Veronica Herrero-Velarde

Philosophy of Teaching Reading

My philosophy of teaching reading focuses on the implementation of the five components of

reading in instruction, frequent use of small-group, data-driven instruction, a daily routine of
literacy stations such as the Daily 5, and embracing a love of reading. Because reading
encompasses so many essential skills, teaching phonics, phonemic awareness, vocabulary,
fluency, and comprehension is vital so that a strong foundation of decoding can be laid, which
can then support the development of reasoning and understanding meaning in text. Both
decoding and comprehension must be taught in order for a student to be a successful reader.
Implementing small-group instruction will allow me to work with students more closely in the
areas that they are struggling in, which will prove to be more time effective and beneficial for
identifying the specific needs of the students. Constantly assessing, informally and formally, to
gather data from the students will be necessary to ensure that they are receiving instruction
tailored to their strengths and weaknesses and so that I can put them in their proper reading
levels. Having daily literacy stations such as the Daily 5 will establish a sense of routine and
choice in my reading instruction. Students will gain independence and motivation due to the
nature of choice that these stations have, but the quality of instruction will not be sacrificed,
since the Daily 5 encompasses a variety of learning styles and modalities. Lastly, I want each
and every one of my students to walk away with a genuine appreciation of reading. By engaging
my students in daily interactive read alouds, I hope to expose them to a multitude of genres of
books and encourage them to spend time reading simply for the enjoyment of it! I want to set
that example for my students by sharing with them the books that I am reading and loving, too.