Has Your Pet Read Any Good Books Lately?

There's nothing like curling up with a good book and a furry friend by your side.  Now, researchers say that it's also a great way to help kids with their reading skills.

Reading Education Assistance Dogs® (R.E.A.D.) is a swiftly growing program that uses therapy dogs to encourage children to read.  Studies have shown that literacy skills and confidence improve when children are in a relaxed environment, and few things are more stress-relieving than stroking a dog. 

Intermountain Therapy Animals, a nonprofit organization based in Salt Lake City, launched R.E.A.D. in 1999 as the first comprehensive literacy program built around the idea of reading to dogs. 

,Launched in 1999, the program has proven to successfully improve the reading scores of children who participate each week.

The concept behind the program is simple: a trained pet is paired with a child, and the two sit in a comfortable location while the child reads to the dog.  In addition to the physical comfort of the pet, the children know the dogs make no judgments regarding how well the child is reading.  What's more, if the child is anxious about struggling to read, the dog's presence can actually reduce that stress level.

Today, hundreds of R.E.A.D. teams are working in libraries and schools across the country.    

Who can participate?
Although R.E.A.D. program specifics differ throughout the country, there are some fundamentals:  all participating pets are registered therapy dogs who have been tested and evaluated for health, personality and temperament. 

The program is not size or breed-specific; some children prefer to sit with their arm around a big dog, while others prefer a cuddly "toy" in their laps. 

Barbara Jolliff, professional trainer at Best Friends in Carmel, Indiana, says that the best canine candidate is a calm dog, with a good sense about him.  "He should be accustomed to being with children, and not get overly-excited and push or jump on the kids," says Joliff.    The dog's handlers/owners accompany the pets at all times, most handlers also receive training.  This may include learning what to do if the child gets stuck on a word, or chooses material that's too difficult.

Aside from the benefit of improved reading skills, children also learn how to interact appropriately with pets, and handle them in a gentle manner.    They treat the dogs with respect and kindness.  The canine counterpart benefits as well.  "These dogs get attention, love and companionship," says Jolliff.  "They also get the simple added bonus of just being out with its owner."

If you are interested in learning more about or training your pet for R.E.A.D., check out Intermountain Therapy Animals at  www.therapyanimals.org/read  and Therapy Dogs International, Inc. at www.tdi-dog.org/childrenreadingtodogs.htm.