Any pet owner knows that the benefits of having an animal around far exceed companionship. Research has shown a long list of health benefits from owning a pet, particularly a dog. "It's a low-tech solution in our high-tech society," says Becky Bishop, founder of Reading with Rover, a local program that utilizes dogs in the classroom to help students who struggle with reading. "You cannot get this from a computer, or even another person." Bishop is referring to the smiles on kids faces when they read to the dogs, the improved comprehension and retelling skills teachers have noticed, longer attention spans and increased attendance on the days dogs come to school. Woodmoor Elementary School in Woodinville was the pilot school for Reading with Rover and has seen great success with the program. Although Betsy Leahy, a special education teacher at Woodmoor, hasn't kept any solid statistics, there's no doubt in her mind the reading skill of her students have improved from the program. Every Thursday, Bishop and her teams of Reading with Rover volunteers come in for 45-minute to 1-hour sessions with students. The dogs are certified therapy dogs that have been trained to listen to kids read. "There were outcomes we didn't expect," said Leahy. "My hope was that (the students) would become more comfortable reading out loud." But the effects of a furry friend to read with surpassed her expectations. Leahy saw trust built between the dog owners and the children. She recalls one little girl whose mom was gone a lot. The girl bonded with the owner of her reading dog. "She knew every Thursday she could count on that woman being there," Leahy said. The dogs made even greater impacts. One boy enjoyed reading to his canine partner so much, he began bringing more difficult books from home to read to the dog, Leahy said. "Their confidence and self-assurance blossomed," she said. "Woodmoor is a pretty dog-friendly school," Leahy explained. The Reading with Rover dogs even helped students who were afraid of dogs overcome their fear. Bishop and the other volunteers found the process equally rewarding. Students were matched with dogs at the beginning of the school year and allowed an entire trimester to get to know each other. Bishop noticed high energy kids being calmed by the dogs' presence. She frequently saw kids explaining details of a story to the dogs that would not have been revealed to a human listener. "We help the kids if they ask us, but otherwise we're just a fly on the wall," Bishop said. "You just sit back and let the magic work." Anne Marie Kaighin and her Leonburger named Amos found the ideal volunteer situation in Reading with Rover. Kaighin saw a flyer at her vet's office that caught her attention. "I do a lot of volunteer work, but my dog's always had to be home while I'm out volunteering." But then she heard about Reading with Rover. "Wow, I thought, I can volunteer and bring my dog with me." Her love of reading and children coupled with Amos' mellow personality make the pair a perfect team. Bishop helped start the program with Bothell children's librarian MieMie Wu who had heard about a similar program in Utah. Reading with Rover became so popular at the library, they had to have sign up sheet so kids could book an appointment with their dog. Barnes and Noble and Borders host regular public events featuring Reading with Rover, allowing kids a chance to read to a doggy right in the store. Bishop aims to recruit enough teams so that more schools can experience Reading with Rover. "I'd love to see all schools have a program with good, solid dogs to come in so children can interact with them," said Bishop, who also trains dogs through her business, Puppy Manners. She's always on the lookout for nice dogs with nice owners, often stopping people with pets at Starbucks or on the street to see if they're interested in the program. Bishop emphasizes that a dog does not have to be perfect to be a therapy dog. "He just has to be a well-mannered family pet who likes to be petted by other people and doesn't jump. He has to have basic skills like 'sit,' 'down' and 'stay,' but not advanced skills." At the end of the school year, students at Woodmoor thanked the volunteers, who put in over 250 hours, by baking home-made dog biscuits and having a party. "None of the volunteers had kids in the building, and some didn't even live in our district," said Leahy. "They are the most faithful, wonderful volunteers." For more information on Reading with Rover, visit www.readingwithrover.org |
| Dog day afternoon: Canine pals make perfect partners for young readers By: Cathy Herholdt , Journal Newspapers They've been called "silent therapists," able to improve interpersonal communication, help people relax and decrease anxiety. They've even been known to improve your chances of surviving after a heart attack, and reduce the amount of money spent on prescription medication. No, they're not massage therapists. They're dogs. |