The Wonderful Magic of Dogs

Sure, we've all talked to dogs before-using our baby voices-but have you ever sat down and talked with your pooch one-on-one? That's the whole idea about R.E.A.D. dogs. Young kids struggling to read are exposed to these therapy dogs trained to help the student become a better reader. The strategy has been around for about 10 years but MRC sites are now sniffing at the idea of incorporating them into the program.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/timberland/

Reading Education Assistance Dogs (R.E.A.D.) was created by Intermountain Therapy Dogs in 1999. The program was implemented to improve the literacy skills of children through assistance of registered therapy teams as literacy mentors.

What sparked my interest in the program was an article on CNN.com, telling a story of how libraries in West Virginia is using the program and seeing results.The dogs give a calming effect, which is exactly what the child needs. "Adults and peers can intimidate a child struggling to read. By reading to a dog, they don't feel pressure because the dog knows just about as much as the child." The result? Kids become more confident in their reading abilities.

According to the CNN article, individual schools have seen improvements in students across the board. Not only are the reading scores improved, but staff sees struggling kids speak up more in class, volunteer more to read, and accomplishing their homework more than before. There is also better attendance which is simple to figure out- kids want to go to school when they know a dog will be there for them to read to!

Some MRC sites are catching whiff of the program and are eager to try. "Our volunteer coordinator Jill Hinners in Duluth is looking to incorporate [the dogs] into three sites next year," said Lindsey Molstad, regional MRC coordinator in Duluth. We all want to see improvement so why not take a fun and innovative approach?

If you are interested in the program or know more about it, leave a comment and let us know!
For more on the article, click here:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/10/22/dogs.irpt/index.html