IMPORTANCE OF CATCH-UP FRIDAYS

WILFREDO F. MANANSALA

According to Dr. Seuss, “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you will go.” This quote applies in the new DepEd’s initiative to have Catch-up Friday’s design among learners to improve their reading and comprehension skills as one of the foundational skills needed to achieve the goals of basic education.

There is a need to strengthen the skills of every learner in school. This catch up will be a great avenue to address learning gaps in education. This is one of the targets of the MATATAG Agenda to achieve higher learning outcomes and achievement anchored in the National Learning Recovery Program.

This national activity will be allotted every Friday of the week as a time for learners to develop their reading as well as writing skills. It is essential among learners to instill in them at an early age the value of reading.

The Drop Everything and Read (DEAR) initiative engages learners to become independent readers to enhance their foundational, social, and relevant skills needed to their development such as reading, writing, analytical and critical thinking skills.

Catch-up Fridays provide holistic opportunities among learners who were already attending school to make up for lost time inside the classroom instructions. As they are exposed to varied materials, they will be able to enhance their reading skills thoroughly.

Reading is also part of any classroom instructions in the teaching-learning process. It highlighted and improved a person’s interactive thoughts and built new knowledge. This activity will lead to human curiosity and awareness, acquire added information, activates the brain memory as well as improves grammar and spelling.

Once the habit of reading is achieved through constant repetition, behavior is established in the learner. It is important to develop the interest and cultures in reading so that it will become part of a child’s life that will enhance and develop the functions of their brain.

Indeed, the reading habit of a learner goes parallel with the attainment of knowledge for a lifetime. It is truly something that one should be enthusiastic about and love to do because reading will give you more opportunities. All the things you learn through reading will enrich your mind to see the realities and even the beauty of life. Active readers can be better readers, better thinkers, and analytical people in the future.

Additionally, this activity will further reinforce learning through reading, vocabulary development, and strengthen lifelong learners in the future. As part of the literacy skills, reading helps to build the child’s cognitive, language, and social-emotional development. For children, this activity will encourage learners to have an open eye on imagination and creativity in reading.

-oOoThe author is Teacher II of Cambasi Elementary School, Masantol North District