Dexter "Reading Dogs" Help Students Learn
Therapaws of Michigan boost confidence in young children learning how to read at local schools.
By Barbara Read For young kids, one of the big challenges in learning to read is the embarrassment of making mistakes. Twice a month Therapaws of Michigan sends two dogs, Max and Raven, to Bates Elementary School in Dexter to read with kids as part of its R.E.A.D. program. The program is used to boost reading confidence. The dogs and their owners, Holly Young and Joan Baublis, have been through screening, evaluation and training to make sure they are ready to go to school in pet therapy teams. Therapy dogs are not the same as service dogs, whose job it is to support a person with disabilities and need to remain focused on that task. Therapy dogs are trained to interact in a positive way with all people around them and their job is to bring…
Becky Cudini
3:16 pm on Wednesday, November 7, 2012
We are so fortunate to have this wonderful program in our school district! It is amazing to watch students transform from reluctant readers to eager readers just by the presence of these dogs. Huge thank you to the dog owners and parent volunteers! more ›