CATCH-UP-FRIDAYS

2. All Fridays throughout the school year shall be
designated as Catch-up Fridays, with a focus on
operationalizing the National Reading Program
(NRP) during the first half of the day’s schedule and
on fostering Values, Health, and Peace Education
for the second half
 Additionally, the Homeroom Guidance Program
(HGP) shall also be included in the Catch-up Fridays

3. DepEd Memorandum 001 s. 2024 states that the
“Catch Up Fridays” program will dedicate half of
every Friday to reading and the other half to values,
peace and health education
The reading program will “give learners
opportunities for reading intervention and reading
enhancement through developmentally
appropriate reading materials

4. The memorandum dated January 10 states that
schools will roll out its National Reading Program
through activities such as the “Drop Everything and
Read (DEAR), Read-A-Thon, fora, and invitation of
resource persons

5. Meanwhile, the other half of Fridays will be for
values, health and peace education, which will
revolve around different monthly themes as
prescribed by the department
While teachers shall be given the prerogative to
narrow down or devise additional subthemes,
alignment with the quarterly themes is essential

6. Reading program will be implemented through a
“two-pronged” approach that involves reading
intervention and reading enhancement activities
Reading intervention, like using flash cards, singing
songs, playing games and other methods to
"activate learners' prior knowledge may be used

7. This will be followed by activities to be held during
actual reading time, where teachers can hold
activities that will help students "visualize scenes,
characters and situations" and "identify the main
idea and supporting details," among others

8. The teacher uses appropriate and targeted
activities that vary according to the learners’
reading ability and capacity. In addition, activities
must vary to avoid monotony
For activities promoting reading enhancement,
choral reading, book reports, reading journals,
book clubs, among other activities may be utilized
by the teachers

9. Teachers should engage in collaborative sessions
to share best practices in implementing Catch-up
Fridays
The schools are “highly encouraged to forge and
strengthen stakeholder engagement” to gather
support and sustain the implementation of the
program

10. Catch-up Fridays is a learning mechanism intended
to strengthen the foundational, social and other
relevant skills necessary to actualize the intent of
the Basic Education Curriculum
This initiative is integral in the National Reading
and Mathematics Programs which are critical
subprograms of NLRP as stipulated in DO 103,s.
2023

11. Time allotment for each subject area on a Friday
shall be used to enhance learners’ knowledge and
skills in and appreciation of reading, values, health
and peace education
Values, Health and Peace Education shall evolve
around monthly themes/ subthemes based on the
basic education curricular framework and standard

12. While teachers shall be given prerogative to
narrow down or devise additional subthemes,
alignment with the quarterly themes/ subthemes is
essential
Teachers shall employ integrative approach to
teaching. For example, the content of any learning
area can be used a s a springboard for developing
the reading skills of learners

13. Health themes can be integrated into Science to
foster a deeper understanding of health-related
concepts
Peace Education themes can be integrated into
Technology and Livelihood Education (TLE) to allow
learners to explore how technology can be used for
conflict resolution, communication and community
building

14. Catch-up Fridays shall not be graded
Since its main objective is to reinforce learning,
individual progress shall be monitored through the
Learners’ Reflection Journal, compiling reading
experiences, learnings and appreciation of Values,
Health and Peace Education

15. Learners may also articulate their thoughts through
various forms of writings, such as stories, journals,
personal essays and other forms of creative
expression that reflects their unique learning
experiences

63. Time Subject Activity
7:30- 11:30 First – Last
Subject
Reading

64. Time Subject Topic
1:00 – 2:00 First Subject Values Education
2:00 – 3:00 Second Subject Health Education
3:00 – 4:00 Third Subject Peace Education
4:00 – 5:00 Fourth Subject Homeroom
Guidance Program