stringy said
What in anyones opinion is the very best way to learn how to read music. I struggle with the length of notes, I know the 1 e an da, and the one and a, ways of counting, which is easy enough with single notes but when they are linked together in say, a sixteenth note linked to a dotted eighth, or combinations of notes I get mental block. If I hear a tune first its no problem, but somehow I feel this isnt doing things correctly, any and all advice would be welcome.

  

One of the things you could do to practice timing on the tied notes is to simplify it by removing the slurs, single bow stroke each note to get the counting of each note, & then putting the slurs back in.  Also, to add the “rested notes” in, like in the case you've indicated of a 16^th note linked to a dotted 8^th.  I’ve attached examples below.

When I was young & started drum lessons in school, my music teacher insisted that I count everything out loud before I was allowed to play it.  And then I would have to count it out loud as I played it.  I hated it.   At 10 years old, I found all of this very tiresome, and I always let my feelings be known.  I would always ask, “Can I just play it?” or “I counted it last time.”  And she would always respond by saying something like, “You need to know how to count it.” or “You need to count it out loud again to show you know how to count it.”

After a year of that, I was allowed to play without counting out loud.  But if I made a mistake, one of the first things she would ask me would be, “Well, what does it say?” & I would respond with the counted out measures/phrase, like, “One-La-Le – Two-Le – One-Le – Two-Le . . .” Then she would say, “Ok, well play that.  If you count it, you won’t mess it up.”

I guess my point is, don’t discount (no pun) the importance of actually breaking down the counting of a section that is causing you rhythm trouble.  I still do this—all the time.