R.E.A.D.

R.E.A.D.^® Reading Education Assistance Dogs^®

Children’s literacy program of Intermountain Therapy Animals (ITA)

The mission of the R.E.A.D. program is to improve the literacy skills of children through the assistance of registered and insured therapy dog teams as literacy mentors.

In 1999, ITA designed and launched the first and foremost reading-with-therapy dogs children’s literacy support program. There are over 4,500 therapy animal teams and affiliated organizations in all 50 states and in 25 different countries.

The R.E.A.D. program helps improve children’s reading, communication and social skills by utilizing registered therapy animals and their human teammate in a calm and relaxing atmosphere. The New York Therapy Animals R.E.A.D. program exclusively partners with the Department of Education (DOE) in NYC and borough public schools, in private schools, the New York Public Library, the Brooklyn Library and Westchester schools. Students make enormous strides building self-esteem and confidence, elevating reading scores, and acquiring a love of books by reading TO the therapy dog.

R.E.A.D. is not just any reading program. It requires a team commitment to participate in the education training and then contributing your time and R.E.A.D. skills in a school or library to volunteer with children. Our therapy dog teams are paraprofessionals and must pass a test to qualify to work with children.

The handler/owner facilitates fluency and comprehension as their trained therapy dog listens attentively without judgment. The student reads aloud at their own pace thus the student becomes the tutor for the dog. Learning to read is often less about intellectual limitation than about overcoming fears. Fear can be debilitating. The program focuses on K-3rd grade when children are learning to read, and is equally successful for students with special needs and ESL (English is a Second Language) and ELL (English Language Learner) students.

New York Therapy Animals is the official exclusive R.E.A.D. affiliate for New York City, Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx, Harlem communities.

Contact New York Therapy Animals director Nancy George-Michalson for training and education requirements and membership details.

School and Library administrators please contact Nancy for information to bring the R.E.A.D. program to your school or library.

This program is exclusive to trained, registered and insured New York Therapy Animals therapy dog teams.

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This is the HEART of R.E.A.D.:

It is the connection between the student, the dog and the handler that makes it so powerful.

The Therapy Dog

Trained and tested for health, safety, appropriate skills and temperament
Non-judgmental
Does not laugh or criticize
Calm, attentive and predictable
Good listener
Less intimidating than peers and adults
Enjoys children and being petted

The Therapy Handler

Registered and insured therapy animal team with ITA and the R.E.A.D. affiliate New York Therapy Animals
Attends the required R.E.A.D. Workshop and completes the literacy and interaction techniques
Receives the copyrighted R.E.A.D. manual and materials
Relates, interacts and is supportive of their dog at all times
Reading support mentor/facilitator
Enjoys the company of children
Good social skills engaging children with ease
Helps students build vocabulary and fluency
Dependable and committed to volunteering in a school and/or library

The Benefits

Reading levels have significantly improved with feelings of pride and accomplishment
Life changing difference with a dramatic effect
Student reads TO the dog at their own pace decreasing the anxiety of reading aloud
Focus is on the goals and not performance
Lowers blood pressure
Helps students to relax
Empowering as the student becomes the tutor
Students become more involved in outside activities
Students raise their hands more in class
It’s FUN!
Testimonial from a parent of a 3rd grader at PS59 New York City: With regard to the R.E.A.D. program itself, the most telling remark that my son made is that Melanie and “Mia”, the therapy dog team, listen to him non-judgmentally when he reads. He actually reiterated that point to me several different times. I think his greatest hurdle in school has been getting over his fear of letting everyone down. He wants to succeed in school for himself, but it’s even more important to him to show the people that he respects, his teachers and family members, that he’s able to keep up with his peers in school. What the R.E.A.D. program has provided to him is a period during the day in which he can enjoy reading without fear of letting anyone down. I think the program has preserved his love for reading despite his challenges, which, from my perspective, is priceless.
Testimonial from ESL teacher at Grimes Elementary School, Mount Vernon, NY: The children looked forward to seeing therapy dog R.E.A.D. team, Elissa and “Sadie”. These students were able to focus for longer periods of time and developed a joy of reading, communicating more fluently, and improved their behavior in general. The program helped build a trust in the students and reduced fears of reading aloud. They also learned about being respectful to animals.
Testimonial from Kristi Evans, Reading Specialist, Stephen Gaynor School, New York City“The students are absolutely thriving with the help of the R.E.A.D. literacy program! Each week students, who were once very apprehensive and uncomfortable reading aloud, eagerly select and practice a text they are going to read to the R.E.A.D. therapy dog and handler. We have noticed a HUGE increase in not only the students’ reading skills but also their confidence. Families tell me that their children value their time with the R.E.A.D. therapy dog and handler so much that they don’t want to EVER miss school on the days they visit.”