the word zoo when I point to it in his Buster's Zoo book and also if I write the word when we're playing with colouring pencils.

Is this sight reading?

Don't worry, I don't think he's gifted and talented or anything, I realise this might be the only word he recognises before he's 5. I've just been curious as to whether or not this is 'reading' as we do it.

I'm not a teacher but I think what your son is doing is "sight reading" - phonics is learning that the "Z" makes a "zzzzz" sounds, and the "OO" either a short or long "oo", as in cook or food, and being able to apply these sounds to other words that he sees. Does that make sense?

he's recognising the word by sight - the shape of zoo is quite distinct so probably by it's shape.

Makes sense.

I learned to read before I started school but I remember not knowing the phonics alphabet when the teacher recited it, I only knew Ay, Bee, See etc. Would I have learned to sight read by learning the shapes of simple words and carried on from there?