Four-Legged Teachers: Lovely Good News Story

[Boronia]

I ❤ Harry!

http://www.abc.net.a...c=statenews_qld

New breed of four-legged teachers help improve primary school students literacy skills

612 ABC Brisbane By Terri Begley and Jessica Hinchliffe Posted about an hour ago

Photo: Year one students are learning to read with the help of dogs. Evelyn Smile reads to dog team Val and Dougal. (612 ABC Brisbane: Terri Begley)

A program in Queensland is bringing dogs into the classroom to help year one students gain confidence in reading.

Story Dogs brings the new reading companions, as well as volunteers, into classrooms once a week, with the aim of improving focus, confidence and literacy skills in young children in a non-judgemental environment.

The program runs in 15 schools across Queensland and helps more than 75 students with their reading each week.

Sessions see students read aloud to the dog and its owner for 20 minutes.

Photo: Students enjoying sitting with the volunteers and the dogs that help them read. (612 ABC Brisbane: Terri Begley)

Brisbane south coordinator Graham Mathias said the program's results had made a huge difference not only to the students involved but the school as a whole.

"We find that students who go to Story Dogs class are usually up and reading in the class within two weeks," he said.

"Some haven't read in class since they started school so it brings their confidence up as dogs don't judge."

Val Avent and her pooch Dougal visit Watson State School once a week.

"My neighbour saw an advertisement in the local paper and said 'this might suit you and Dougal," she said.

"The students are usually excited about meeting the dog and we spend time doing that and we choose a book and assess where their reading is."

Dougal, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, is a favourite around the children.

"I had a good reader once that hardly noticed the dog, but Dougal invaded his space and in the end they were great mates," she said.

"He (the student) could read an encyclopedia but that gentleness [with the dog] was a good development as well."

Val said the dogs enjoyed it as much as the children.

Photo: Harry the dog sits with students at Watson Road State School. (612 ABC Brisbane: Terri Begley)

"I can tell Dougal enjoys it. When I tell him we're off to see the students he does his circles and sits by the car," she said.

Grade one student Evelyn Smile said it was exciting to read with a dog.

"[The first time] it was embarrassing because I was so shy but when I starting reading a lot I wasn't getting confused," she said.

"Sometimes he (the dog) closes his eyes and dreams and other times he sits down next to us.

"My reading has improved a lot - I didn't like dogs but now I do."

Watson Road State School principal Darren Ball said the program offered the students a different experience.

"With our school they are kids who don't have as much as kids in other communities in terms of the material side of life," he said.

"The program allows them to have an experience that is just for them and that can be quite rare when you don't have a lot to celebrate.

"We have had a massive focus on reading. And it's not just about the technical side of reading, but it's about the confidence and that feeling of being successful around reading."

Photo: Dougal the dog with his owner Val and student Evelyn. (612 ABC Brisbane: Terri Begley)

[BarbedWire]

A lovely story but I am not comfortable with those children hugging the dog in the second photo.

Edited: changed first to second

Edited June 22, 2015 by sarsaparilla

[mita]

Sars, would you like to see the Story Program combined with a Dog Education Program (how to behave around dogs). One of the Tibbies I know works in NSW schools in Dog Education.

But it's a lovely idea reading to dogs. We used to suggest to remedial teachers, in the clinical part of their post-graduate work, to get children to have a 'practice' read with their dog at home, before doing their reading homework to mum or dad. One small boy reported that his dog fell asleep when he read to him. We asked what did he do then. He said, he kept reading, but in a whisper so not to wake his dog.

[BarbedWire]

Sars, would you like to see the Story Program combined with a Dog Education Program (how to behave around dogs). One of the Tibbies I know works in NSW schools in Dog Education.

But it's a lovely idea reading to dogs. We used to suggest to remedial teachers, in the clinical part of their post-graduate work, to get children to have a 'practice' read with their dog at home, before doing their reading homework to mum or dad. One small boy reported that his dog fell asleep when he read to him. We asked what did he do then. He said, he kept reading, but in a whisper so not to wake his dog.

Yes Mita. Perhaps someone could write some children's books about behaving appropriately around dogs, and perhaps the adults could model appropriate behaviour. I would be fairly confident that those dogs in the photo are okay with being hugged but I would not like to see the children try it on other dogs. For my own children I never thought they were safe around dogs until they could give the dog commands such as sit and the dog would sit. I think it sorted out the pecking order and my kids loved it. They thought they were clever.

[Tassie]

We have a Classroom Canines program started this year down here. Part of the protocol is that all children in the school have the Delta DogSafe program delivered before the Classroom Canines start working .. so while it doesn't guarantee children will necessarily follow the 'rules', they have certainly had some education about ways to behave appropriately round all dogs, and especially the dogs in the school.

[mita]

That sounds great, Tassie. It'd make a good foundation for a reading with dogs program to build on.

[Tassie]

That's the plan, mita. It's not much of an added burden, since Delta tries to reach as many primary students (and some child care centres) as possible with the Dog Safe program .. which teachers will often supplement with a dog care theme.

[BarbedWire]

Tassie it sounds like a great program. I am not familiar with it.

[Tassie]

It's run by the Delta Society ... I think it operates in SA as well as down here in Tas. Other States have similar education programs run by different organisations. From memory, it's been going for six or seven years .. maybe more.

This describes the program.

ETF typo

Edited June 22, 2015 by Tassie

[Loving my Oldies]

A lovely story but I am not comfortable with those children hugging the dog in the second photo.

Edited: changed first to second

I'm pretty sure these dogs would be totally inured to hugs from all sorts and all sizes :D. The Delta Society has very strict rules and programs that the dog owners have to follow in terms of the health and temperaments of the dogs.

I love the huge smiles on Val. She is obviously the sort of woman who loves children and loves seeing them progress.