DepEd to dedicate Fridays to reading starting 2024

[Mike J]

I hope this will improve the literacy rate among the youth here.  Prior to covid I was working with three students, all three of whom were "honor students" and middle high school age.   The goal was to improve their reading/pronunciation skills in English,  I was shocked at their inability to understand even the simplest sentences and paragraphs.   Each of them was able to read the words, but comprehension was so low as to be almost nonexistent.  And these were honor students. 

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2023/11/21/2313151/deped-dedicate-fridays-reading-starting-2024

MANILA, Philippines — All schools will be required to hold whole-day reading programs every Friday starting January as part of the Department of Education’s newest initiative to boost students’ literacy, Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte announced on Tuesday.

The DepEd secretary said that the department’s curriculum and teaching strand is currently crafting a policy that will guide schools in implementing “catch-up Fridays” beginning January 12.

“This means that on Fridays, our sole focus will be on teaching children to read,” said Duterte, who made the announcement during DepEd’s culminating activity for the National Reading Month.

Under the “catch-up Fridays” program, students from Kindergarten to Grade 12 will spend the day reading age-appropriate materials “based on their interest” and will be asked to write essays, book reviews and other similar outputs.

Duterte said that the weekly catch-up program will focus particularly on reading but may also include subjects in peace education, health and values education.

Students who already know how to read will take lessons to improve their critical thinking and analysis, while students capable of critical thinking and analysis “will be asked to write books and essays,” she said.

“We need one day where we will focus on bringing students up to speed on their lessons. We can’t just keep doing the same things but nothing is changing or improving with our learners,” Duterte added.

9 out of 10 can’t read
Literacy — or the ability to read and write — is the most basic skill that students need to learn nearly all of their lessons in school, and anecdotes have shown that poor reading comprehension affects nearly all other subject areas.

The literacy rate of students in the Philippines is one of the lowest in the world, which the pandemic made even worse. According to the World Bank in 2022, 90% of Filipino children aged 10 struggled to read simple texts. This figure significantly increased from 70% in 2019.

Filipino students also performed the worst in terms of reading comprehension among all participating countries in the 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA).

Duterte reiterated that the DepEd does not expect improved scores in PISA 2022, the results of which will be released two weeks from now.  

“We have already been through two PISAs and the scores of the students have not yet improved. This means we need to innovate and do something else,” Duterte said.  

She explained that with Fridays exclusively devoted to reading lessons, DepEd’s curriculum and teaching strand has been asked to “find a way” to fit all the regular classes in just four days or from Monday to Thursday.

The DepEd chief said that the official policy for “catch-up Fridays” will be released in December.

[Tommy T.]

Maybe this is a small but positive first step to teach Filipinos English, which is usually referred to as the international language?

We have workers here often to do gardening and repairs and some improvements. Most of them either don't understand a word of English or - as L tells me - they are shy to try to speak it. It's not their fault. I apologize often to people who don't understand English well by telling them that I don't understand or speak their language, even though I am living in their country. Sure, I can understand and speak several languages, but the Filipino languages totally baffle me and I only pick up on conversations when I hear the occasional English word pop out....  

[scott h]

7 minutes ago, Mike J said:

“will be asked to write books and essays,”

Wont work IMHO, this is all "stick" and no "carrot". Asked to sit in an stuffy classroom all day, surrounded by others doing kid things, with a bored teacher in front trying to maintain order, then being told to write an  essay at the end of the day....naw, bad idea.

As a voracious reader, I vividly remember how I got the reading bug. In 2nd grade, I caught chicken pox at the same time my school had a reading contest, my Mom was going back and forth to the public library every day , and it stuck! Through out my adult life I have always had a book with me. I even have a picture somewhere of me reading a book sitting outside a bunker in Iraq. 

My point is that in todays age of instant gratification and cell phones, educators need to come up with a plan to make youngsters "WANT" to read.

[Lee1154]

2 minutes ago, scott h said:

Wont work IMHO, this is all "stick" and no "carrot". Asked to sit in an stuffy classroom all day, surrounded by others doing kid things, with a bored teacher in front trying to maintain order, then being told to write an  essay at the end of the day....naw, bad idea.

As a voracious reader, I vividly remember how I got the reading bug. In 2nd grade, I caught chicken pox at the same time my school had a reading contest, my Mom was going back and forth to the public library every day , and it stuck! Through out my adult life I have always had a book with me. I even have a picture somewhere of me reading a book sitting outside a bunker in Iraq. 

My point is that in todays age of instant gratification and cell phones, educators need to come up with a plan to make youngsters "WANT" to read.

A good start would be to have a library.  I buy my kids books and limit the cell phone exposure to 30 minutes a day.  They love to look at the books and read now.  I have not seen any library in my area which is Leyte. 

[Tommy T.]

5 minutes ago, scott h said:

My point is that in todays age of instant gratification and cell phones, educators need to come up with a plan to make youngsters "WANT" to read.

I agree with your comment 100%. The question is how to do this? In my opinion, the development of the cell phones - especially the "smart" phones is one of the worst things that has been invented.  When I visit with L's relatives or even stroll in one of the millions of malls here, I see little kids - maybe 3-4 years old playing with real or play cell phones.... 

I know I have related this before, but sitting in a restaurant then watching a family across from me and nobody is talking to each other....they are all totally engrossed in their cell phones.... I just think it is sad for society in general and it is world-wide, not just in Philippines.

[Tommy T.]

18 minutes ago, scott h said:

As a voracious reader, I vividly remember how I got the reading bug. In 2nd grade

I was always a voracious reader. But I became even more so when sailing for over 20 years on my yacht. I would read one or two books every week! I got into science, history and not just fiction.... No internet at sea up until a few years ago - just short-wave vocal and sometimes computer speak...

I forgot to add that this was also before the advent of computer books. I still, today, enjoy the feeling of the texture and thickness of real paper. Maybe some of this is because I worked in the printing industry, eons ago?

Edited November 22, 2023 by Tommy T.

[Mike J]

24 minutes ago, scott h said:

My point is that in todays age of instant gratification and cell phones, educators need to come up with a plan to make youngsters "WANT" to read.

The article says "Under the “catch-up Fridays” program, students from Kindergarten to Grade 12 will spend the day reading age-appropriate materials “based on their interest”

Hopefully the "based on their interest" will encourage them to read, assuming they can find the material.  As @Tommy T. said 'hopefully a small positive step'.  I am a little encouraged to see folks at the top admit that what they are doing now is not working.  

[Old55]

Shocking and saddened to learn reading and comprehension was lacking to that extent in Philippines. This is not good something must be done quickly.

Do schools there have libraries? I've never in all my visits seen any Filipino reading a book. Not once.

Edited November 22, 2023 by Old55

[Tommy T.]

29 minutes ago, scott h said:

My point is that in todays age of instant gratification and cell phones, educators need to come up with a plan to make youngsters "WANT" to read.

Give them money if they read - I bet that might work?

[Lee]

12 minutes ago, Tommy T. said:

I still, today, enjoy the feeling of the texture and thickness of real paper.

I like the smell of the ink when a book is still new.

 

51 minutes ago, Mike J said:

 Each of them was able to read the words, but comprehension was so low as to be almost nonexistent

This my experience also.

Even if you explain the meaning of lets say the story of the tortoise and the hare----they don't get it. Never will IMO.

22 minutes ago, Tommy T. said:

I see little kids - maybe 3-4 years old playing with real or play cell phones.... 

Cell phones are often used a electronic baby sitters IMO.