Reading to dogs helps people learning to read and with learning difficulties

In Finland, over 150 reading dogs have been trained to assist readers and students with learning difficulties in libraries and universities. The purpose of a reading dog is to be a calm listener who does not judge the reader for mistakes. This lowers the threshold for reading aloud and therefore helps in strengthening the reading skills.

There are no shortcuts to learning how to read. It must be done repeatedly and out loud
until the words start to flow and the sentences sound understandable. In a reading
aloud situation, the dog’s purpose is to calm the reader and the situation, providing a quiet reading environment for beginner readers. Adults who struggle with literacy or reading also benefit from this approach. Those with severe reading disabilities often do not want to read aloud in class, so they can come to the library to practice reading with the support of a dog.

In 2018, dogs also started to support university students with learning difficulties. The first university to introduce this program is the University of Jyväskylä. The increase in stress and difficulty with concentration among students has led to this initiative. With a dog, a student can have a study partner for any type of practice. Students can practice presentations, difficult language sounds, challenging learning tasks, or study for exams with the dogs on campus.

Do you have reading dogs in your community? How else are you promoting the development of reading skills? We love sharing good practices for encouraging learning and want to hear your ideas!

Original source Yle.

More reading tips: Difficulties in learning to read

Did you know that Animal Assisted Play Therapy is a growing field in education? If you are interested in learning more about therapy animals and how they can help in many ways, we recommend Dr. Barbara Vokatis´ podcast episode “Dog Therapy and Play Therapy in One“.