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Every year on April 26th, families with kids and pets celebrate National Kids and Pets Day. This special day is to recognize the special bond between kids and their pets. For instance, kids reading to dogs is a bond worth recognizing.
No. Dogs do not understand what is being read and it’s not to help them. Something very special happens when kids are reading to dogs. For example, dogs respond to kids’ voices in a way that makes kids feel at ease.
“Dogs process voices in the same way that human brains do. A well-trained dog displays curiosity, friendliness and patience when listening to someone talk. This trait helps children who are learning to read, sound out words without fear of being judged.”
Pascal Belin, University of Glasgow neuroscientist
Furthermore, reading is very fundamental and acquiring the skill can be daunting for many kids. However, there are some innovative programs and cooperative dogs making this challenge easier to meet.
So, with dogs lending their ears, thousands of kids are getting the extra help they need with reading. Plus, the interpersonal communication skills they are gaining is a bonus.
Therefore, the goal of kids reading to dogs is to help the kids read better. It’s working because research shows that the result of kids reading to dogs is reading improvement. In fact, dogs are excellent reading buddies for kids.
Research Shows Positive Results for Kids Reading to Dogs
Are you wondering how reading to a dog can improve a kid’s reading skills? Kids can feel more confident and relaxed while reading to dogs. To clarify, dogs provide them with a responsive audience that is nonjudgmental and nonthreatening.
“Ongoing research reveals that dogs provide interactive feedback to a child reading aloud. For instance, a dog will wag its tail, cock its head, or use other forms of body language.”
Dr. Lori Friesen, author of How Your Dog Can Help Your Child Read, Lead, and Succeed
Kids, dogs and a good book are a great combination, according to researchers in 2010. The UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine and the All Ears Reading Program conducted the 2010 study. As a result, researchers found that the kid’s reading fluency improved by 12 to 30 percent.
A 2017 study, published in Frontiers of Veterinary Sciences, tests the effects of kids reading to dogs. Consequently, findings show that dogs have a positive impact on kids who are learning to read.
Furthermore, dogs have a positive impact on struggling readers, as well. For instance, dogs help struggling readers find delight in a good book, because they are relaxed and nonjudgmental.
Above all, kids reading to dogs helps them to learn to love reading. In addition, struggling readers are able to reconnect with the pleasure of reading.
“If we want children to learn to read well, we must find a way to induce them to read lots.”
Marylyn Jager-Adams, literacy scholar, seminal review of beginner reading in the US
Thus, kids reading to dogs is a way to induce them to read lots. In general, there’s an understanding that the presence of a dog is beneficial to kids learning to read.
Now This Is Something To Bark About!!
Benefits of Kids Reading to Dogs
Kids reading to dogs has benefits for all types of readers, not just beginners and strugglers. For instance, more experienced or capable readers can experiment with intonation and “voices”.
As a result, dogs will respond positively. Therefore, kids are building their fluency further and this develops their reading comprehension. Kids, in general, benefit from the simple pleasure of reading to a loving, attentive listener.
“Animals can assist kids in a number of areas such as communication, self confidence, risk taking, creativity, playfulness, motivation, unconditional acceptance, companionship, and individual learning.”
Dr. Lori Friesen, author of How Your Dog Can Help Your Child Read, Lead, and Succeed
Reading to dogs helps kids to relax when reading out loud. Furthermore, kids will open up, try harder and have fun reading. Following are three main benefits to kids reading to dogs.
1. No Fear of Embarrassment
When kids are reading to dogs, they ultimately believe they are teaching dogs to read. So, with the belief that reading is about the dog, all pressure to read out loud is off. There is no fear of humiliation or embarrassment. For instance, the dog isn’t going to laugh or correct them if they make a mistake while reading.
2. Confidence Builder
Reading to dogs boosts kids reading confidence, because they don’t feel rushed while reading. For example, dogs are quiet and patient listeners, allowing kids to take their time. Therefore, being able to read at their comfort level builds confidence. It’s important for kids to build confidence in order to rediscover a motivation for reading.
3. View Reading as Fun
Dogs are nonjudgmental and they don’t interrupt making them polite listeners. Plus, they’re furry and oh, so cute! So, reading to a dog is way more fun than reading in solitude, sitting at a desk. In addition, reading to dogs is more like a performance, rather than homework or school work. It makes reading out loud way more fun.
Validation of Kids Reading Out Loud
The best way for beginning or struggling readers to practice and get better is to read out loud. As a former teacher to beginning readers, I can attest to this. However, I can also attest to this being terrifying for some kids.
For instance, if they don’t know a word or pronounce something wrong, they fear everyone laughing. This is especially the case with struggling readers.
Therefore, when kids are reading to dogs out loud, they have a captive and nonjudgmental audience. In addition, they don’t have to worry about making mistakes, because they’re the reading expert with the dog.
The key here is they are reading out loud to give pleasure to the dog. So, they are not reading out loud to be instructed or have errors pointed out. When kids are reading to dogs, it helps them take on the responsibilities and pleasures of independence.
So, their confidence increases along with the motivation to practice reading out loud. As a result, these factors contribute to a significant improvement in overall reading performance.
I can also attest to kids skipping difficult text when they read silently. For instance, they miss out on so much of the text that it is difficult to make sense of it. So, of course they aren’t getting pleasure out of reading! As a result, little progress is made in their reading improvement.
Bring in a dog to read out loud to, and kids begin to listen to themselves. Therefore, they begin to remember what they’ve been taught, and their reading changes. For instance, when an error is made, they stop and correct themselves.
As a reading teacher, I can tell you that self-correction is so important. In fact, it is by far one of the key components to being a successful reader.
In Conclusion
In addition to dogs helping kids with reading, dogs are benefiting, too! They are learning patience and discipline while kids are reading to them.
There is just something magical between kids and dogs. For instance, that’s why there is a special day called National Kids and Pets Day. Furthermore, that’s why kids reading to dogs works for reading improvement.
So, with summer almost here, your dog can serve as a great summer reading motivator. For example, encourage your child to find a book, sit down, and read to the family dog. In addition, check with your local library for a possible animal assisted reading program.
However, animal assisted reading programs or the family dog as a reading buddy doesn’t work for every child. Nevertheless, for those who are a good fit, it’s proven to be effective. So, it’s definitely worth a try if you have a beginning reader or a struggling reader.
Has your child’s reading improved from reading to the family dog or through an animal assisted reading program? We would love to read about their experience in the comments below.
Are you and your dog part of an animal assisted reading program? Please tell us about it in the comments below.
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