Helping hounds: dogs aid reading skills

Posted on: Dec 16, 2019

While schools employ a wide variety of strategies to help students learn to read effectively, Delano Elementary has found success using mentors who, at first glance, might seem unlikely candidates to boost literacy -- dogs. 

Or, more properly, registered therapy animal teams. Students who need some extra assistance with reading meet monthly with a trained dog and its owner to practice reading aloud, a practice that often yields significant results.

“Animals are ideal reading companions because they help increase relaxation and lower blood pressure, listen attentively; do not judge, laugh or criticize; allow children to proceed at their own pace, and are less intimidating than peers,” said Melissa Assels, the Alternative Delivery of Specialized Instructional Services (ADSIS) instructor at DES. “Participating kids make enormous strides in reading and communication skills while, along the way, building self-esteem, confidence and social skills.”

A typical visit
During a reading session in the DES Imaginarium on Nov. 13, students cycled through for 10-minute time slots with Getty, a mild-mannered 9-year-old golden retriever, and her owner Wendy Hitch. Students practiced reading while Getty rested her head on their lap and enjoyed ear scratches and pats.

“It’s probably the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done,” said Hitch, who lives in Minnetonka. “It’s so fun because you get to take your dog with you.”

Hitch, a member of North Star Therapy Animals, explained that registered therapy animal teams go through an extensive training and registration process with Pet Partners, which includes guidance for both animals and their owners, as well as stringent evaluations. Animals must be screened for health, and their temperament is a key factor in the registration process.

“My job is not really to correct students as they’re reading, but to help them read with some fluency,” said Hitch. “I’m always encouraging them. Mostly, the experience with the dogs is just to give them the opportunity to read out loud. It’s almost like a lesson in public speaking. A lot of kids never read out loud.”
After finishing their lessons, students had the opportunity to give Getty a treat and say goodbye until their next lesson.

Team partners
Assels first learned about the Read With Me program while she was working in a different district. 

“A colleague of mine started working with this program and I witnessed how special it was with my students. I knew I wanted to bring the program here to Delano Elementary School,” Assels said.

Administrators were supportive, and Getty and Hitch first came to Delano Elementary during the 2017-18 school year after establishing a working relationship with Assels in her previous district. 

This year two additional teams are also working at DES. Jan Engelhardt brings her miniature schnauzer, Astro, and Kay Mathias teams up with her Rottweiler, Reyna.

Astro is a retired champion show dog from Texas who “loves to cuddle and thinks having someone scratch his ears is the best,” said Engelhardt.

Mathias has five children of her own, and said she enjoyed fostering a love of reading in them. She also had experience raising guide dogs in Florida.

“I loved training dogs and helping others at the same time,” she said. “When we moved back to Minnesota I decided I wanted to help others with my own dog. … Reyna and I love kids, so I decided the Read With Me program was a perfect fit.”

Hitch explained that her own daughter had struggled with reading, but improved after she spent time reading aloud to their pets.

“We had a rabbit and a dog and a cockatoo and they would all snuggle up and she would read her books to them,” Hitch said. “It really wasn’t until later when I saw an article about (therapy reading animals) that I thought, ‘This is what I need to do. I’ve seen it work. We’ve done it.’”

Assels said the program has helped students involved in the student support intervention services such as ADSIS, Title 1 and Basic Skills improve their reading and communication skills while having fun with a pet.

“We are so excited to have the Read With Me program here at Delano Elementary School again this year,” she said. “The kids love it!”
 

Post Categories: Elementary School