Becoming a Great Teacher of Reading

Marie Carbo began her career as an elementary and learning disabilities teacher, during which time her underachieving students attained unprecedented gains in reading. Her keen sense of what students need to succeed and how to make learning enjoyable guide her eminently practical approaches-all of which have from the beginning been thoroughly grounded in research. Award-winning research, shaped by an understanding of the demands of classroom practice, is the hallmark of Marie's career. Her doctoral dissertation received ASCD's First National Dissertation Award, and the Carbo Reading Styles Program has been named an effective, research-based reading program that improves students' reading achievement by the National Staff Development Council, the NEA, the Education Commission of the States, the Northwest Regional Labs (sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education), and the Milken Foundation. Finally, in an ASCD Infobrief on reading, Marie's research was named one of the 20 most important events in reading education in the last 200 years. Marie is the founder and executive director of the National Reading Styles Institute, which has empowered tens of thousands of educators nationwide to greatly improve reading instruction through on-site training, conferences, seminars, a Web site and a network of model schools. Over the past decade, implementation of the Carbo Reading Styles Program (CRSP) has resulted in high gains in reading achievement and motivation, especially with students in the bottom third. Marie has keynoted many national conferences, as well as the National Reading Styles Conference, and has served as consultant, nationally and internationally, for the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD), Phi Delta Kappa, state education departments, universities, school districts, and corporations. Her work has been published in nearly every major education journal, including The Reading Teacher, Teaching Exceptional Children, Exceptional Children, Phi Delta Kappan, and Educational Leadership. She has written three ground-breaking books, including What Every Principal Should Know About Teaching Reading, and is currently writing three books for Corwin Press. Marie may be reached at the Carbo Reading Styles Institute, P.O. Box 737, Syosset, NY 11791; by calling 800-331-3117; and by email at marie@nrsi.com. Her Website is www.nrsi.com.

Acknowledgments About the Author Introduction 1. Believe All Students Can Learn 2. Understand 12 Guiding Principles 3. Focus on Comprehension and Enjoyment 4. Identify Natural Strengths 5. Teach to Natural Strengths 6. Use the Continuum of Assisted Reading Methods 7. Use the Carbo Recording Method 8. Provide Opportunities for Active Learning 9. Design Student-Responsive Environments 10. Reduce Visual Dyslexia 11. Accommodate Students With Special Needs 12. Prepare Students for Tests Epilogue. Becoming a Great Teacher of Reading Appendix A. Glossary Appendix B. U.S. Reading Achievement Appendix C. Reading Styles Research Appendix D. Learning Styles Research Appendix E. Reading Style Inventory References Index

"If you really want to be a great reading teacher, this is the book for you! Marie Carbo has the research and the recipe to raise literacy levels. Differentiated instruction, teaching to student strengths, and reading strategies that work make this a resource that must be on every teacher's shelf." -- Marilee Sprenger, Author, Becoming a "Wiz" at Brain-Based Teaching "A dynamic guide for any teacher of reading who wants to improve instruction and engage and excite students with reading. This how-to guide not only brings good sense and balance to the teaching of reading, but helps teachers return the joy of reading to the learning experience." -- Dotti Augustine, Learning Specialist "Carbo's clear voice reminds teachers that all students have the right to learn through their strengths rather than through a prescriptive, one-size-fits-all formula." -- Henri Sue Bynum, Vice President of Academic Affairs "An excellent book that will reignite your passion for teaching students of all abilities to read. Dr. Carbo's focus on matching appropriate reading methods to student strengths is a uniquely positive, student-centered approach in today's world of massive core reading programs and skills-based agendas. The book provides a wealth of concrete, research-based strategies that will truly allow you to differentiate instruction and bring the joy of reading to all of your students." -- Jill Haney, Director of Reading "The Carbo assisted reading method has been proven to change the lives of many students by addressing their individual strengths and learning styles and promoting confidence and success in the areas of fluency and comprehension. Students become engaged and motivated readers through high-interest stories and choice of text. Not only do students learn to be successful readers, they also learn to love reading! That is the real success story!" -- Lisa Wiler, Fourth-Grade Teacher "Carbo excites educators about teaching reading while assuring them that having high expectations for struggling readers is a realistic vision." -- Lorraine Coughlin, Coordinator of the Educator Preparation Institute "Marie Carbo presents an excellent road map that shows teachers practical, everyday strategies they can implement as keys to unlocking the mystery of learning to read. Carbo's strategies help educators match their teaching styles to students' reading styles and focus on using students' strengths to address their academic weaknesses. Professional learning communities would benefit from using and discussing this book to keep the focus on students, their learning styles, and their academic success." -- Robert W. Katulak, Assistant Superintendent for Elementary Education "With a rising tide of 'lost boys' in reading classes and a drop out rate that hasn't changed in decades, we ignore at our national risk the grand lesson in Marie Carbo's 30 years of teaching and research: one size doesn't fit all in reading. All children don't learn to read the same way-any more than all major leaguers get their hits using the same stance. In this wonderful new volume, teachers old and new will find the missing ingredients-the classroom strategies that were missing for struggling readers who tried to read but failed. Marie Carbo shows us how to uncover each child's strengths and use them." -- Jim Trelease, Author of Read-Aloud Handbook "Reading this book will teach or remind teachers to use key reading strategies, but most of all to remember that students learn through their strengths. This is so important and only Marie Carbo brings it to you in a way that makes so much sense and in a way that I have been looking for all my career." -- Joyce L. Evans, Teacher "Connect, appreciate, and motivate-three powerful ideas that evolve in Carbo's book. Reading becomes a personal triangle between the teacher, the student, and the wonderment of written words." -- Melanie Rockwell, Teacher "Literacy is the key that opens doors for our children. This book provides effective, research-based strategies that ensure that ALL students receive the gift of literacy from their teachers." -- Patricia Apfel, Literacy Coach "Illustrates clearly how it is possible for every child to learn to read. The implications for literacy instruction are phenomenal!" -- Tamala Lea Martin, Principal "This book should be a textbook for all teachers of reading. Our entire school has used these effective practices and seen gains in reading every year. We have closed the gap between Caucasian and African American students, and many of our K-2 non-English-speaking students have achieved on-grade level reading scores within 1-2 years at our school. Simply amazing! We are now a powerful professional community of teachers who realize that we are very good at what we do." -- Debra Collins Culbreth, Principal