When my son was in first grade, his assigned “homework” was to read for 20 minutes each day.
As a former first-grade teacher and a self-proclaimed bookworm, I knew that frequent reading would help my 7-year-old develop a solid foundation in literacy.
What a surprise it was, then, to discover that my own son wouldn’t do his homework. It wasn’t that he couldn’t read; he refused to read. I tried every ploy in my (extensive) bag of make-a-reader tricks, but nothing stuck.
A good listener
Enter Reading with Rover, a partnership between therapy dogs and public resources that brings highly-trained furry reading companions and young readers – kids like my son – together. The first time my son attended a Reading with Rover event, he was immediately drawn to the fluffy Golden Retriever lying in the corner of a local library meeting room. He sat on the floor and nestled into the dog’s soft fur. Then he pulled out his book and, miracle of miracles, he began to read.
His story is one of many about the powerful impact of Reading with Rover on young readers. “I want to inspire children to discover the joy of reading and developing literacy while reading with dogs,” says Reading with Rover founder Becky Bishop. “I’m using my therapy dogs as a conduit to help people and kids so they can go into the world and do good things.”
Dogs trained for the program offer constant comfort and non-judgmental approval as they sit with kids. All “Rover” dogs and their handlers, go through a specialized 6-8 week training program to hone skills like impulse control, how to accept petting in crowded spaces, how to maneuver around medical and mobility equipment, and how to sit quietly on a rug.
Training is critical
Most Rover trainees start their education at between age one and two. After about six weeks, they take a skills test with their handler. Today there are over 150 Rover graduates that regularly work with the program. While any dog can train to be a rover, the dogs best suited to the program have a natural tendency toward calmness, obedience, and good manners.
After thorough training and testing, these special dogs graduate to become perfect listeners as youngsters sound out words and test their emerging reading skills. All their training is practiced in a Reading with Rover session:dog patience, impulse control, and obedience to their handler. Keeping their dogs well-trained also allows handlers to take these dogs on public outings outside of their Reading With Rover duties. In this way both children and the dogs in the program reap plentiful benefits while genuinely enjoying their time together.
A program expanded over nearly three decades
Since its inception in 1999, Reading with Rover has expanded from a summer program in a single library to a full-fledged nonprofit organization with dozens of events each year, typically held in libraries, schools, hospitals, military bases, and other public venues.
Each event gives children like my son the chance to discover the joy of reading. With a gentle dog by their side, that lesson becomes more deeply ingrained.
A significant part of the work Reading With Rover accomplishes today is in elementary schools, where the dogs often teach more than patience in reading. At one elementary school, a dog named Boomer was a regular visitor to the school’s special education resource room. Over time, students got to know Boomer and to open up to him, both in their reading and in their personal lives.
More than help with reading
Late one spring, a shy student who read regularly with Boomer was able to bring the dog into his general education classroom. The boy introduced Boomer to his classmates and answered their excited questions about the dog. Boomer’s handler noticed that the classroom teacher was in tears.
After nine months of school, it was the first time the student had spoken in class, his shyness evaporated by the warmth of his furry companion. With Boomer’s support the boy was given the priceless gift of confidence and a connection to his peers. Boomer was not only the student’s reading companion, but also a social skills bridge and an empathy-builder for an entire classroom.
“We’re building memories,” says Becky Bishop, the Rover maestro.
To learn more about Reading With Rover, visit their website at Readingwithrover.org or email them at Info@readingwithrover.org
