I’ve been a DM for many years, and in all that time I’ve had maybe three players read the PHB. I don’t mind explaining the rules, but it would be nice to not have to remind the wizard how spell slots work (again). Is this a common thing for most groups?
At 8 or 9 you also had a lot less on your plate than a group in their 30s / 40s.
True, but if a child can learn the hardest class to play in a week with no help, an adult with their own transportation and possibly own printer ought to at least be able to print out flash cards/cheat sheets so they can have explainers for themselves.
It’s not that hard to learn everything a single character can do, was my point. It just takes the desire to do so and the ability to pass an open-book test.