Dogs Teach Kids to Read. Really.

There's a new kind of therapy dog in town thanks to Intermountain Therapy Animals, which runs a nationwide program called R.E.A.D, or Reading Education Assistance Dogs. Through this program, volunteers and their dogs help children learn to read by providing a captive, non-judgmental canine audience that allows children to practice reading aloud in a way that feels safe.

Tricia Clifford, National R.E.A.D. coordinator, told Paw Nation that the program started about ten years ago. "We noticed that when dogs are there everyone calms down," she said, citing studies that have shows spending time with animals can lower blood pressure and reduce stress. When dogs are around, said Clifford, "the kids don't feel like they're being judged. They calm down, and they can read out loud. Then the handler can chime in through the dog –- 'He doesn't understand this part.' –- something like that." The children feel like they are teaching the dogs something, which lends them a sense of confidence. The program's coordinators claim that this helps improve not only reading skills, but often test scores and school performance too.

So just how does an ordinary pet become a reading coach? The dogs are registered in animal-assisted therapy, and the handlers attend all-day workshops to learn techniques. The dogs are then tested for basic commands and to make sure they have the right temperament to sit quietly with children. Clifford told Paw Nation that any dog owner can get involved by visiting their Web site, TherapyAnimals.org, which lists all the steps for becoming registered and includes information on local groups.

"Our goal is to continue to help kids overcome their fear of reading aloud," Clifford said. It occurs to us that the dogs might enjoy all the attention... and getting to hear stories too.