Library Reading Program

Man's best friend can do a lot more than fetch and roll over. Research now suggests that dogs can actually help children learn to read.

For young kids, one of the big challenges in learning to read is the embarrassment of making mistakes. Reading to dogs provides a simple solution -- a non-judgmental, comforting furry friend who "listens" and takes the pressure off a child if he/she stumbles.

"Kids have to practice, practice, practice to be good readers," said Francine Alexander, the chief academic officer at Scholastic, the children's book publisher. "And yet when you're practicing, if you make a mistake, it can feel risky and uncomfortable. But if you're practicing with a dog, you don't mind making the mistake."

A study by researchers at the University of California, Davis confirmed that children who read to Fido really do perform better. Young students who read out loud to dogs improved their reading skills by 12 percent over the course of a 10-week program, while children in the same program who didn't read to dogs showed no improvement.

The positive effects of the concept are seen firsthand at the Corona Public Library where specially-trained “Paws Of Love” therapy dogs, accompanied by their handlers, conduct a reading program; Come, Sit, Stay, Read and the kids clearly love it!