Literacy specialists agree that children who are below their peers in reading skills are often intimidated by reading aloud in a group, often have lower self-esteem, and view reading as a chore.
Such children get discouraged and often fall further behind, leading to ongoing education and self-esteem problems. But all that changes when the audience isn’t other people but a dog!
The dogs are part of an American program, the Intermountain Therapy Animals R.E.A.D. program, which provides trained assistance dogs and handlers to schools and community groups who want to encourage children to enjoy reading.
Intermountain Therapy Animals is a non-profit organisation based in Salt Lake City, Utah. It specialises in providing animal-assisted therapy in physical, occupational, speech and psychotherapies, as well as special education.
Executive Director, Kathy Klotz says “putting people and animals together, for the happiness and healing of both, is among the most joyful and rewarding ‘work’ on earth.”
Reading to a Dog takes the Stress off the Child
Children from pre-school age to young teens are eligible for the R.E.A.D program. They spend about half an hour a week with their reading dog, generally in a group in the classroom or school library. They often sit together on the floor with big pillows, the dog often cuddled up to the child or within patting distance.
The half hour allows time for the child to get comfortable and relaxed with her dog, before reading aloud, with a few minutes at the end for tricks and treats and playing with her dog.
While she is reading aloud, the child is usually petting and stroking the dog. This relaxes her and lowers her blood pressure and heart rate, taking the sense of stress out of reading.
Animal therapy researcher Dr Aaron Katcher, who has written on the relationship between people and pets, says animals create a beneficial therapeutic environment. The animals’ presence
- draws the child’s attention outward
- turns off anxiety, anger and depression
- creates a sense of safety
- creates a feeling of intimacy, and
- increases the child’s positive expectations of both self and others.
Dogs are Uncritical Listeners
As well as relaxation from petting the dog, the child gains confidence in her reading, because the dog, while obviously attending to her voice, is not criticising her pronunciation or understanding.
The dogs are trained to be attentive and look at the child as she is reading. The handler, who is with the child and dog during the session, may occasionally remind the animal with the command ‘look’. The dog can even help with turning pages over.
The child is also in a position where she is not ‘bottom of the class’. The dog knows even less than she does about reading, and what words mean. So, with some encouragement from the handler, she can find out what a new word means and explain it to her dog.
Very often the child is literally reading the book to the dog – turning it around so the dog can see the pictures as she reads aloud. This experience of teaching the dog is a boost to the child’s self-esteem and builds confidence in her own abilities.
Reading with Dogs Helps with Other Schoolwork
The R.E.A.D sessions with dogs are so enjoyable that children look forward to them every week, often rushing into the room excited about sharing a story with their dog. Dr Klotz says the flow-on from this is an enthusiasm for other aspects of school life.
“The kids start coming to school more consistently, volunteering to read aloud in class, being late less often, turning in more homework assignments, showing improvements in self-esteem, forming trusting relationships,” Dr Klotz says.
Not Just Dogs – Cats, Rabbits and Guinea Pigs
Dogs of all sizes from little terriers to giant mastiffs are trained for the R.E.A.D program to allow children to choose a dog they feel comfortable with. As well as dogs, there are cats, pet rabbits and guinea pigs for those who prefer the company of smaller creatures, and recently an African Grey parrot has become a trained R.E.A.D assistance animal!
All R.E.A.D assistance animals are registered, tested and insured and trained as therapy animals. They have been screened for skills and temperament, health and cleanliness, good manners and positive attitude.
At the same time they are animals who people want to pet, and they inspire confidence and trust in the people around them. They are calm and reliable, obedient, and impeccably groomed. Most of all, they enjoy children, and like curling up on the floor with them to hear stories.
The Intermountain Therapy Animals R.E.A.D. program was recently awarded the 2009 BetterWorld Books Readers' Choice Literacy Grant. There is more information about the program at the R.E.A.D page of the Intermountain website.
You might also be interested in reading Dogs Help Recovery after Surgery, Trauma, Dogs Can Think Like Two-year-old Children and Do Dogs Know When They are being Deceived?
Sue Cartledge - I'm a science, health, nutrition and lifestyle journalist, fascinated by the way the physical world operates in all its forms, and how ...
Join the Conversation