Every Friday morning my main interests come together for an hour or more…dogs, kids, books and art. Henry, my 10 pound Chorkie and I are members of Read to Rover, a volunteer program that helps children with reading difficulties.
The program is simple. Dogs who pass the AKC Canine Good Citizen test and a basic obedience test are then eligible to go into schools, libraries, etc. to listen to kids read books. The theory being the dog is not judgmental and the child feels more comfortable to read.
Years before dog reading programs were implemented,
I was doing a similar program of my own. I called it Lunch with Bucky. During my lunch break, I invited kids with special needs into my art room at school so they could eat lunch and talk to Bucky, my 10 pound Yorkie, who came to school with me every day in a basket. I just sat at my desk and listened and on one occasion I heard a six year-old girl say to Bucky, “Daddy came into my bed last night with a pair of scissors,” which led to a long story now in CPS files.
Every Friday morning I brush Henry’s teeth, and hair and we go to elementary school. Some days there are eight or more dogs in the library. Henry sits in the same basket Bucky left behind, and he listens to kids read for 15 minutes at a time. After an hour, kids who want to stay in for recess an we draw pictures, an added treat since there is no art program in the school.
Dogs, kids, books and art; a perfect picture.
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