"WHAT ARE ALL THESE DOGS DOING AT SCHOOL?": Using Therapy Dogs To Promote Children's Reading Practice

Childhood Education, Spring 2005 by Jalongo, Mary Renck

Comprehension Checks and Appropriate Pacing

In R.E.A.D., the dog handlers are trained to be enthusiastic facilitators of each child's reading practice. If, for example, a child is struggling with a word, the handler might supply the troublesome word to keep the reading flow going; if the book seems too difficult, the handler might suggest a suitable alternative. Handlers are encouraged to pay attention and use their instincts rather than adhere to some arbitrary formula, offering assistance when necessary. This helps to increase accuracy during independent practice, which improves comprehension and builds confidence in readers (Cunningham, Perry, Stanovich, & Share, 2002; Cunningham & Stanovich, 1998; Swanborn & de Glopper, 1999). The therapy dog serves as an intermediary as the handlers check the child's understanding and even ask young readers to explain it to the dog (e.g., "Tell Rover about what you just read. What does it say?" or "Copper doesn't understand that big word. Can you explain?").

ADDRESSING READING DIFFICULTIES THROUGH ANIMAL-ASSISTED THERAPY

Children with reading difficulties often: have language delays or disorders (Glazer, 1998), lack confidence in their reading abilities (Gallas, 1997), have limited access to interesting materials (Krashen, 1997; Neuman, 1999), acquire few opportunities to read in their environments at home or school (Adams, 1990; Cambourne, 2001; Krashen, 2001), have little motivation to read or interest in reading (Turner, 1997), experience comprehension difficulties (Block & Pressley, 2002), or are denied the chance to use literacy skills to accomplish tasks that have meaning for them (Jalongo, Fennimore, & Stamp, 2004). Animalassisted therapy that brings dogs into reading class is not intended to take the place of effective instruction in reading; rather, it offers a more structured and appealing alternative to the common directive, "Go back to your seats and read to yourself." As Allington and McGill-Franzen (2003) concluded in their review of reading research, "Good teaching may go unrewarded if students do not practice those emerging skills and strategies successfully and extensively. It is during such successful, independent practice that students consolidate their skills and strategies and come to own them" (p. 74). Carefully planned, implemented, monitored, and evaluated programs that use registered therapy dogs as an incentive for children to practice their reading skills merit further investigation and thoughtful consideration by educators.

The Reading Education Assistance Dogs (R.E.A.D.) program, developed by Intermountain Therapy Animals (ITA), has gained national attention. It has been featured on the national news, at the Westminster Dog Show, on National Geographic's Dogs With Jobs, and on PAX channel's Miracle Pets, and offers its own training materials and videos. R.E.A.D. resources include a training package, videos, templates for name badges, necessary forms, sample business cards for the dogs, bookmarks and posters, and a newsletter. The program has been so well-received that the Utah Chapter of the International Reading Association honored R.E.A.D. with its Celebrate Literacy Award in 2003.