February 3 was World Read Aloud Day, which is usually the busiest day of the year for The Animal Agency’s specially trained Reading Dogs, who go into UAE schools to help children learn to read out loud.
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However the pandemic has put in-person pooch visits on pause for the time being – so this year the animals went virtual, offering two free online reading sessions for children hosted by some of the Agency’s most erudite doggies.
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Millie and Maple the pugs, and Ginger the mixed breed hosted two virtual Reading Dogs sessions with children from all across the UAE yesterday, showing that even the animal kingdom has had to get its head around the wonders of video chat technology due to COVID-19.
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It takes a special kind of canine to become a fully fledged Reading Dog, says founder Karalynn Thomson: “The dog must have a calm temperament, be comfortable in new environments and situations and be comfortable and happy being approached and stroked by children.”
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While these furry friends are very clever, they do not actually learn to read themselves of course – their animal magic is all about instilling confidence in children, and there’s scientific research that shows that Reading Dogs can not only enhance students’ reading abilities and boost the confidence of struggling readers, but they can also encourage strong readers to persevere through longer and more challenging reading assignments.
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Research has found that reading to dog schemes can improve children's reading fluency by 12-30%, and they also offer a whole host of social and emotional benefits.
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“Research shows that the dogs bring a fun element to the reading session making it more enjoyable for youngsters – especially for those that find reading difficult,” says Karalynn.
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“It gives them confidence because the dog doesn’t judge, or correct them and it places them in a position of leadership. They feel like a teacher when they’re reading to the dog.”
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Many of the children find reading out loud a little daunting at first and then, throughout the programme, grow more confident. They also become more confident answering questions on the books they’re reading.
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“We frequently find that the children want to try and challenge themselves with harder books over the course of the programme and lots of children also become increasingly motivated to read more at home, especially to their pets,” says Karalynn.
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So what kind of dog makes the best reading dog? “There's no one size or breed that better suits the work, our doggie team come in all shapes and sizes,” says Karalynn. “All our dogs pass an assessment and enter into a training programme. Only after they've completed their training do they become a fully fledged reading dog.”
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The Agency’s largest dogs are Lost the German Shepherd and Tia the Bernese Mountain Dog, while the smallest ones are Millie & Maple the Pugs. “All our dogs have their own characters and we work with schools to match the dog to the class they're visiting,” explains Karalynn.
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“Lost and Hershey the Basset Hound are incredibly calm so we tend to match them to younger children or nervous groups, Bhalu the Australian Shepherd and Ginger the mixed breed know lots of tricks so they're great for assemblies and with older classes.”
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Then there’s wise Chubby the Cocker Spaniel: “Chubby is our qualified therapy dog who works with SEN groups and children of determination.”
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A lot of the team, like Ramadi the Saluki, are rescue dogs so Karalynn says they're great for teaching children about animal care and welfare.
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While the virtual sessions have been a great way of connecting kids with the canines over the pandemic, the studious pups are missing seeing their school chums in person (or should that be ‘in pooch’?). “Our dogs loved visiting their friends, Tess the Labrador gets so excited when her owner puts her school t-shirt on she has to hide it until they're ready to get into the car!”
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“The students really do form a special bond with the dogs and we hate that both the students and dogs are missing out on that. We really do hope we'll be able to return to school visits soon.”
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