Reading with dogs can help strugglers gain confidence

by Sarah Forrest|| 22 March 2017

The parent of a struggling reader recently told us that her daughter had a very special experience that we may not have heard of before.

Her local library had a program where children could practice reading out loud to some furry friends from the neighborhood.

Her daughter, who struggles with guessing, poor decoding, and low comprehension, has terrible confidence about reading because she finds it so hard. But reading to a patient, trusting, friendly listener like the volunteer golden retriever took all her fear away.

And she carried that newfound confidence home with her as well.

Of course, no canine (no matter how furry!), can eradicate guessing habits or weak decoding skills. But as a confidence builder, man’s best friend seems to fit the bill better than many humans can!

Has your child ever tried this little trick? Let us know!