How does Dr. Carbo feel about phonics?
Marie Carbo is pro-phonics. She is “pro” all reading methods. Dr. Carbo is against the overuse of any reading method that does not make learning to read easy and fun for a child. Often children with auditory processing problems have difficulty with phonics but can learn to read easily with other methods. In that case, Dr. Carbo would recommend less use of phonics for those children and greater use of the more effective reading methods. The myth that Dr. Carbo is anti-phonics began when a major article of hers was published, in which Dr. Carbo analyzed the reporting procedures of Jeanne Chall in Learning to Read: The Great Debate. Dr. Carbo found that Dr. Chall made errors that favored a pro-phonics finding. Please see: “Debunking the Great Phonics Myth,” by Marie Carbo, Phi Delta Kappan, 1988. Note: The Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) listed Dr. Carbo’s research analysis of Jeanne Chall’s work in an ASCD Infobrief, as one of the most important events in re
