A dog, it is said, is a man's best friend.
A
dog
,
it
is
said
,
is
a
man
's
best
friend
.
Put a dog, a kid and a book together, and you have a struggling reader's best friend.
Put
a
dog
,
a
kid
and
a
book
together
,
and
you
have
a
struggling
reader
's
best
friend
.
The therapy dogs of R.E.A.D.
The
therapy
dogs
of
R.E.A.D
.
- Reading Education Assistance Dogs - have been helping children improve their reading skills since 1999, when Intermountain Therapy Animals (ITA) began the program in Salt Lake City, Utah.
-
Reading
Education
Assistance
Dogs
-
have
been
helping
children
improve
their
reading
skills
since
1999
,
when
Intermountain
Therapy
Animals
(
ITA
)
began
the
program
in
Salt
Lake
City
,
Utah
.
Today, tens of thousands of R.E.A.D.
Today
,
tens
of
thousands
of
R.E.A.D
.
teams - dogs and their owners - volunteer to spend time with youngsters in schools and libraries across the United States and around the world.
teams
-
dogs
and
their
owners
-
volunteer
to
spend
time
with
youngsters
in
schools
and
libraries
across
the
United
States
and
around
the
world
.
The idea is that sharing a book with a nonjudgmental partner encourages students' confidence and helps develop a love of reading.
The
idea
is
that
sharing
a
book
with
a
nonjudgmental
partner
encourages
students
'
confidence
and
helps
develop
a
love
of
reading
.
Izzy, a Havanese therapy dog, is a regular visitor to Public School 57 in East Harlem, New York.
Izzy
,
a
Havanese
therapy
dog
,
is
a
regular
visitor
to
Public
School
57
in
East
Harlem
,
New
York
.
Students meet him in the library, pick out a book and sit down on the carpet.
Students
meet
him
in
the
library
,
pick
out
a
book
and
sit
down
on
the
carpet
.
Izzy snuggles up to them and gets ready to hear a story.
Izzy
snuggles
up
to
them
and
gets
ready
to
hear
a
story
.
"I love reading to Izzy because he listens to me, and he doesn't make fun of me when I make a mistake," says third-grader Aelane Vasquez.
``
I
love
reading
to
Izzy
because
he
listens
to
me
,
and
he
does
n't
make
fun
of
me
when
I
make
a
mistake
,
''
says
third-grader
Aelane
Vasquez
.
The 9-year-old, whose parents are from Mexico, is one of 15 Latin-American students at the school who were selected for the program.
The
9-year-old
,
whose
parents
are
from
Mexico
,
is
one
of
15
Latin-American
students
at
the
school
who
were
selected
for
the
program
.
"All the students that we work with in the R.E.A.D.
``
All
the
students
that
we
work
with
in
the
R.E.A.D
.
program were behind reading levels at the beginning of the year," Bridget McElroy, who teaches English as a Second Language, explained.
program
were
behind
reading
levels
at
the
beginning
of
the
year
,
''
Bridget
McElroy
,
who
teaches
English
as
a
Second
Language
,
explained
.
"Now most of them have reached the average level, if not above it."
``
Now
most
of
them
have
reached
the
average
level
,
if
not
above
it
.
''
That's important, because achieving proficiency in reading is vital for kids to succeed.
That
's
important
,
because
achieving
proficiency
in
reading
is
vital
for
kids
to
succeed
.
Studies have shown that students who can't read at grade level by the end of third grade are four times less likely to graduate high school by the age of 19.
Studies
have
shown
that
students
who
ca
n't
read
at
grade
level
by
the
end
of
third
grade
are
four
times
less
likely
to
graduate
high
school
by
the
age
of
19
.
The R.E.A.D.
The
R.E.A.D
.
teams from New York Therapy Animals work with 175 kids at Public School 57 and nine other schools.
teams
from
New
York
Therapy
Animals
work
with
175
kids
at
Public
School
57
and
nine
other
schools
.
McElroy said she sees a marked difference in Aelane and her classmates, and not just in study.
McElroy
said
she
sees
a
marked
difference
in
Aelane
and
her
classmates
,
and
not
just
in
study
.
"Not only do the kids have time to practice reading, what we are really seeing is that they are excited to read and practice even when Izzy is not here," she said.
``
Not
only
do
the
kids
have
time
to
practice
reading
,
what
we
are
really
seeing
is
that
they
are
excited
to
read
and
practice
even
when
Izzy
is
not
here
,
''
she
said
.
A dog, it is said, is a man's best friend. Put a dog, a kid and a book together, and you have a struggling reader's best friend.  The therapy dogs of R.E.A.D. - Reading Education Assistance Dogs - have been helping children improve their reading skills since 1999, when Intermountain Therapy Animals (ITA) began the program in Salt Lake City, Utah.  Today, tens of thousands of R.E.A.D. teams - dogs and their owners - volunteer to spend time with youngsters in schools and libraries across the United States and around the world. The idea is that sharing a book with a nonjudgmental partner encourages students' confidence and helps develop a love of reading.  Izzy, a Havanese therapy dog, is a regular visitor to Public School 57 in East Harlem, New York. Students meet him in the library, pick out a book and sit down on the carpet. Izzy snuggles up to them and gets ready to hear a story.  "I love reading to Izzy because he listens to me, and he doesn't make fun of me when I make a mistake," says third-grader Aelane Vasquez. The 9-year-old, whose parents are from Mexico, is one of 15 Latin-American students at the school who were selected for the program.  "All the students that we work with in the R.E.A.D. program were behind reading levels at the beginning of the year," Bridget McElroy, who teaches English as a Second Language, explained. "Now most of them have reached the average level, if not above it." That's important, because achieving proficiency in reading is vital for kids to succeed. Studies have shown that students who can't read at grade level by the end of third grade are four times less likely to graduate high school by the age of 19.  The R.E.A.D. teams from New York Therapy Animals work with 175 kids at Public School 57 and nine other schools.  McElroy said she sees a marked difference in Aelane and her classmates, and not just in study. "Not only do the kids have time to practice reading, what we are really seeing is that they are excited to read and practice even when Izzy is not here," she said.