!AYR! Learning chess: The Roots?

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   Regarding chess study and theory, I myself began about 2 years ago. I've been playing since a young boy, not till recently decided to actually pursue its study. My girlfriend/soulmate, kind of knew how to play but never cared for it. But lately, after being around all my time consuming learning of the game, she's began playing chess tactic puzzles daily. Let us consider this...

   How might this be advantageous of her to start studying, as opposed to my first efforts, which began with opening study. I've heard echoes of this being a bad approach, when first trying to take your chess to a new level. So it provoked the wonder in my mind, might her first attempts at studying chess, give her a fluid leap forward in understanding compared to other more "concrete" approaches of studying? Going from simple knowledge of play, directly into tactics training, could this give her good roots of a solid founding to which build upon? Ignoring redundant openings, playing fluently but logically, and merely absorbing the openings from who you play over time? Interesting thought...