From St. Patrick’s Day to the First Day of Spring: there’s a lot of great things to celebrate in March. If you want to celebrate for more than just one day, March is also Paws to Read Month. This is a whole month dedicated to encouraging children- especially those struggling- with their reading. How do we do this? The answer may surprise you.
Dogs!
Studies have found that allowing children to read out loud to animals can vastly improve their reading skills. Because they are reading to a dog or cat instead of another person, there is less fear of judgement if they are not a strong reader. Therefore, they are able to boost their self confidence not only in themselves but in their reading abilities. And, the more practice they have, the better their reading will become over time.
Reading to a dog or cat can also help with students’ concentration and focus. They act as a calm presence and allow children to work on their literacy with a nonjudgmental listener. Some schools will bring in therapy dogs during Paws to Read Month to help their students.
However, if your children’s school doesn’t offer this, there are many libraries that will have programs. Even if a shelter does not have a dedicated Paws to Read program, they always want volunteers to come in and spend time their animals.
If you’re looking for some books to read to your furry friends about some furry friends, try these: https://www.pawstoread.com/celebrate-paws-to-read-month.html