LOOKING THROUGH THE LENS OF READING COMPREHENSION IN ENGLISH EDUCATION: CATCH-UP FRIDAYS IN FOCUS

Abstract

The main purpose of the study was to recognize the individuality of each student’s learning approach and classified students based on their reading levels. This thoughtful categorization enabled the school to tailor activities, ensuring that every student could participate in meaningful learning experiences on Catch-Up Friday. Schools paused regular classes to immerse the entire school in a reading-focused day. This study provided an opportunity for each kid, regardless of reading proficiency, to have a personalized plan for the day centered on the joy of reading. Activities were planned to meet the children’ reading levels. For novices, comfortable reading areas with bright picture books were built. Intermediate readers engaged in group reading sessions, while advanced readers were assigned more difficult topics. Teachers gave support suited to each student’s reading level throughout the day. In addition to academic catch-up, Catch-Up Friday aims to promote a love of reading. The primary focus of this study was the elementary program teachers who participated in catch-up Friday activities. Each member teaches in a particular public school in Davao City. These participants have been teaching reading for more than five years, and they are presently teaching in the 2023–2024 school year. Ten people in all are included in this study and will participate in a concentrated group discussion and in-depth interview. The information obtained from the IDI and FGD is meticulously documented and converted into an organized summary of the participants' answers. Three themes emerged from the data analysis: the significance of reading comprehension, the need to adapt one's reading techniques, and the imposition of strong incentive. KEYWORDS: Learning, strategies, comprehension, elementary, teachers, reading, education, program, intervention