Dogs Help Struggling Readers

While I don't recommend bringing your dog to your Title I class, this story reminds me of several situation where dogs were used as silent, gracious listeners.

1. Our neighorhood library brought a calm golden retreiver and his handler to the library once a week so that children could read to him.  Great success and very popular with young children.
2. For several years when we had the prescriptive program at Atlas, the teachers recognized that Hmong children were very reluctant to read aloud to their teacher, mainly because of cultural respect for persons in authority.  Hmong children even have difficulty giving their teacher eye-contact.  I took it upon myself to dress up a big, old stuffed dog from my daughter's childhood and added a hat and a tie around his neck.  He was "Fred."  Fred had his own private space in the room.  Children went to him to read and often brought Fred back to their table.  Worked wonderfully!
3. Two of our participating schools in the past had a time-out corner in the "office" where students needing a 'time out' came to stay.  There were stuffed animals, books, and chairs.  In no time, children were reading to the stuffed animal and calmed themselves down.

We certainly could renew "dogs" in reading sites with young children if there is enough space.  Struggling readers do not like to read aloud alone and much prefer choral reading, much like my tone-deaf self who needs a good singer next to me to carry a tune.

Any similar ideas?  Share them with us.

Education assistance dogs help students with reading.  Angela Ward. 9.9.12. news-journal.com. Longview, Texas.
http://www.news-journal.com/news/local/education-assistance-dogs-help-students-with-reading/article_a3980e51-6373-500a-b259-cc0b5958b58b.html