CATCH-UP FRIDAYS
DIVINA P. MENDOZA
Reading is essential. It is one of the skills that one must develop. Through reading, we can see the whole world. It will bring us to different places. We will know different people from different parts of the globe, their cultures and traditions. It will teach us about life as we read some journeys others had been through.
Reading plays significant role in the learning process. It greatly affects the performance of the children and their achievements. It is a good exercise of the mind. It keeps the mind active and sharp. Thus, reading must be a daily habit. Inspire everyone to read especially the little ones. It is not only for academics but for personal growth and development as well. Reading is power!
However, nowadays, learners are bombarded with gadgets. In this modern era, they could easily access almost everything online. Children are exposed with their phones 6 hours or more each day. They are not interested in reading anymore. As a result, they have poor comprehension, poor vocabulary, poor logic and poor reasoning.
To address the problem in reading, the Department of Education began “Catch-up Fridays”. The program intends to dedicate every Friday of the whole year in reading. This is a National Reading Program.
Far from the usual reading activity in the classroom, Catch–up Fridays aims to bring back the interest of the learners in reading wherein teachers will design creative lessons to motivate the students. This time reading will be fun! Students will not see reading as terrible and boring activity anymore. Children will learn and play at the same time. Collaborative and engaging lessons will be enjoyed by the students.
Catch-up Fridays also includes Homeroom Guidance Program (HGP). It serves as channel to deepen the values and spirituality of the learners. Under the new program, the first half of Friday classes (estimated at two hours and 20 minutes) will be allotted for the National Reading Program, which covers various reading interventions and skill enhancement activities. The other half of the session will be allotted for values formation, peace education and health.
Catch-up Fridays started on January 12, 2024. The launching was successful wherein teachers and students enjoyed the various reading activities. Parents and other stakeholders also showed their support to the said program. Parents, acting as first teachers, have a big role to make their children proficient readers. Parents reading together with their children is a wonderful way of bringing up literacy in young children.
Parents’ support will greatly contribute to ensure the sustainability of the program. Like what Vice President Sara Z. Duterte said, “Let us do what we can do in six years to catch up what the learners have missed.”
Even the private schools are encouraged by Vice President and DepEd Secretary Sara Z. Duterte to adopt this program which aims to improve the performance of the students especially those with low proficiency level in reading.
For this program to be successful, teachers must be provided with proper training, materials, resources and support especially those who do not have experiences in giving remedial classes in reading.
The DepEd clarified that the program is not graded because “it’s main objective is to reinforce learning”
Let us help this program succeed!
-oOoThe author is SST III Francisco G. Nepomuceno Memorial High School