USA: Children learn to read with dogs - an unexpectedly effective therapy.

(Baonghean.vn) - Immigrant children often feel inferior to their native peers, especially in educational environments. To help them integrate and overcome reading difficulties in elementary schools, New York City recently implemented a program called "Educational Dogs for Reading," using dogs to encourage slow or shy readers in schools and public libraries.

Therapy dogs are companions that help immigrant children overcome feelings of inferiority. Photo: Reuters.

Izzy the dog obediently rests his chin on third-grade student Aelane Vasquez at New York's Public School 57, listening intently to every word she reads aloud from the book "Cam Jansen: The Mystery of a Circus Clown." Just a few months ago, reading was a difficult task for Vasquez.

Therapy dogs like Izzy, a Havanese with clear eyes and a wagging tail, are the heart and soul of the “Reading Assistance Dogs” (READ) program.

Children find it easier to learn to read when they have dogs around. This is because children often fear being ridiculed by friends or adults when learning to read. But reading to a dog means they won't be criticized for mistakes.

Vasquez said, "I really enjoy reading to Izzy because Izzy listens to me and doesn't laugh at me when I make mistakes."

Immigrant children from countries such as Mexico, the Dominican Republic, and Ecuador face numerous challenges in mastering English as a second language.

The non-profit organization Intermountain Therapy Animals has offered the READ program since 1999. To become a therapy dog, the dog and its trainer must complete crash courses provided by Therapy Animals.

According to representatives from Therapy Animals in New York, a student who cannot read fluently by the end of third grade will have their chances of graduating from high school before age 19 reduced by four times. In the U.S., an estimated 45 million adults are functionally illiterate.

In addition to helping children learn to read, therapy dog ​​programs also help children become more interested in reading and more enthusiastic about going to school.

A teacher at Public School 57 said, "I had a hard time convincing the kids to go home and practice reading, but just 20 minutes a week with Izzy made all the difference. It was magical."

Currently, the READ program has been implemented in 10 schools in New York City, and many other schools have also signed up to participate in this exciting program.

Lan Ha

(According to Reuters)