According to the NIH, “Over the past 20 years animal-assisted interventions (AAI), particularly those involving dogs, have become more common in classrooms. Evidence continues to accumulate, showing AAI to be an effective tool.” The benefits not only include better mental health, physical health, and cognitive performance, but also improved literacy.

Three main areas show the most promise for this type of literacy intervention include motivation, confidence, and fluency. Author Jodie Rodriguez explains in Scholastic:

Motivation: If you were a child who was told you could pick any book to read aloud without your mistakes being corrected, your motivation to read would jump up a few notches… Often children will bond with the animal they are reading to and be motivated to visit that animal over and over again to read aloud.

Confidence: When a child reads to an animal, there is no judgment. A child can stumble through a word, read at a choppy rate, or take an extended amount of time to read a passage. The animal remains a consistent listening companion. Over time, a child will begin to feel more comfortable reading aloud, thus building reading confidence.

Fluency: Reading fluency, including reading speed and phrasing, improves with reading aloud and practicing the same material over and over. Animals don’t mind if a child reads Go, Dog, Go! by P.D. Eastman twenty times.

No pup at home? No problem! If you have a child in Delaware who would enjoy reading aloud to pets, visit PAWS for Reading Libraries. Kids can join a PAWS dog (or cat, or even a bunny!) for a one-on-one reading session hosted by a partner library. Numerous libraries across the state host the program.

So, head to the library to start reading to Fido or Rover. And, maybe pack a dog treat or two…

About Success Won’t Wait

Founded in 2002 and dedicated to educating the next generation, Success Won’t Wait is a not-for-profit literacy organization based in Wilmington, Delaware. Want to learn more about Success Won’t Wait’s literacy projects, how to donate used children’s books in Delaware, or volunteer your time? Click on the About Us tab above.

Read now, because success won’t wait!