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Do Your Kiddos Read to Your Pets?
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Lovely idea. I have saved it in my teacher idea file.
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No one in my family has ever done this, as far as I know, but our school district has a reading dog who comes into the schools and libraries from time to time to be read to, so obviously it's a great thing for some kids.
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For kids who are having problems learning to read for any reason or who have a hard time reading aloud, it's definitely been shown reading to dogs (and I'd guess to other companion animals too, though dogs are more likely to stay and "listen") is very, very therapeutic.
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My daughter reads to her dolls and stuffed animals all the time. I'm not sure our pets (c..."
Cute ;-)
Now, I suppose I should correct myself and say that our cat reads with us all that time--"reading" (sitting on, rubbing...) whatever book my husband or I am trying to read to ourselves at the moment, that is, haha! ;-p
Kathryn wrote: "Now, I suppose I should correct myself and say that our cat reads with us all that time--"reading" (sitting on, rubbing...) whatever book my husband or I am trying to read to ourselves at the moment, that is, haha! ;-p "Yes, cats are particularly skilled at reading in this manner, and at playing board games with their humans as well.
One of our cats particularly likes "reading" the newspaper.
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A number of libraries in the Chicagoland area do this program - using the phrase: Reading with Rover. Therapy dogs are used. Successful program and cute.
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"Reading with Rover"--love that! :-)
When I worked in the Library we brought in therapy dogs for the children to read to. It was an inner city library. Many of the children were low level readers but they felt very comfortable reading to the dog. The lady that brought him was wonderful,she would even bring the kids cookies. Sometimes we had lines of kids. The sad thing was when the dog died. That was hard. But later she came back, this time with puppies!
Kathryn wrote: "Our library actually has a program called PAWS for Reading and children can come to the library and read to special "canine listeners" every Tuesday. I've never been, but I think it's a wonderful i..."What a cool program!
Sounds cute...although in my school library we'd probably have to limit it to reading to the turtle in the computer lab....My daughter used to read to my son when he was an infant. Not quite the same, but still a reading-to situation. I imagine stuffed animals probably wouldn't work for those without pet access.
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My daughter used to read to my son when he was an infant. Not quite the..."
Actually, I did read to both my dolls and my stuffed rabbit (until my mother noticed and though I was being "weird").
Gundula wrote: "Actually, I did read to both my dolls and my stuffed rabbit (until my mother noticed and though I was being "weird"). "Oh, that's so sad, Gundula. You were being wonderful!
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Oh, that's so sad, Gundula. You were being wonderful!"
I agree - I'd love to see a child reading to toys.
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Oh, that's so sad, Gundula. You were being wond..."
My parents just thought it was weird (what do you expect from very German Germans, ha, ha, ha). I guess it did not help that they had caught me having a conversation with an imaginary friend (I was actually having a conversation with an antique hunting rifle, I had no idea it was a gun).
Gundula wrote: "(I was actually having a conversation with an antique hunting rifle, I had no idea it was a gun). "Ha! Children's imaginations can make anything, anything. But that is the funniest imaginary friend I've ever heard of. Cute!
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Ha! Children's imaginations can make anything, anything. But that is the funnies..."
I only realised AFTER we had moved to Canada that I had actually been talking with and to a gun, a weapon.
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I love the idea of reading to a pet and even a stuffed animal. Our school does lots of silent and group reading and at least twice a year is (Dear) Drop everything and read day, with pj's and stuffed animals, pillows and blankets and reading buddies from class. Always fun to see all the kids reading for a whole day!
The Bedtime Book for Dogs
The Bedtime Book for Dogs from author Bruce Littlefield: This is a new and fun way to involve your pets in your daily routine – read to your pups, or let your young child read to your pups [because studies show that when kiddos read to animals, their skills increase 30% faster than those who don’t!].
Thoughts? Comments?