|
|
|||||||
|
Tail-Wagging Tutors at Hickory Public Library School soon will be out for the summer and teachers all over Catawba County are exhorting their students to continue reading throughout the break. Like public libraries everywhere, Hickory Public Library recognizes the importance of reinforcing reading skills especially in new and struggling readers, and has traditionally offered summer reading programs with lots of fun events and incentives to keep kids reading. However, in addition to the summer reading activities, Hickory Public Library is in its second year of offering Paws to Read, a year-long program that encourages and supports kids who are just learning to read, who are a little uncertain of their skills, or who just love to read and want to practice as much as possible. In a nutshell, the Paws to Read program is this: a child chooses a book – any book he or she wants – comes to the library, and reads it to a dog. Sounds pretty simple, but it is seen as an effective tool for improving reading skills for this reason: beginning or reluctant readers often are self-conscious reading aloud in front of other people, afraid of making a mistake or taking too long to figure out a word. The Paws to Read program is based on studies indicating that children who are uncomfortable reading to adults are not intimidated by the prospect of reading to a dog and are even comforted by their presence. Children see the dogs as non-judgmental, which helps them to relax and enjoy the experience. When reading becomes a pleasure, the child is more likely to read more often, and as a result, reading skills improve. This type of program is not unique to Hickory Public Library. Similar programs have been going on since the late 1990s under names such as Tail Tellers, Read to Rover, or Reading Fur Fun, in addition to PAWS to Read. A study conducted in 2000 at a Salt Lake City elementary school dramatically illustrated the benefits of this approach. Improved reading scores, decreased absenteeism, improved confidence and self-esteem were some of the results reported along with more involvement in other school activities on the part of the participating students. Some at-risk students in the study began getting straights A’s on their report cards. So, who are the dogs all the kids are reading to? At Hickory Public Library, the four current reading dogs -- Case-E, Shelby, Bailey and Lucy -- are all certified therapy dogs. Case-E does regular therapy work at Catawba Valley Medical Center, and Lucy is the therapy dog for Catawba Valley Assisted Living. Shelby and Bailey were Paws to Read dogs at Blake Public Library in Stuart, Florida for several years before moving to Hickory last year. All have been through dog training and therapy-related testing, and they and their humans must renew their credentials on a regular basis. Paws to Read is quite popular and more certified dogs are needed to meet the demand. Paws to Read is open to all school-aged children, and takes place every Thursday evening at Patrick Beaver Memorial Library. Reading appointments are available at 6:15 and 7:00 p.m. During the reading session, the dog’s handler is always present along with an unobtrusive library staff member. Parents can sit in if they wish. For more information and to register your child, call the children’s desk at 304-0500, ext. 249. If you are interested in learning more about therapy dogs and their training and qualifications, check out the website of these three certifying organizations: www.therapydogs.com (Therapy Dogs, Incorporated), www.tdi-dog.org (Therapy Dogs International), and www.deltasociety.org (Delta Society). |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||