These dogs teach kids new tricks
Published Tuesday, January 2, 2007
Library tries program designed to improve children's reading and communication skills using therapy dogs.
Lizeth Arteaga sat quietly in a corner of the Topeka and Shawnee County Library's homework center Friday. She was enthralled in the book, "Move Over, Rover!"
Seated near her were Kathy Schlotterbeck and her furry companion, Sophie.
"Sophie, look!" Lizeth excitedly called to the dog, pointing to a photograph in the book.
Sophie, a golden retriever, can't read, but she can listen. And she can help encourage children to read.
Sophie and at least 12 other dogs are part of a new program at the library, Reading Education Assistance Dogs. The program improves children's reading and communication skills by allowing children to read to dogs, according to literature provided by the library. R.E.A.D. dogs are registered therapy dogs that volunteer at the library with their owners.
"The idea behind the R.E.A.D. program is to set up an environment that is very encouraging for kids to read," said Schlotterbeck, a retired school teacher and therapy dog owner.
Schlotterbeck and Barb Smith volunteer in the program. The two took their therapy dogs to the library on Friday for a trial run. The program will start today.
Smith and her 4-year-old greyhound mix dog, Buddy, sat in another corner Friday, and encouraged Talena Brown, a 6-year-old first-grader at McCarter Elementary School, to read.
As the two readers shared several books with the therapy dogs, passersby smiled.
"That's beautiful," one person said.
Other children clamored to pet the dogs.
"Reading is the most important thing for kids," Schlotterbeck said.
Volunteers like Schlotterbeck and Smith, as well as their dogs, aren't new to the R.E.A.D. program. The program was started in Topeka in January 2003 at Williams Science and Fine Arts Magnet School and Highland Park Central. The program also takes place at East Indianola and Lyman Elementary schools. There are 15 R.E.A.D. teams in Topeka.
The Topeka teams are registered Pet Partners with the Delta Society, a national organization that registers and insures teams for visitation, Schlotterbeck said. Teams also are members of Prairieland Visiting Animals Association, a local group that is affiliated with Delta Society. The association has two evaluations a year for animal and human teams who want to be Delta Society Pet Partners, she said.There will be several volunteer dogs at the library, including such breeds as miniature schnauzers, golden retrievers, beagles and collies.
"It's proving very, very successful," said Jeff Dawson, manager of youth services at the library.
Smith and Schlotterbeck are excited about the program, too.
"I'm anxious to see how it all plays out," Smith said.
Schlotterbeck added, "I enjoy interacting with the kids and dogs and sharing my love of reading."
And it's fun for the children, too, Talena and Lizeth said.
Talena, who was a little worried about reading aloud, was confidently reading a Dr. Seuss book to Buddy before the end of the trial on Friday.
"I like when she sits still and listens to me," she said with a huge smile on her face.
Ann Marie Bush can be reached at (785) 295-1207 or at ann.bush@cjonline.com.