SHELTER DOGS HELP KIDS TO IMPROVE

READING

Children Reading to Dogs

Program Helps Readers to Improve Literacy Skills
By Lisa Rufle www.suite101.com

Children naturally feel comfortable around dogs. By making the most of this relationship,
parents and teachers can improve literacy skills and encourage reading.

It shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone that kids who read for pleasure are more likely
to be at or above their anticipated reading level. Unfortunately, according to the National
Assesment of Education Progress scores in 2004, 40 percent of fourth graders in the U.S.
fall below their grade level when it comes to reading. Schools have been trying different
ways to improve students' literacy skills, primarily by encouraging children to read more
outside of the classroom. One of the most successful programs has been the Reading to
Dogs Program.

How the Reading to Dogs Program Works

The program is simple. Participating schools and libraries pair children that need help
with their reading skills up with literacy assistance dogs (and their trainers), for some
one-on-one fun. The situation is usually very relaxed, with the dog and child sitting
together on the floor. This encourages physical interaction during the session which can
help put the child at ease (petting dogs has been proven to lower blood pressure and
reduce stress). Children benefit from the patience, acceptance and comfort of the dog's
presence, while getting much needed practice with their reading skills in a non-
judgmental environment.

1
What Children Gain from the Reading to Dogs Program children have an ability to
interact one-on-one with a therapy dog (and trainer) to improve their reading skills. The
benefits carry over to other areas of the classroom as well, including decreased
absenteeism and increases in the completion of homework. In addition, the Reading to
Dogs Program helps children:

•Gain confidence. Children that score lower on reading placement exams are generally
self-conscious about their abilities, thus they are more likely to be uncomfortable reading
in front of their classmates. By substituting their peers with a therapy dog, they are able
to read in a completely non-judgmental environment, thus helping them to gain
confidence in their skills.
•Build self-esteem. Children with lower self-esteem are more comfortable having
personal interaction with a pet than with their peers. By reading to a therapy dog, children
are able to overcome shyness and other hurdles that impede their enjoyment of reading
and other social activities.
•Responsible pet care. In addition to the educational and social benefits of this program,
children who participate also learn about interacting with an animal. For those who do
not have pets at home, this program can teach children about proper dog care and
behavior.

How Dogs Benefit from the Program

This program is not only beneficial for the students, but the dogs also get interact with the
children. The dogs that are used for the program are certified therapy dogs and have all
gone through some degree of training. Frequently, local animal shelters will sponsor the
program, which not only helps raise awareness for the plight of adoptable animals, but
many times trains some of their own shelter dogs to be literary assistance dogs as well.

With the help of this program and the therapy dogs, children with weak reading skills can
be given a new way to improve their literacy, as well as reinforce their social skills.

2
 Reading with Rover
Sheryl Dickstein Pipe, Ph.D.

Animals are such agreeable friends—they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms.
—George Eliot

Sandy Martin prides herself on “thinking outside of the box.” But finding a meaningful way to
combine her passions for reading and animals was proving difficult. One day, Martin, a member
of the board of directors of Intermountain Therapy Animals (ITA), was discussing with Kathy
Klotz, ITA executive director, the similarities among children in ITA programs—low self-esteem,
lack of confidence, anxiety and discomfort performing tasks in front of others—and how these
characteristics were lessened with the introduction of a therapy animal. That night, Martin had a
dream: pairing therapy animals with literacy-challenged children.

R.E.A.D. (Reading Education Assistance Dogs) debuted in November 1999 at the main branch of
the public library in Salt Lake City, UT. For half an hour a week, over four weeks, children read
aloud to certified therapy dogs. Martin and other human R.E.A.D. team members work closely
with reading specialists. The canine team members, including Martin’s canine partner, Olivia,
also help teach literacy skills by using their paws to break words into smaller units and to help
turn pages. “If we come to a word that the child may not know the meaning of, I say, ‘I don’t think
Olivia understood that word. Can you tell her what it means?’ If the child can’t define the word, I
say, ‘Well, if you both look it up in the dictionary, I know you’ll be able to explain what the word
means to Olivia.’” By offering this assistance through the dogs, the learning situation remains
nonjudgmental and comfortable for the students.

The pilot program proved successful. One student said that she stuttered less when reading to the
dog than when reading aloud in other situations. Another boy, who shyly offered “I don’t read
very good” at the beginning of the first session, proudly read two books to Olivia during the third
session. Today, a corps of 30 R.E.A.D. teams provides programs every Saturday at each of the
seven branches of the Salt Lake City Public Library.

Pawsitive Experience

In addition to its library programs, R.E.A.D. teams go to public schools to work with students who
have been identified as reading below grade level. The teams work with each student for 20
minutes a week during the school year. Over a 16-month period, participating students
experienced significant improvements in their reading levels, increasing an average of one-and-a-
half to two levels. One student’s reading level jumped from 3.4 to 6.8; another's increased from
3.2 to 5.8.

Children’s behavior changed in other ways, as well. Their attendance improved, they turned in
more assignments, they checked books out of the library and they joined school clubs. Their self-
confidence was boosted, too.

The children see the dogs as an integral part of the program. They say, “The dog won’t laugh at me
if I make a mistake,” and, “When I get to those hard words, I concentrate real hard, and [the dog]
concentrates with me, and we get it together.”

3
The success of R.E.A.D. has inspired others to develop similar programs in their communities.
Helen Savill, director of humane education at the Humane Society of the Treasure Coast (HSTC)
in Stuart, FL, learned about the program through a volunteer who declared, “We can do this.” In
March 2001 they started Paws to Read. Today there are more than 35 Paws to Read teams and
another 35 names on the waiting list. Savill recalls one student—a 13-year-old boy whose mother
wryly joked that her son was “allergic to books, not dogs”—who was reading on his own for
pleasure after only two sessions. She also points out the subtle imparting of humane education
lessons during the sessions, noting that the children choose from animal-themed books selected
by the librarian, they learn how to properly interact with the dogs and they experience first-hand
a close, bonded relationship between a caretaker and a companion animal. And their parents
often ask about the HSTC shelter and its other programs. The only problem, says Savill, is
“keeping up with the demand.”

A variety of similar programs are being developed by organizations across the country. For more
information on starting a R.E.A.D. program, visit www.therapyanimals.org.

Sheryl Dickstein Pipe, Ph.D., is the director of ASPCA Humane Education.

Shandy Helps Children Learn to Read

Reading Assistance Therapy Dogs Make Learning Fun for Kids
By Joy Butler www.suite101.com

4
Reading assistance dogs offer a listening ear to students who lack confidence in their
reading ability or may be too shy to read aloud in a group setting. A reading assistance
dog who patiently listens can provide that extra ingredient to help students make better
grades in school.

Though reading assistance dogs are trained therapy dogs with certified proof that they
have the skills, temperament, manners and good health to do the job, some seem to have
a natural talent for helping children relax and enjoy reading. Shandy, of the Sit Stay Read
program for children, is one of those dogs. In fact, Shandy is the inspiration behind the
entire program.

Reading Assistance Dog Was a Shelter Dog

Shandy had humble beginnings as a homeless pup in a shelter where MaryEllen

Schneider found her in 1993. She had been a bit too much for previous owners but
MaryEllen saw more in the scruffy puppy and was committed to managing her behavior.
She soon realized that puppies don’t come trained.

“I was frantically calling around to find a puppy class.” Ms. Schneider says, “She was a
big chewer and biter and I didn’t have any puppy experience. Getting into class was the
best thing I ever did for our relationship. I learned how to manage her behavior—we
bought a crate right after the first class—and things improved immediately.”

It was soon evident that Shandy loved kids and indeed seemed to attract them.
Neighborhood kids would join Ms. Schneider and Shandy for walks and even came
ringing the doorbell to ask if Shandy could come out to play.

Shelter Dog Becomes Certified Therapy Dog

MaryEllen decided that Shandy could perhaps help children as a therapy dog so they
worked hard and became certified with Rainbow Animal Assisted Therapy, the Delta
Society, and Therapy Dogs International. Shandy and MaryEllen volunteered with
children in hospitals, residential facilities, and therapeutic day schools.

Volunteering was a great way for them to work together but as the years went by, aging
joints and tired muscles made it harder and harder for Shandy to jump through hoops,
crawl under chairs, and do all the things that make kids laugh. MaryEllen worried how it
might affect Shandy if she ever had to stop visiting the children.

Aging Therapy Dog Inspires School Reading Program

“Luckily,” MaryEllen says, “I read about a therapy dog group in Utah that would take
their dogs to libraries for kids to read to them.”

5
With this idea, MaryEllen started the Sit Stay Read program in low-income schools of
Chicago which has grown into a respected literacy organization with more than 30
certified reading-assistance dog teams, 100 trained volunteers, and proven results.

Shandy likes to lie quietly beside the children while they read. Sometimes she’ll put her
gray head into their lap and let their voices lull her to sleep.

Shandy just recently celebrated her sixteenth birthday, with bone shaped cake and all, but
still plans to bring reading assistance to more than 500 children this year. She still waits
faithfully by the door every morning for MaryEllen to get ready. She still has a burst of
happy energy when MaryEllen reaches for the program bag because that means they’re
going to the office to see the children.

Shandy may not understand completely that her love for kids is helping them learn to
read but almost certainly she senses something good happening for these little guys that
she so adores. After all, how many dogs can take credit for helping hundreds of children
grow up to become productive citizens of society?

6
 Dogs build children's confidence in
reading
by Stephanie Mlot @ The Frederick News-Post

Ava Hargett is a big reader. She's also a dog-lover, so she was excited to see the Wags for
Hope Reading Education Assistance Dogs at the C. Burr Artz Library on Sunday.

The 6-year-old Frederick resident read a Junie B. Jones book while waiting to meet
Grimmy and Snuggi.

Cindy Hargett said she and her daughter were at the library to pick up new books when
they saw the sign for the R.E.A.D. program and the dogs.

"It was good luck," she said. "We like to take advantage of the (library's) programs."

R.E.A.D. sessions allow teams of human and dog volunteers to visit with children and
motivate them to learn and read in a non-judgemental environment.

"It helps children realize they can build confidence," said Kris Buker, Children's
Department library associate. During their 10-minute session, a child who finishes
reading a picture, non-fiction or beginner's book feels a sense of accomplishment, Buker
said.

Snuggi, a rescued shelter dog mix, was kept busy with Evie Resnik, 6, who read from the
Vivian Walsh "Olive" dog book series.

Anastasia Resnik said her daughters are a little skittish about dogs, but love to read, so
she thought the Wags for Hope program would help. Lily Resnik, 7, said she was excited
about the dogs.

"It's a nice program," Anastasia said. She said she will bring her daughters back for future
R.E.A.D. events.

7
Brothers 4-year-old Joe and 7-year-old Brandon Spilis read to black lab Grimmy about
dogs.

"They love the library, and they like animals," said Monica Spilis, the boys' mom. "What
(the library is) doing with the dogs is great," she said.

Grimmy has been a member of the Wags for Hope team for about three years and loves
children, said his owner, Angie Hummer. "That's her thing, hanging out with dogs," the
Boonsboro resident said.

"It gives kids the opportunity to read out loud without the fear of being told it's wrong,"
Hummer said.

Theprogram offers room for up to three dogs; only two attended Sunday's event.

"We never know who we're getting," Buker said.

Fifteen children were cycled through the Storytime Room in about an hour on Sunday.

"It's not usually this crowded," said Lanie Lile, a Children's Department library associate.

She said the events can be hit or miss, sometimes attracting only a few participants.

The year-long program is open to children of any age, Lile said.

"Even those who can't necessarily read understand what's happening in the pictures," she
said.

Ava Hargett is already looking forward to the future of the program.

"If it's still open, I'll bring my kids here," she said.