DepEd MEMORANDUM

No. 064 s. 2025

GUDELINES FOR THE ACADEMIC RECOVERY

AND ACCESSIBLE
LEARNING PROGRAM m READING FOR KEY
STAGES 1 TO 3
(GENERAL GUIDELINES ON THE OF THE ARAL-READING
PROGRAM(Enclosure No. 1 to DepEd Memorandum No. 4, s.
2025)
1.These guidelines provide guidance on the implementation of ARAL-
Reading for Key Stages 1 to 3.

2.Lessons learned from the implementation of the Bawat Bata

Makababasa Program (BBMP) and the Literacy Remediation Program
(LRP) [DO 10, s. 2025, 2025 Department of Education Summer
Programs] shall be incorporated into ARAL-Reading.

3.ARAL-Reading addresses the urgent need to improve reading

proficiency among Grades 1 to 10 learners by applying structured,
learner-centered, and targeted instruction that is appropriate to a
learner's reading ability rather than their age or grade level.
1. IMPLEMENTATION TIMELINE

4. ARAL-Reading (Program) shall be implemented in

phases beginning School Year (SY) 2025-2026.
4.1.For Grade 1, the Program shall start in the third quarter
of SY 20252026, while for Grades 2 and 3, it shall start in
the second quarter of SY 2025-2026.

4.2.For Grades 4 to 10, the Program shall start in the

second quarter of SY 2025-2026 or as soon as the school
has met the readiness indicators for the Program,
whichever is earlier.
ALIGNMENT WITH OTHER PROGRAMS
• 5.ARAL-Reading may be effectively complemented by
existing literacy intervention initiatives through shared use
of assessment tools and teaching learning materials, as
well as coordinated implementation strategies.

• 6.Upon the approval of the Schools Division Office

(SDO) , schools may continue to implement existing
intervention programs provided these provams
demonstrate effectiveness and support the objectives of
ARAL-Reading.
PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION

7. For SY 2025—2026, ARAL-Reading shall prioritize Low

and High Emerging learners in Key Stage 1 and learners in
the Frustration level in Key Stages 2 and 3. However,
schools with the needed personnel and other resources
are encouraged to extend the program to Developing
and Transitioning learners in Key Stage 1 and
Instructional learners in Key Stages 2 and 3.
8.The ARAL Program Framework is shown in Figure 1:
Figure 1 : ARAL Program Framework (DO 18, s. 2025)

9.The following activities shall be conducted in preparation

for ARAL-Reading: Beginning of School Year (BOSY)
assessments, ARAL School Readiness and
Responsiveness Audit (ASRRA), profiling and grouping
learners, recruiting, assigning, and training tutors, preparing
teacher and class progams, orienting field implementers,
tutors, parents, and learners, and vision and health-related
screening.
10.Technical Working Groups (TWGs) shall be established
at the regional and division levels to coordinate the
implementation of ARAL-Reading in close coordination with
the National TWG and Secretariat.
Recruitment and Assignment of ARAL-Reading
Tutors and Capacity-Building for Tutors and Field
Implementers
15.1.Dep Ed teachers, provided that they will not be the
tutors of their learners;
15.2.Pre-service teachers; and
15.3.Other individuals who are qualified, experienced,
competent, and of good character. Those with prior training
in reading remediation or foundational literacy strategies are
preferred.
16.ARAL-Reading tutors and field implementers shall be
provided suitable training through the National Educators
Academy of the Philippines (NEAP) [DO 18, s. 2025, Items
52, 53, and 541. Please refer to the "Guidelines on the
Budget Allocation and Fund Utilization for the Academic
Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program for SY
2025-2026" for further guidance on budget allocation and
fund utilization for training activities.
16.ARAL-Reading tutors and field implementers shall be
provided suitable training through the National Educators
Academy of the Philippines (NEAP) [DO 18, s. 2025, Items
52, 53, and 541. Please refer to the "Guidelines on the
Budget Allocation and Fund Utilization for the Academic
Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program for SY
2025-2026" for further guidance on budget allocation and
fund utilization for training activities.
17.The following shall also participate in the capacity-
building activities: school heads, master teachers with
expertise in literacy remediation, supervisors, and technical
staff who will provide technical assistance to tutors.
Health Assessment of Learners

18.Schools shall ensure that vision screening and other

health-related assessments are undertaken [DM No. 50, s.
2025, Learners' Health Assessment and Screening for
School Year 2025-20261.
19.DepEd shall establish partnerships that can facilitate
vision screening, referrals, and corrective interventions.
20.Eyeglasses shall be provided to learners requiring
corrective intervention upon the recommendation of
optometrists and ophthalmologists.
ARAL School Readiness and Responsiveness Audit
(ASRRA)

21.All schools are required to conduct an ARAL School

Readiness and Responsiveness Audit (ASRRA) to ensure
that they are fully prepared to implement ARAL-Reading
[DM 56, s. 2025, Supplemental Guidelines on the
Implementation of the ARAL School Readiness and
Responsiveness Audit (ASSRA)].
22.The ASRRA covers five (5) key domains: (1) Learner
Readiness; (2) Teacher
Readiness; (3) School Environment Readiness; (4) Parent
and Community Engagement Readiness; and (5) System
Support and Governance Readiness. Conducting the
ASRRA is essential to guarantee that schools are
adequately supported in the implementation of ARAL-
Reading.
23.Based on findings from the ASRRA, SDOs shall provide
technical assistance to schools in the preparation for and
continued implementation of ARALReading.
IV. PROGRAM SUPPORT

24.Specific guidelines for ARAL-Reading per Key Stage are

contained in the following enclosures:
24.1.Enclosure 2: Implementing Guidelines for ARAL-
Reading in Key Stage
1; and
24.2.Enclosure 3: Implementing Guidelines for ARAL-
Reading in Key Stages
2 and 3
Teaching and Learning Resources

25.Tutors and learners shall be provided with relevant

materials. These materials shall be disseminated to schools
and tutors prior to the start of the program. Please refer to
the "Guidelines on the Budget Allocation and Fund
Utilization for the Academic Recovery and Accessible
Learning (ARAL) Program for SY 2025-2026" for guidance
on budget allocation and fund utilization for teaching and
learning resources.
26.Tutors may also utilize other materials that can support the development of
learners' oral language, phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary,
and comprehension, such as the following:
26.1.Existing resources from the DepEd Learning Management System;

26.2.Reading modules from the Early Language, Literacy, and Numeracy

(ELLN) Program;

26.3.Literacy Remediation Program (LRP) materials designed for Key Stage 1

learners;

26.4.Instructional resources from the Revised K to 10 English Curriculum.

27.Schools are encouraged to set up dedicated reading areas in the classrooms

to foster love for reading and promote independent and self-paced
learning among the learners.
 Orientation of Parents* Guardians, and Learners
30.Prior to the start of ARAL-Reading, school heads shall
organize orientation sessions for the learners' parents and
guardians, as well as the learners themselves.
31.The orientation shall emphasize the goals of ARAL-
Reading and the role of parents or guardians in supporting
the learners.
32.The documentation of the orientation session for parents
shall be submitted to the SDO by the School Head.
33.Schools shall provide continuous guidance to parents
and guardians to help them support the learners and
monitor their progress at home.
Partnership and Stakeholder Engagement
• DepEd shall collaborate with Local Government
Units (LGUs), the Department of Social Welfare and
Development (DSWD), and other agencies to support
the implementation of ARAL-Reading, particularly, in
terms of engaging parents.
ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
• School Heads will lead the implementation of ARAL-
Reading in close coordination with the Central Office
ARAL TWG and Secretariat, as well as Regional and
Division TWGs.
 MONITORING AND EVALUATION
• 36.The attendance of tutors and learners in the tutorial sessions
shall be recorded daily at the school level.
• 37.Tutors and teachers shall jointly monitor the academic
performance and socio-emotional needs of learners throughout
their participation in ARALReading.
• 38.A Monitoring and Evaluation System for ARAL-Reading shall
be established. Guidelines will be released through a separate
issuance.
• 39.An ARAL-Reading Dashboard shall be developed to help track
learners' attendance and progress, as well as the outcomes of the
Program. Guidelines shall be provided in a separate issuance.
• 40.Reflection sessions among tutors, classroom teachers,
and reading coordinators shall be organized periodically
to discuss successes and challenges encountered in the
implementation of ARAL-Reading and recommend ways
by which the Program can be strengthened.
• 41.After the EOSY assessment, School Heads are
expected to submit the following reports to the SDO, for
regional consolidation and national reporting within thirty
(30) calendar days:
• 41.1.Accomplishment report;
• 41.2.Consolidated learner assessment data; and
• Insights and reflections from the LAC sessions.
 PROCESS FLOW FOR LEARNERS WHO MANIFEST
DEVELOPMENTAL
OR LEARNING CHALLENGES
• 1.Endorsement to the School Head of reamer(s) who
manifest developmental or learning challenges
• a.Based on assessment results or observed behavior and
in collaboration with the learner's subject teacher and
class adviser, ARAL Tutors shall identify learners who
exhibit signs of developmental or learning challenges.
• b.A consolidated list of these learners must be submitted
to the School Head for appropriate action.
• 2.Referral to the Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) of the Izarning
Resource Center (LRC)

• a.A learner who exhibits signs of developmental or learning

challenges is referred to the Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) of the
Inclusive Learning Resource Center (ILRC).
• b.The MDT, composed of professionals from various fields such
as education, health, and allied health services, conducts an in-
depth assessment of the learner's needs in close coordination
with the child's parents or guardians. The MDT then designs
appropriate interventions.
• c.Alternative support may be sought from local health units or
partner institutions in situations where an ILRC is unavailable.
Assessment Tools
• 3.The Comprehensive Rapid Literacy Assessment
(CRLA) will be used to identify learners' reading
proficiency levels.
• 3.1.The language(s) of the CRLA to be used should be
consistent with the provisions stipulated in DO 20, s. 2025
[Policy on the Medium of Instruction for Kindergarten to
Grade 3 Effective School Year 20252026].
• All CRLA materials can be accessed through https:/ / bit.lv
/CRLA AdministrationMaterials.
• 3.2.The CRLA shall be administered at the beginning of
the school year (BOSY), in the middle of the school year
(MOSY), and at the end of the school year (EOSY).

• 3.3.The participation of Grades 2 and 3 learners in the

ARAL-Reading Program shall be based on the BOSY
results. The participation of Grade 1 learners in the ARAL-
Reading Program shall be based on the MOSY results.
• 4.Learners identified as Low and High Emerging shall be
asked to participate in ARAL-Reading, while Developing
and Transitioning learners shall remain in the regular
classes.

• 5.Table 1 below shows the description of each reading

profile based on the CRLA tool.
• Table1. CRLA Profiles (Key Stage 1)
Reading Profile Description
Emerging Learners show limited phonological awareness and may
only know a few letters, attempting to read by sounds or
syllables without recognizing whole words. They need
targeted instruction to build foundational skills and
improve reading comprehension.
Developing Learners have phonological awareness and can decode
some words and phrases but require teacher guidance to
enhance automaticity, fluency, and comprehension of
simple texts.
Transitioning Learners have more advanced reading skills from previous
levels but need additional practice to improve accuracy and
automaticity in reading.
Reading at Grade Level Learners demonstrate strong letter knowledge,
phonological awareness, and decoding skills. They can
read various texts in Ll and L2 and are starting to read in
L3.
Grouping of Learners
• 6.Based on the BOSY and MOSY results, learners shall
be grouped by their grade and proficiency levels.

Table 2 shall be the basis for the gouping of learners.

• Table 2: Basis of Learner Grouping
Grade Level Basis for Language of Instruction
Grouping
Grade 1 Results of CRLA Tutorial sessions will be in MT
in Mother Tongue pursuant to DO 20 s. 2025 for
(MT) or Filipino monolingual classes or Filipino for
non-monolingual classes
Grade 2 Results of CRLA Tutorial sessions will be in Filipino;
in Filipino Medium of instruction will shift to
English as soon as learners
demonstrate readiness for English
Grade 3 Results of CRLA Tutorial sessions will be in English
English
Class Size for ARAL-Reading
• 7.The recommended class size for ARAL-Reading is a
maximum of 15 learners per class.

• 8.The grouping of learners shall be finalized by the School

Head and submitted to the SDO for recording and
monitoring purposes.
IMPLEMENTING GUIDELINES FOR ARAL-
READING IN KEY STAGES 2 AND 3)
• 1.These guidelines provide guidance on the
implementation of ARAL-Reading for Key Stages 2 and 3.

• 2.ARAL-Reading in Key Stages 2 and 3 shall cover

Grades 4 to 10 learners, including those returning or re-
enrolling, who meet any of the following criteria:
• 2.1.demonstrate reading proficiency below the mimmum standard,
as determined by the Philippine Informal Reading Inventory (Phil-
IRI) results;
• 2.2.struggling readers based on formative or summative
assessments as identified by English or Filipino subject teachers; or
• 2.3.reading two or more grade levels below expected levels based
on the Individualized Reading Assessment (IRA) results.
• Note: Educational Service Contracting (ESC) learners from private
schools may be accommodated in ARAL-Reading upon request,
subject to the availability of slots [RA 12028].
• 3.ARAL-Reading for Key Stages 2 and 3 shall start in the second
quarter of the school year or as soon as the school has met the
readiness indicators for the Program, immediately after the BOSY
assessments.
 PROGRAM OBJECTIVES
4.The overall goal of ARAL-Reading for Key Stages 2 and 3 is to
help learners achieve grade-level reading proficiency in English and
Filipino. The program involves:
• 4.1.Capacity-building activities for teachers, tutors, school heads,
and instructional supervisors;
• 4.2.Provision of appropriate teaching and learning materials for
ARALReading tutors and learners;
• 4.3.Engagement of the learner's parents or guardians and the
larger community;
• 4.4.Close monitoring and evaluation processes; and
• 4.5.Periodic reporting of school-level data to develop foundational
reading skills and catch up with grade-level expectations.
PROGRAM COMPONENTS
5.To address the varied needs of Grades 4 to 10 learners in terms of reading
levels, two components for ARAL-Reading are available:

• 5.1.ARAL-Reading Basic supports learners in Grades 4 to 10 who demonstrate

significant gaps in foundational literacy skills, such as phonological awareness,
alphabet knowledge, decoding, and basic fluency. Instruction in ARAL-Reading
Basic for these learners needs to be explicit, intensive, and multisensory.
• 5.2.ARAL-Reading Plus is designed for learners in Grades 4 to 10 who are able
to decode text but continue to struggle with fluency, vocabulary, and
comprehension. These learners often read at frustration or low instructional
levels. Instruction in ARAL-Reading Plus builds on learners' decoding abilities
through purposeful interaction with texts.
• 6.Both ARAL-Reading Basic and ARAL-Reading Plus are
underpinned by reading sub-skills stipulated in the
Revised K to 10 English Curriculum [Enclosure 3, Annex
A].
• 7.Teaching-learning strategies in ARAL-Reading for Key
Stages 2 and 3 are grounded on the Teaching at the Right
Level (TaRL) 1 approach to ensure that instruction is
aligned with each learner's actual reading ability rather
than grade level. Five interrelated core practices are
drawn from the TaRL approach:
• Figure 1. ARAL-Reading Guidelines Based on Teaching at the
Right Level (TaRL)

Assessing Grouping Delivering Monitoring

Moving learners
learners to learners by targeted progress
forward as they
determine learning level, instruction based regularly to guide
improve
current ability not grade on reading profile instruction
Assessment Tools
• 8.At the beginning of the school year, all learners in
Grades 4 to 10 shall undergo the Philippine Informal
Reading Inventory (Phil-IRI), composed of two (2) parts:
(1) the Group Screening Test (GST); and (2) the
Individualized Reading Assessment (IRA). The GST
serves as a quick screener to identify learners who may
need additional support, while the IRA provides a deeper
understanding of each learner's reading fluency and
comprehension skills.
• 9.Figure 2 illustrates the process of learner identification
and referral flow using Phil-IRI and CRLA.
9.1.Learners who score 14 and 28 or higher in the Phil-IRI
English GST, for Key Stages 2 and 3, respectively, are
considered reading independently. These learners continue
with regular classroom instruction, including
accommodations and differentiated tasks.
Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) is an instructional approach that
organizes instruction around learners' actual learning levels rather
than on their grade level. It involves assessing learners, grouping
them by level, providing targeted instruction, monitoring progress
regularly, and adjusting placement accordingly to accelerate
foundational learning outcomes.
• 9.2.Learners who score 13 and 27 or below in the Phil-IRI
English GST, for Key Stages 2 and 3, respectively, shall
proceed to take the IRA. Learners whose IRA results are
two or more grade levels below their current grade level
will be directed to ARAL-Reading Basic.
Figure 2. Learner Identification and Referral Flow Using Phil-IRI
and CRLA
See page 29
Beginning-Of-School-Year
Administer Phil-IRI Group Screening Test (GST) to classify each learner's reading
level.
GST Score is: 14 (KS2); GST Score is: 8-13 (KS2); CIST Score is: ()-7 (KS2)•,
28 (KS3) above. 16-27 (KS3). 0-15 (KS3).

Administer Individualized
The learner's reading level Reading Assessment Administer IRA using a
is independent. (IRA) using a passage 2 passage 3 levels below
levels below learner's grade learner's grade level.
level.

Analyze Phil-IRI IRA results. Learners show difficulties

with:
alphabet knowledge, fluency and comprehension
phonological awareness, phonics,
decoding. and word
• 13.Learners who were not initially referred to ARAL-
Reading after BOSY assessments but continue to exhibit
difficulties in reading fluency and comprehension despite
interventions may be endorsed to ARAL-Reading Plus
following the MOSY assessment.
• 14.Learners who continue to struggle despite ARAL-
Reading interventions shall be referred for necessary
screening [DO 29, s. 2018; DM 50, s. 2025].
Grouping of Learners
• Grouping of learners in ARAL-Reading for Key Stages 2 and 3
shall be based on their reading proficiency profiles rather than
grade level. For example, a Grade 6 learner who struggles with
decoding, phonological awareness, and basic oral fluency may be
more appropriately grouped with Low Emerging Grade 4 learners.
Instruction shall focus on foundational skills using ageappropriate
materials, suitable for older learners' cognitive and emotional
maturity.
• 16.Table 3 provides guidance for grouping learners in ARAL-
Reading Basic. Annex B: Reading Sub-Skills for Key Stage 1 of
Enclosure 2 shall serve as a
• reference for ARAL-Reading Basic learners.
37.Below are possible pathways for ARAL-Reading Key
Stages 2 and 3 learners:
• 37.1.from ARAL-Reading. The learner can participate in grade-level reading
tasks without additional support.
• 37.2. from ARAL-Reading with Classroom Support. The learner is
approaching grade-level expectations and may no longer require daily
sessions. Instead, targeted support can be integrated into the regular class.
• 37.3.from ARAL-Reading Basic. The learner can independently demonstrate
proficiency in foundational reading skills and readiness for grade-level
decoding and fluency tasks.
• 37.4.Exit from ARAL-Reading Plus. The learner can sustain grade-level
fluency, apply comprehension strategies independently, and consistently
perform at the instructional or independent reading level.
• 37.5.Remain in ARAL-Reading - The learner has made notable progress but
still demonstrates significant gaps in fluency or comprehension.