Who makes for great listeners? Why, our dogs of course! This fact is put to good use every Thursday, when third graders have their weekly reading sessions at the library–where they can read books to dogs. The dogs, belonging to retired teachers, are volunteers in this program that help grade school students improve their reading skills by reading to our canine friends. The kids are less intimidated by reading to them because they are neither interrupted nor corrected, and it brightens their spirit to know that the dogs are listening.
The kids find the dogs pay attention and listening to them and, coordinator Marlene Vahl of the “Reading with Dogs Programs”, explains that teachers in their eagerness to teach sometimes interrupt more than they should. The programs strikes the balance where the kids are able to improve their reading skills and develop the love for the written word. This is very important as we live in a digital age and everything is dynamic. Some kids actually take the habit home and read to their own dogs. Now that’s something!
Here we celebrate the collaboration of dogs in aiding children with regards to their reading skills. It is such a joy to find new ways where we can help each other become better in what we set out to do. This video is definitely worth sharing so that the program will reach more schools and children who are having difficulty reading. Please share this terrific idea!
Toledo, United States.