By RHEA-FRANCES TETLEY
Staff Writer
For the past 12 years, a wonderful and creative program has been helping local children to read better as they improve their oral reading skills. At Valley of Enchantment Elementary School, there is an afterschool program where trained therapy dogs come and visit the school cafeteria where they sit and allow the kids to read to them.
The dogs listen as the students read during this imaginative and creative program to improve reading fluency for first graders.
Mrs. Kearns and Mrs. Dosey are the teachers behind this long running and successful afterschool program. Having the dogs visit excites the kids as they eagerly read aloud to the dogs. The dogs listen and, if the child ever gets stuck on a word, the dog’s handler will suggest the correct word. This breeds fluency for the reader as they show off their reading abilities for the dog.
The dogs come once a week for seven to eight weeks per session. There is one session scheduled in the fall and one in the spring. During this time, the students grow in confidence in their oral reading ability and read many books during the 45-minute sessions. Each child gets the chance to read about three to six books per session to the dogs. They get several opportunities to read to different dogs each week. The kids get a stamp on their certificate for each book they read to keep track of their achievements. Each chosen student only attends either the fall or spring session.
Each dog of the 18 licensed therapy dogs that are on the mountain has a business card with a photo they give to each child to take home and share with their friends and family. The students love the program; each child improves at their own rate, but success has been seen in all. And the dogs are very lovable and the excited children enjoy being with them. The current students are first graders chosen by teacher Gigi Dosey from a list of students who are delayed or hesitant in their oral reading. At the end of the program there is a small party where each student gets to choose and take home their favorite book.
Students who are not normally excited about reading find it is fun when they are reading to the dogs. The dog is non-judgmental and a good listener and usually very huggable. Not all the children have such good listening dogs at home, although some say they do try at home.
The volunteers have all been trained as have the dogs for this program. The therapy dogs are very calm and don’t bark. Many different breeds are used and these dogs are also used for hospital visits and hospice. They are also insured for $2 to $4 million each.
Bear is a 4-year-old great Bernese and Poodle mix, and one of the favorites among the kids. Jamieson loves to read to him, “Because it’s fun.” The dogs range in size from very large standard size poodles and to smaller lap-sized dogs. Most of the dogs sit on a small blanket on the floor with the children sitting next to them. Usually, three kids at a time are encircling the dog watching him or her, while they read and then listen to their friends read to the dog.
This program had to take a break during the school closures for Covid, but the program is back and again is making a difference in the abilities of students of the Rim of the World Unified School District. These more fluent and improved reading skills will affect their entire school learning experience and this improvement in their reading abilities may impact their entire lives, as reading is a foundational skill for acquiring knowledge.
Valley of Enchantment School is pleased it is able to offer this unique and successful program to the students.
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