Students at Gaynor are having a tail-wagging good time reading to Arrow, a therapy dog. Arrow and her owner Susan participate in the Reading Education Assistance Dogs (R.E.A.D.) program and have been visiting Gaynor since 2017. The R.E.A.D. program helps improve children’s reading, communication, and social skills by utilizing registered therapy animals and their human teammate in a calm and relaxing atmosphere.
Students build self-esteem and confidence by reading to Arrow, a patient listener who is calm and non-judgemental. Reading specialist Kristi Evans said, “Reading to a therapy dog allows students to work at their own pace; read at their own pace. It makes the children feel safe and when children feel safe, they feel empowered.”
Ms. Miller and Ms. Gershkowitz’s Red Cluster class have been reading to Arrow each week. Ms. Miller says, “Arrow is a very good listener!”