There are numerous methods to encourage children to read, but perhaps the greatest is to have them read to the dogs.
Intermountain Therapy Animals, a nonprofit organization, launched R.E.A.D. in 1999 as the first comprehensive literacy program built around the appealing idea of reading to dogs, and the program has been spreading rapidly and happily ever since.
The Reading Education Assistance Dogs (R.E.A.D.) program improves children's reading and communication skills by employing a powerful method: reading to a dog. But not just any dog. R.E.A.D. dogs are registered therapy animals who volunteer with their owner/handlers as a team, going to schools, libraries and many other settings as reading companions for children.
Today, thousands of registered R.E.A.D. teams work throughout the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, and beyond. R.E.A.D. is one of those ideas that, in the words of Bill Moyers, "pierces the mundane to arrive at the marvelous."
And in Las Vegas a team has created an innovative program called Reading Circles with the Love Dogs. Rather than the one-on-one model implemented by R.E.A.D., Reading Circles bring together several children to take turns reading to “their” dogs. This encourages sharing, taking turns, respect and patience while others read.
Love Dog Adventures started this program to not only improve literacy skills but to teach tolerance and to help children deal with the enormous issue of bullying. When the children learn to work side by side with children they have just met, respect the dogs and learn about one another, more than reading is the goal.
All of the Reading Circle volunteer teams (dog and handler) are Delta Pet Partner therapy teams.
The children read books and stories that have been selected for age appropriateness as well as stories that have been written about the dogs the children will meet. The dogs don’t criticize, rush, make fun of, bully or turn away. They just love to listen and be supportive of the reader.
And Reading Circles are not just for very young children learning to read. They have proved very successful with tweens and teens to encourage reading aloud and to themselves to improve literacy and comprehension as well as positive discussion with their peers.
The Love Dogs will be bringing their Reading Circles to several Las Vegas schools during Nevada Read Week as well as RISE Resource Center one Saturday a month. Click here for the RISE schedule.
For more information or to invite Reading Circles into your school or facility, click here.
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