From the Sacramento Bee...

Link to Original Story

UC Davis study shows dogs can help youngsters read

By Cynthia Hubert

Westley Kear, 11, hated reading aloud. Then he found the perfect audience.

Digory, a Labrador retriever mix from a rescue group in Walnut Creek, melted into Westley's lap when he read to the dog from his book, "Warriors Into The Wild," as part of a study at UC Davis. Digory never asked Westley to speak up, slow down or repeat sentences.

After a couple of weeks, "I became more comfortable reading out loud," Westley said. "I like doing it now."

Westley and fellow participants in the study may be onto something.

UC Davis researchers, collaborating with baseball manager and animal activist Tony La Russa's Animal Rescue Foundation of Walnut Creek, have found that youngsters who regularly read to dogs significantly improve their skills. The study confirms for the first time what organizations like the foundation's All Ears Reading program in California and the Reading with Rover program in Washington state have long believed but could prove only anecdotally.

"We always go into research with a healthy dose of skepticism," said Martin Smith, the UC Davis veterinary medicine researcher who led the study. "We were really pleased to see the outcome."

Smith and colleagues first gauged changes in reading skills among third-graders in the Dixon school district. They found that those who participated in the All Ears program, in which they read to dogs once a week for 10 weeks, improved their skills by 12 percent. A third-grade class that acted as the control group had no improvement over the same period of time.

In a second project involving home-schooled youngsters, All Ears participants logged a 30 percent reading improvement.

To assess reading skills, the researcher used a test that measures reading fluency, or words per minute, and accuracy, or errors per minute.

Besides becoming better readers, children with canine partners got an extra bonus, the researchers found. They came away with better feelings about their relationships with animals.

It remains to be seen whether children would do just as well reading to hamsters, rabbits, cats or turtles, the researchers said, but the fact that dogs are attentive and nonjudgmental seems to make a difference.

Perhaps, Smith said, such programs could be incorporated at libraries, animal shelters and other locations.

"We would like to pursue this further," he said.

Penny Cistaro, manager of the Sacramento city animal shelter, said she is familiar with literacy programs involving dogs and is a big fan.

"Many children don't have interactions with dogs or any animals for that matter, and this is a wonderful introduction to the power of an animal's ability to give unconditional affection," Cistaro said. "An easygoing, calm dog that will lay quietly while a child reads to him can also ease a child's fear of dogs and build their confidence."

Avaloria San Juan, 13, who participated in the study with her little brother Zephaniah, said the program "sounded kinda weird" when her mother first told her about it. At first, "it didn't seem like the dog was paying attention when we were reading," she said.

But the program made a difference in her life, Avaloria said.

"Before, I didn't like to read out loud because I felt like I couldn't do it right," she said. "Now I feel better about it. The dogs don't say anything about you. They just listen."

Zachary Callahan, 7, demonstrated his skills Friday by reading to his research partner, a Chihuahua mix named Lollipop, from a Harry Potter book.

"When I read to her, she seems to calm down," Zachary said of the diminutive canine at his side. "I feel kind of relaxed and calm, too.

"I think we both really enjoy it."

What is the All Ears reading program?

The project of Tony La Russa's Animal Rescue Foundation creates a supportive environment for children that fosters an eagerness to read by partnering them with a dog that is attentive, nonjudgmental and comforting.

CAT Tracks Editor's Note:

If you click the link to the original story above, you can scroll down and read the "Comments".

It's not really worth the trip...most of the responders being overly sensitive to the comments of others, taking potshots at teachers, or simply taking the article entirely too seriously.

However, there was one...

dleon21 wrote on 03/20/2010 10:29:10 AM:

That kid is lucky to have researchers that care. Growing up in Siberia I was forced into a study that required I interact with a vicious bear. Any misstep on my part was met with severe clawing, indiscriminate biting, etc. And that was just from the handler. That is probably why I hate bears so much. If I happen to see one walking down the same side of the street I will go out of my way to cross to the other side just so I don't have to acknowledge him (her). God bless the United States.