PAWS AND PAGES: Reading with a Dog
The program improves children’s reading and communication skills by employing a powerful method: reading to a therapy animal. But not just any animal. Dogs on Call teams are registered therapy animals that volunteer with their handler going to schools, libraries, and many other settings as reading companions for children.
    Learning to read is often less about intellectual limitation than about overcoming fears. Animals are ideal reading companions because they:

• Help increase relaxation and lower blood pressure.
• Listen attentively.
• Do not laugh, judge, or criticize.
• Allow children to proceed at their own pace.
• Are less intimidating than peers.

Learn more here.

ALLERGIES?
"Therapy animals are scrupulously clean and well-groomed before each session, which helps. Many therapy dogs are treated with a dander remover product and body deodorizer before they volunteer. If a child suffers from severe allergies or asthma, reading with a dog might not be appropriate or enjoyable."