The dogs who listen to children reading

[onehandle]

When children read to him, Danny does not criticise or correct their pronunciation. He just nods and pricks up an ear, although sometimes he closes his eyes and appears not to be listening. Danny is a greyhound and a novel way of encouraging pupils at Oakhill primary school in Tamworth, Staffordshire, to read aloud. A "listening dog", he is part of a scheme that originated in the US called Reading Education Assistance Dogs.

"It helps with their self-esteem in reading out loud because he is non-judgmental," says the dog's owner, Tony Nevett, who has a degree in animal-assisted therapy. "He doesn't judge them and he doesn't laugh at them. He's just a tool – the children don't realise they are reading, which they might not have the confidence to do in class." Some children even show Danny the pictures as they read.

Danny received five months of training to become a Read dog. Greyhounds are particularly well-suited because they do not bark and their short coat is less likely to trigger allergies.

Nevett hopes that the scheme, piloted in Kent, will spread. "We've had some success stories, including a girl with Down's Syndrome who really took to the dog and improved her reading," he says. "When Danny goes to sleep I tell the children that he's dreaming about their story."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2011/feb/28/dogs-listen-to-children-reading

[FSogol]

1. Nice. Thanks for posting. n/t

[slackmaster]

2. My kitteh likes to read too

[progressoid]

5. Mine used to be a DU moderator.

But then we switched to a flat screen monitor so now she has watch DU from my lap.

[whatchamacallit]

3. Cute n/t

[d_r]

4. that's awesome

[DrDan]

6. what a great idea! Reading is so critical.

[ThomCat]

7. I would have loved to have a reading dog when I was

getting help learning to read.

[DirkGently]

8. They're great at holding down the pages too, I see. That's some deep training. 8)

[driver8]

9. This is a great story. My daughter loves to read -- and reads to our dog all the time.

He is a good listener...

Thanks for posting this!

[yesphan]

10. I love greyhounds !

That's why I've adopted three of them.

[Jane Austin]

11. Three Goldens we bred are doing that very thing today!

They are in the Lehigh Valley and are known to one and all with their pack-mate as Team Fur.

Here they are relaxing at home

[Wilms]

12. I have only one thing to say about this.

Dogs!

[tridim]

15. K&R for Dogs!

One of man's greatest creations.

[Dappleganger]

13. Our kids used to read to their toys...

the girls would read to their stuffed animals, the oldest son read to his Woody doll and the younger son read to Yoda.

[Iris]

20. I read to my baby sister in her crib!

[Honeycombe8]

14. Awwwww. What a great story. And what a pretty dog. Looks like my dog...

except my Rosie is white.

[Bigmack]

16. Two unrelated thoughts...

1) I need this kind of story once in a while on DU. I've get outrage burnout. I love dogs and kids. Put the two together, and you've got me every time.

2) Don't spread this "reading to dogs" thing around! The Repubs will figure they can replace teachers with greyhounds. Lots cheaper, and they won't organize. Of course, the Repubs would short the dogs on food and fuck the whole thing up.

[LibertyLover]

17. Aww, that is a precious greyhound!

My daughter loves to read to our dogs. We have a greyhound and a whippet and until a week ago, a Siberian Husky. The dogs love to listen to her read and the article is right, they are non-judgemental. Well, except that they will cuddle up to her and let her know they love her.

[nashville_brook]

18. i love greyhounds!! such gentle giants :)

looks like the bedtime story worked on him!

[Whisp]

19. :)

[Iris]

21. This makes me happy. Mostly b/c it's a dog listeing to a kid read but also b/c this program is

so far from NCLB that it must be from another planet!