The Department of Education (DepEd) values literacy for student success and national development. To boost reading proficiency, DepEd initiated one of its projects called the Reading Program for elementary and secondary students. The program includes activities like reading sessions and assessments to make reading enjoyable and beneficial.
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Students in DepEd-approved schools, from elementary to secondary levels, benefit from this program. Regular attendance and engagement are crucial for maximizing its benefits. The program involves various activities to enhance comprehension, vocabulary, critical thinking, and ability to assess diverse viewpoints. DepEd Reading Program aims to enhance students’ literacy skills and intellectual growth.
About the Program
At a young age, children are like sponges, eagerly absorbing information from their surroundings. That’s why at an early age, reading must be learned. Through exposure to written language, children enhance their communication skills, enabling them to express themselves more effectively both verbally and in writing. That’s why DepEd is continuously making programs to help Filipino youth read effectively and smartly.
The ability to read effectively is often seen as the cornerstone of academic success and lifelong learning. Recognizing this fundamental truth, the government has initiated a comprehensive program aimed at enhancing reading skills among students across the country. One of the newest programs is “Catch-Up Friday.”
DepEd is still doing its best efforts to lessen the population of youth who are not able to read. Beginning on January 12, 2024, DepEd will introduce Catch-up Fridays to all elementary and secondary schools as well as community learning centers (CLCs) across the country. January 2024’s Fridays will all be devoted to “Drop Everything and Read” (DEAR). It will also serve as a forum for field implementers to provide input on Catch-up Fridays’ rules.
This program encompasses a wide range of activities, strategies, and resources that mainly target the love for reading, enhance comprehension skills, and expand students’ vocabulary and language proficiency. The program aims to equip students with the critical literacy skills needed to succeed academically and deal with the complexities of the modern world.
Benefits of the DepEd Reading Program
- Promotes reading as a pleasurable and rewarding activity that can cultivate a lifelong habit of reading among students.
- Enhance reading comprehension skills through targeted instruction and practice. In this way, students develop the ability to understand and interpret various types of texts with confidence and proficiency.
- Expand vocabulary and language proficiency, since exposure to different reading materials helps students broaden vocabulary and improve the latter’s command of the English language
- Programs like this also promote critical thinking, different perspectives encourage students to think critically, question assumptions, and make informed judgments.
Qualifications
- You must be enrolled in a DepEd-registered elementary or secondary school.
- You must be an elementary or secondary student.
- You need an assessment from your adviser or a school staff engaged in this program.
Requirements
To participate in this program, the school you are enrolled with may take part requiring you the following:
- Consistent attendance is essential for students to fully benefit from the program’s activities, discussions, and instruction.
- You will be expected to participate actively engage in reading activities, discussions, and exercises to enhance your reading skills and comprehension.
- You must be ready to get assigned readings, writing tasks, or other activities to complete independently or as part of a group, to reinforce learning and practice essential skills.
- You might be assessed periodically to gauge your progress and understanding of key concepts and skills. Assessments may include quizzes, tests, reading logs, or other evaluation forms.
Application Process
The application process for the DepEd Reading Program may vary depending on the school or institution offering the program and the specific activities or components involved. However, the general steps may include:
Step 1: Listen to teachers or faculty members who may provide information about the DepEd Reading Program, including its objectives, activities, and requirements, to students and parents through various channels, such as orientation sessions, flyers, or announcements.
Step 2: You may express your interest to the assigned teachers or school administrators, indicating your willingness to commit to the program’s requirements and activities.
Step 3: Register, depending on the school’s procedures, students may need to register formally for the program by completing a registration form or providing necessary documents to the school administration.
Step 4: Once registration is complete, you may be placed in appropriate groups or classes based on your grade level, reading ability, or other factors to ensure optimal learning and engagement.
Step 5: You may attend an orientation session to receive information about the program’s objectives, expectations, schedule, and resources. This will be your opportunity to meet teachers and classmates and ask any questions for clarification.
Step 6: Get into the program! This is the time that you will enjoy the most since new learnings and experiences will happen. You need to listen carefully, do what is instructed, and apply all your learning when your teacher starts to measure what you’ve learned.
Video: Friday is ‘Catch-Up Day’ for students’ reading skills, announces VP Sara
In this video, Vice President and DepEd Secretary of the Philippines Sarah Duterte talks about a new program for learners called “Catch-up Friday.” The program is under the National Learning Recovery Program (NLRP) and will be implemented by the Department of Education (DepEd) Schools. This is to promote a culture of reading and improve fundamental abilities among students as part of the National Reading Program. The strategic design of the program seeks to enhance social, foundational, and other pertinent skills that are essential to meeting the curriculum’s goals for basic education.
Summary
The DepEd Reading Program such as the newest Catch-Up Friday promotes literacy and reading proficiency among students in the Philippines. This is an advantage to those who are having a hard time reading, as well as those having difficulties reading with comprehension. Such programs bring back the culture of reading, enhance comprehension skills, expand vocabulary, promote critical thinking, and empower students. While the program is open to all students, regardless of background or ability level, it requires a commitment to regular attendance, active participation, completion of assignments, and willingness to learn and grow. DepEd reading programs play a crucial role in shaping the educational journey of every Filipino student to become lifelong learners.