Therapy dogs can help people with Alzheimer's, anxiety, PTSD or depression, but one organization gives these dogs a different task: improving kids’ reading skills.
The Show’s Amber Victoria Singer went to Peoria Main Library Recently to learn more about PAWS 2 Read, an organization that partners with libraries around the Valley to connect kids and therapy dogs.
[CHILD READING]
It’s Saturday afternoon in the children’s book corner at Peoria Main Library. A corgi and a chocolate lab are lounging on the floor with their handlers, listening to kids practice reading out loud to them.
"My name is Kendall and I am 7 years old. … I like to read to the dogs so I can, so I can read and I can pet some dogs."
That’s Kendall Huff. She and her older sister Adeline have been coming to PAWs 2 Read almost every month since the beginning of the year with their mom, Jane Huff.
"It gives the girls a reason to read out loud to someone else that’s not myself that won’t judge them because they won’t necessarily see them again, and it builds that reading fluency skill," Jane Huff said.
Huff’s daughters have different reasons for enjoying Paws 2 Read.
"My oldest, Adeline, she gets really excited for these types of events because she has a lot of anxiety and this is a smaller way for her to read out loud to people without a lot of eyes on her. It’s a small group, there’s no judgment. And then Kendall, my youngest, really enjoys acting out her stories and it gives her a way to be more flamboyant," Jane Huff said.
[CHILD READING]
Adeline is reading to Penny, the chocolate lab.
Sarah Roddy is a high school special education teacher and Penny’s owner. She’s is sitting nearby, encouraging Penny to listen.
"I always send my students’ parents a message when we go on summer break, telling the kids to continue to practice their reading … their reading level does go down if you don’t practice reading for the entire summer," Roddy said.
We wanted to know how Penny the dog feels about all this. When asked, Penny did a lot of sniffing.
"I just think it’s a great opportunity for the kids. I even have had teenagers come sit here and read to Penny, so it’s not just the little kids. … Anytime anybody practices reading is great," Roddy said.
The next PAWS 2 Read event at Peoria Main Library is 1-2:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 20.
