Dogs trained through the R.E.A.D. Minnesota program provide comfort to elementary students in their reading journey. /Photos supplied
By Jon Tatting—
The hope is man’s best friend can make a difference in young Rush City students who lack confidence, have short attention spans and are struggling with reading scores for their age and grade.
Julie Parent, this year’s Minnesota Reading Corps volunteer coordinator at C.E. Jacobson Elementary School, is looking to fulfill that hope by getting local dog owners/handlers interested in training their animals to assist students with their literacy skills.
Through a program called Reading Education Assistance Dogs (R.E.A.D.) Minnesota, dogs and their owners can become therapy teams and help out on a monthly basis beginning this school year. Parent contacted the program after hearing many positive reviews about it from other schools and libraries.
“Children get excited about reading to dogs,” explained Parent, who plans literacy-related activities for the elementary students. “No matter what the breed, reading dogs are calming, good listeners who don’t laugh at, correct or criticize students. The goals are to improve students reading skills and give them confidence in a safe environment.
“R.E.A.D. Minnesota is a free program that works,“ she added.
If interested, people will need to take the time to go through a training process and pay to have their dogs insured. “Then at least one team would be available on a regular basis in Rush City,” Parent said of what could be just the beginning.
About the program
R.E.A.D. is billed as a fun, effective and inexpensive way to improve children’s reading skills through the assistance of registered therapy animal teams as literacy mentors. Its programs have been implemented across the country.
R.E.A.D. Minnesota, which primarily focuses on the greater Twin Cities metropolitan area, was created and is managed by Nancy Brooks. She is a licensed R.E.A.D. instructor and active therapy team volunteer since 2003.
In a recent interview, Brooks said the program is designed to use the companionship of therapy animals to build and encourage children’s love of books and the reading environment, and provide an opportunity for them to practice the full range of communication skills.
“Research indicates that positive experiences like this will help lay the foundation for a lifetime of learning, and a higher quality of life,” she noted.
In the school setting, teachers or reading specialists are asked to select those children who would most benefit from this type of intervention. Teams read with the same children each week so a more trusted and secure relationship evolves.
This is considered animal-assisted therapy (AAT), continued Brooks, because specific goals are set for each child, documentation is kept and progress is recorded. Sometimes this is done right after school or during the school day, but it involves a one-on-one experience with privacy or semi-privacy so the child can blossom without the criticism of his or her peers.
Each child spends about a half-hour with his dog, a few minutes getting acquainted and comfortable. Time reading follows, then a few minutes at the end for tricks and treats and less formal play.
“They often sit together on the floor with big pillows … usually with some physical connection between dog and child, and we see what unfolds,” Brooks pointed out.
A common scene shows the child petting and stroking the dog while he or she is reading, which leads to relaxation. What typically follows is the child forgets how hard he thinks reading is and starts to look forward to it.
“He (the student) comes running in with enthusiasm the next week saying things like, ‘Oh, Olivia, I have a story today that I know you’re just going to love!’” Brooks described.
The benefits
According to Brooks, some of the documented benefits of therapy with animals include lowering of blood pressure and heart rate, increased relaxation, and a tendency to forget about pain and limitations.
She continued:
A research study almost 30 years ago found that when children get nervous, especially when talking to others, their blood pressure can rise very high, but that if a dog joins the scene, blood pressure will go down very low, whether the child and dog are sitting quietly together or the child is reading to the dog. We suspect part of that is because dogs are so trustworthy — people just know they don’t have to be self-conscious or worried or embarrassed when they’re with a dog.
Remember that even most adults are terrified of public speaking, and most of us have forgotten how daunting it is to have to expound in front of our peers. Often, kids who are learning to read get stressed, not because they aren’t capable of reading but because they get nervous and self-conscious. They worry about making mistakes, they worry about looking dumb.
R.E.A.D. also extends beyond the immediate reading experience — many teachers have noted that children who participate in the program start to raise their hands, come to school more consistently, turn in more homework assignments, form trusting relationships and speak out in class when they never could before.
The right dog, the right fit
Dogs of all sizes, from little terriers to giant mastiffs, have participated in the program. “Temperament is more relevant than size,” said Brooks, noting alternative animals have included cats, bunnies and even guinea pigs.
Yet a good reading dog is, first and foremost, a registered, tested and insured therapy animal. They must be screened for skills and temperament, health and cleanliness, good manners and attitude.
“The testing has shown that each particular animal has the appropriate skills and temperament to do the job, while the owner has demonstrated great responsibility and willingness to train and care for their animal,” Brooks said. “And each animal has liability insurance, which is a great comfort to … owners, facilities and clients.”
In addition, the right animals for the job are those who people can’t resist approaching. They inspire confidence and trust in the people around them. They are calm and reliable, obedient and impeccably groomed to be attractive and fun to touch and stroke. They enjoy children and like curling up on the floor with them to hear stories, Brooks explained.
Just like the students, their canine reading partners also gain from the experience.
“Most of the dogs truly enjoy spending cozy time with their owner and friends, collecting love, relaxing to the sound of sweet voices, and enjoying some treats,” said Brooks. “It’s important to note that we wouldn’t make any dog do this if he weren’t having fun, too.
“It’s one of our most serious obligations as the two-legged partner on the team, to make sure our animals are not forced to participate if they don’t enjoy the interaction. The animals are not tools or machines, but individuals with their own needs and preferences, and we honor that at every turn,” she added.
Once the handler and animal have become a registered team and attended the R.E.A.D. workshop, the time commitment is up to the team and program put into the place at the school.
It should be noted that not all animals (and humans) are suited to be therapy teams. The training and evaluation involved will help the team decide if the program is a good fit or not. Plus, handlers should know if their animal partner will want to spend quiet time with a young child on a blanket.
How Brooks got involved
Brooks became a therapy team with her first partner, Sassy, a sable Sheltie, in 2003. She first heard of R.E.A.D. when she saw the article on the front page of the New York Times.
“I was thrilled to see there was something that combined my two loves: animals and reading,” she said.
In 2004, Brooks and her canine companion became the first R.E.A.D. team in Minnesota. She became a R.E.A.D. instructor a year later.
“I love spending time with my (new partner, Franklin, a bi-black Sheltie) and young readers,” she noted. “It is so rewarding to see the child enjoy reading to my dog and making sure that the dog sees the pictures and understands the stories.”
Contacts
For information on becoming a local dog reading team, contact Julie Parent at 320-358-4724, ext. 383; or e-mail her at jparent@rushcity.k12.mn.us.
Also, log onto www.readdogsmn.org or www.therapyanimals.org/R.E.A.D.html for additional and more general information.
Become a R.E.A.D. Team
Share your wonderful animal companion, your love of children, and your love of reading by becoming a R.E.A.D. team. Consider these qualities of what a good team looks like, so you can decide whether this might be a good fit for you and your therapy companion.
Qualities of a Good R.E.A.D. Therapy Animal
• Calm, comfortable in low-key setting
• Able to deal with unexpected close encounters of rambunctious children
• Solid obedience skills; ability/willingness to learn new things
• Tolerant of sudden loud noises: school bells, puppets, costumes, room decorations
• Neutral to presence of toys, crayons, paper, books, and lunch remnants in trash baskets
• Cool around other animals
Qualities of a Good R.E.A.D. Human Teammate
• All the qualities of the animal, and enjoy children!
• Love reading and be a competent reader
• Willingness to discover children’s books
• Willingness to form appropriate relationships with kids and understand their challenges
• Commitment is required!
• Time commitment for library or school program
• Training, grooming, and professionalism
