Rescue dogs boost literacy

By Danielle Wright

NZ Herald·

2 May, 2015 12:00 AM5 mins to read

Josh Mitchell reads Bingo the Cavalier King Charles spaniel a story and, inset, Jazmyn Beach, BARK brigadier, helps out. Photo / Danielle Wright

Danielle Wright meets two rescue dogs that are boosting children's literacy

As a parent helper, once a week I listen to a group of 5 year olds reading. One girl often gets words wrong - seal for seagull, goggles for mask - she rushes the answers.

This week, the other children in her group were called away and it was just the two of us reading together. Immediately, she was less distracted, more confident and stopped making quick guesses. Though she struggled in a group, she read very well on her own.

Now, imagine how well that child could read being listened to by a "reading dog" that's completely non-judgmental and non-critical - not to mention very cute and cuddly - and with all the time in the world to listen to a story.

Enter BARK NZ, a not-for-profit organisation providing Tales with Tails: reading schemes in which reluctant readers are partnered with pets.

One innovative primary school on the North Shore signed up to the programme two years ago and it's already paying off with one group of reluctant readers.

"These children weren't progressing as expected in the normal reading programme," says Albany Primary School's deputy principal Sue Buckley. "Now they are - the programme is paying dividends even though some of the parents thought it a bit out-of-the-ordinary at first."

She says the boys now "read for a purpose", as well as learn skills around dog safety and handling.

Pet therapy is nothing new and the three boys I meet are noticeably more relaxed and happy as they greet the dogs: Dyson, a mastiff cross and Bingo, a big-eyed Cavalier King Charles spaniel.

Josh Mitchell and Ryan Murdoch (both 9) lead the dogs to a grove of native bush on the school's edges, where the reading lessons begin. I'm surprised these boys were once reluctant to read. They're so keen on it now and struggle to remember a time when they didn't like to read.

Heather Summers has around 30 "BARK Buddy" dogs working throughout the North Island in her literacy programmes. She started the organisation as a mum, dog owner and educator after restructuring made her unemployed last year.

Heather says, "All BARK Buddies are pets and the majority are rescue dogs. The owners wanted to show the world what a rescue dog can become. All of them go through our assessment programme first."

Jazmyn Beach (15) is also on hand as a BARK Brigadier. In a school project, she helps in the community and supervises the reading and the dogs. Each BARK Buddy is sponsored by a local small business -- Jazmyn's real estate agent parents have sponsored Bingo, but some dogs are still looking for sponsors.

Bingo snuggles up to Josh as he begins to read, stopping to smile and pat the spaniel between pages. He reads well and says: "I like being around the dogs and I'm definitely getting to read better. It feels good."

Heather and Jazmyn pay attention to punctuation and make sure the boys read with emotion.

The reward after they demonstrate comprehension is to play with the dogs. The dogs seem happy with the arrangement -- they get plenty of pats and I don't hear one bark the whole time.

"Of the 30 children we helped last year, only three were girls," says Heather. "Boys don't tend to ask for help when they need it, like the girls often do."

Ryan says the most surprising thing about reading to the dogs is seeing how fast they can run at the end when they race them across the field. Rather than feeling like they're having to struggle over the words, these children are instead associating reading with something they love -- getting better at reading is now an added bonus, rather than a stressful obstacle.

As well as reading, the boys are instructed on caring for an animal by having to lead the dogs to the water bowl afterwards and are given the responsibility of holding the leads.

As a condition for a school to have the Tales with Tails programme, it must also have a dog safety presentation by BARK at assembly, so the dogs often stay on for morning tea with the rest of the children. "The whole school has benefited from the programme, with children often writing in class about their experiences with the dogs," says Sue. "Best of all, I get to have a cuddle with them too. I love dogs."

Groucho Marx once said: "Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend." These boys are lucky, they get two best friends in the one weekly lesson.

Tales with Tails

BARK is a registered charity created to support the safety of children around dogs. It provides lessons integrated with the school curriculum to reduce dog bite injuries in children 12 years and under. For more information about BARK's school or private lessons see www.bark.org.nz or phone Heather Summers on 021 3647233