Shifting performance pressure off the child and providing support
Meet Abby and Bella, looks like they have a huge listening load today.
Learning to read is often less about intellectual limitation than about overcoming fears.
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
Are less intimidating than peers
When a Dog is listening, the environment is transformed, a child’s dread is replaced by eager anticipation, and learning occurs. The handler is a skilled facilitator, too – shifting performance pressure off the child and providing support, while the child gets the supervised reading practice necessary to build vocabulary, increase understanding of the material, and gain fluency as a reader.
Dog Assisted Reading Program (AAE) is a a unique literacy initiative program that matches children with a therapy dog and handler for reading tutoring (read aloud to a dog in order to improve reading and communication skills.)
To find out more about our Dog Assisted Reading Programs,
Please contact our coordinator on 0481 293 370 or Email: therapydogs@tdsinc.com.au