I have often contemplated the process by which musicians learn to read music.
Young students seem to learn primarily through a process of trial and error.
Gradually they get better at learning new music, but students need the most help at the beginning. Music involves a number of processes, but if students focus on each aspect separately at first, the process of learning a new piece becomes easy. I have developed a method that breaks the process into simple steps. It focuses primarily on learning notes and rhythms rather than on dynamics, articulations, and phrasing, which are added later. Before reading, the key signature should be stated, and all accidentals should be noted as they appear.