Chapter III: Article I

Good Dog pups help kids learn to read

---

---

Justin Ortiz sits on a rug in Room 202, Christy Crawford's third grade classroom. "It's 6 o'clock in the morning," the 8-year-old tells Bodhi. "It is time to wake up."

Actually, it's 2:45 in the afternoon, and Bodhi, a 58-pound standard poodle, is awake and at work helping children improve their literacy. He's listening to Justin read the children's book "In the Morning."

"I'm a little bit shy," explains Justin, a second grader. But with Bodhi, Justin doesn't feel foolish if he gets a word wrong. "It's just a dog," he explains.

Bodhi is one of 25 certified therapy dogs sent by the Good Dog Foundation to work in six schools and four New York Public libraries. Their mission: help children like Justin read better by having them do it aloud.

Building children's reading confidence is the purpose of the program. When schools ask for help, the Brooklyn organization assigns volunteer dog-and-owner teams so students can read to them.

"Bodhi loves to help kids learn to read," says Suzanne Soehner, his owner.

On the second floor of PS 51, the Bronx New School, children ages 7 to 10 meet each Tuesday afternoon for a reading club. They practice reading out loud, and Crawford listens for students' comprehension.

The reading club competes with basketball, cooking and knitting clubs, so "having the dog is a big draw," says Crawford. Once the pooch arrives, the children can't wait to get there.

Children who lack confidence often read barely above a robotic whisper, mostly because they fear getting words wrong. Having a dog present "has a real calming effect," says Crawford.

Struggling readers also get stuck trying to decode unfamiliar words. Shanon Santiago stumbles on the word "revolution" while reading "Young George Washington." She keeps practicing, and when her turn to read to Bodhi comes, she nails it. "She was fearless," says Crawford.

Analysis:

Each day, teachers are using new methods and various strategies to help student become literate. These methods may seem weird or unconventional but they seem to be doing the trick. Such as this article points out, reading to a dog has been helping these kids enhance their reading skills. They are getting comfortable with their pronunciation and building confidence. Also these kids don’t feel the pressure of being judge or laugh at by their fellow peers. It like reading to yourself until you get comfortable enough to do it for a broader audience. Using such an approach is a great way to enhance literacy.