Six-year-old Daria of Bath, Maine, heard about Paws for Reading at the Patten Free Library and wanted to participate?she had seen kids reading to dogs on TV and wondered what that might be like. Her mother enrolled her in the reading program and tonight, Daria is excited about reading her first book to a dog named Linus.



Paws for Reading, a new summer program at the Bath library, offers children in grades 2 through 4 the opportunity to practice their reading skills by reading aloud to a dog. Read to a dog? But, why? Because dogs provide an attentive audience in an unthreatening environment in which a child can practice reading without the worry of being criticized or corrected. The Paws for Reading program connects kids with local therapy dogs and their handlers and gives them a chance to interact in a fun and motivational setting.

Daria Meets Linus

Linus, a 7-year-old Shetland Sheepdog, is one of six therapy dogs participating in the library's summer program. Highly trained, he has an impressive resume. Linus holds the American Kennel Club's Canine Good Citizen certificate and he is registered with Therapy Dogs International, Inc., a volunteer organization that provides qualified handlers and their trained dogs to libraries, nursing homes or hospitals and other places where therapy dogs are needed. Linus also recently qualified as a Reading Education Assistance Dog. This evening he will listen as children read stories to him.

When Daria arrives, she meets Linus in the children's library. Daria tentatively pets Linus and feels his soft, thick fur'he takes all the attention in stride. The librarian chose ?Little Squeegy Bug? by Bill Martin for Daria to read before leading the two to a quiet room. Here, Daria sits on the big, comfortable blanket on the floor while Linus stretches out beside her as she opens the book to begin reading.

Susan Beegel, Linus? handler, shares the blanket with Linus and Daria and remains with them during the 30-minute reading session. Therapy dog handlers are trained to use the dogs as conduits in the reading session. If a child struggles with pronouncing a word, Beegel might say, ?Linus likes to sound the word out.? To help with vocabulary and story comprehension, she might suggest, ?Linus hasn't heard that word before. Can you tell him what it means?? The handler acts as the dog's interpreter, allowing the child to become a teacher, and to learn and practice reading skills in an environment created to make the child feel confident.

Paws for Reading

The Patten Free Library based its Paws for Reading program on Reading Education Assistance Dogs (R.E.A.D.), a program developed by Intermountain Therapy Animals, a Utah-based nonprofit organization whose mission is to enhance the quality of life through the human-animal bond. R.E.A.D. was established in 1999 and pioneered the method of reading to a therapy dog as a means to improve children's reading and communication skills.

Oftentimes, when children are asked to read aloud to their peers, they become stressed and anxious for fear of being criticized or looking ?dumb.? These worries make it difficult for the child to focus on reading and comprehension, especially for those who are just learning to read. However, when a child reads aloud to a dog, she forgets about feeling self-conscious and worries less about making mistakes. The positive interaction leads to an improvement in reading skills and an increase in confidence.

Beegel, a Patten Free Library board member, first broached the idea of a reading program at the library after she heard about R.E.A.D. She and Linus had already been involved in therapy work for some time and she has worked as a reading tutor for children in a number of different programs. The library's director, Anne Phillips, was intrigued and supportive of the idea and Paws for Reading was born. The program fits perfectly with the library's summer reading theme, Paws, Claws, Scales and Tales.

Therapy Dogs

Not just any dog can do what Linus does in the library'it takes special training and preparation for both the dog and the handler. All the dogs in the Paws for Reading program are trained therapy dogs and their trained handlers always accompany them. Dogs and handlers are certified by national organizations, including Therapy Dogs International, Inc., Therapy Dogs, Inc. or Delta Society's Pet Partners Program.

According to the Patten Free Library's Paws for Reading flier, ?Therapy dogs must pass rigorous examinations in training and temperament given by a qualified judge. They must have excellent obedience skills and demonstrate that they are not unduly nervous, shy or aggressive to people or other dogs. Therapy dogs must be able to focus on their handlers in distracting circumstances and must enjoy interacting with all kinds of people.?

Some of the documented benefits of interacting with therapy animals include lowering of blood pressure, increased relaxation and a tendency to forget about pain and limitations. Given the extensive training therapy dogs receive and the soothing effects their presence can have on people, it is a natural extension that they be used in children's reading programs.

Patrick and Martha

Patrick and Martha are also members of the Paws for Reading therapy dog team. They are present this evening with their handlers to observe Linus and Beegel. Both Patrick and Martha are certified therapy dogs and anxious to begin their work.

Patrick is a 2-year-old Standard Poodle. He has a championship title in American Kennel Club (AKC) conformation showing and experience working in nursing homes. Patrick loves kids and clearly wants each one in the library to come say hello to him. His handler, Joan Harrigan, works for the TD Banknorth Insurance Agency, which encourages volunteerism. ?I feel that I owe it to the community to give back. What better way than to combine my love of dogs and volunteer at the same time?? says Harrigan.

Martha is a 15-month-old Old English Sheepdog. She is an AKC Canine Good Citizen and she passed her therapy dog test this month. May Mitchell, Martha's handler, says, ?This is what Martha loves to do?sit and be paid attention to; sit and be petted. She loves kids.? Mitchell adds that Martha is a little shy and that the Paws for Reading program is a ?good introduction to her therapy dog work because it is a quiet setting.? If this works out well, they will do some work in nursing homes as well.

Successful Start

Nyree Thomas has been a children's librarian at the Patten Free Library since 1985. She said that although the program has just begun, she is able to tell from the smiles on the kids? faces when they finish a session that this program will be very popular. ?There is a wonderful connection that can occur between dogs and people,? she added.

It looks like Thomas might be right. When Daria emerges from the reading room with Linus and Beegel, she greets her mother with a smile on her face. Before she leaves that evening, she and her mother spend a few minutes looking at photos of the other therapy dogs in the reading program. Daria points to a picture of Danny, a cute brown Border Terrier. It appears that Danny and his handler have a reading appointment for next week.