Read more about Listening Ears in this article from Tidewater

Making the Grade
ROVER... a Reader’s Best Friend
By: Bud Livers
Kids have been bringing pets to
school ever since Mary and her “Little
Lamb”. Today, however, pets come
with a more noble purpose that to
simply make “…the children laugh
and play.” Today dogs are used to
help rescue children from what is
sometimes a serious problem for
many students – illiteracy.
Children who are struggling readers
have found a new ally in this “War of
the Words”. Students with reading
deficits may lack confidence and are
often reluctant to read aloud in front
of their classmates for fear of ridicule
over mispronounced words or
embarrassment for taking excessive
time sounding out words. They may
stress over concern for adult
approval or peer acceptance. Many of
these same children, however, may
have no problem doing so for a fourfooted companion, and may actually
enjoy reading. This program actually
helps children forget about their
limitations and relax. Animals are
seen as trustworthy and compassionate. Dogs don’t get upset by pauses
in the reading, or by mispronunciations. And, unlike most human
listeners, dogs generally don’t
mind the occasional scratch
behind the ears.
Around the United States, programs
using pets to help encourage
developing readers are becoming
increasingly popular. Programs with
inventive names like “BARKS”
(Bonding, Animals, Reading, Kids
and Safety), the “PAWSitive Reading
Program”, “Reading with Rover”,
“Paws to Read”, “Sit, Stay, Read”, and
“Tail Waggin’ Tutors” are springing up
faster than a greyhound chasing
rabbits. Salt Lake City based “READ”
(Reading Education Assistance
12
Dogs), reports over 1,300 therapy
dogs and handlers in schools and
libraries with that program alone.
Tens of thousands of children are
involved in this and other such
programs nationwide.
One such award-winning program,
“Listening Ears” is operated by the
Virginia Beach SPCA. With dogs and
handlers in over 30 Tidewater area
elementary schools last year, this
program hopes to reach even more
children this year.
Listening Ears
Listening Ears (LE) was created in
2004 by the Virginia Beach Society for
the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
(VBSPCA) to help meet the needs of
poor readers. This program won the
Virginia State Literacy Award in 2006
and was recognized again with the
Virginia Beach Educators Assn
(VBEA) Friend of Education Award
in 2009.
Participation in the program continues to grow. Last year using two
education staff members (certified
teachers) and 25 volunteers,
Listening Ears (LE) was active in 32
schools: 29 VBCPS elementary
schools, two Norfolk elementary
schools, and one Chesapeake
primary school. They even provided
Listening Ears services at the VB
Public Library, prior to the library
developing their own program.
LE volunteers attend a general VBSPCA volunteer orientation as well as
humane education orientation/training. They all have City background
checks. Their dogs are either AKC
Canine Good Citizen (CGC) certified
through certified assessors at the
local shelter, or have Therapy Dog
International (TDI) certifications. All
are spayed/neutered and up to date
on vaccinations. The SPCA is always
looking for new volunteers for this
most popular program.
LE is not restricted to only using dogs
as reading partners. Ms Kathy Shambo,
Humane Education Director at VBSPCA notes that, “some volunteers
exclusively use rabbits. Those big ears
make for great listening!!! We have
others that use guinea pigs, too. One
volunteer uses a very well behaved
cat. These animals are not certified
in any way; however, they are very
child-friendly critters. Animals with
big upright ears are especially
effective as the students really think
they are listening! I used a couple of
Chihuahuas last year with huge ears
and the kids loved them!”
Norfolk elementary teacher and
member of the VBSPCA board Ms
Donna Kenny, along with Mrs. Renee
Dolder, Norfolk Communication
Skills Specialist, pulled the program
out of Virginia Beach and introduced
LE to Norfolk elementary schools.
Approximately 300 students from
Granby Elementary School and 200
students from Tarrallton Elementary
School, along with 30 animal
companions participated in the program last year. Dolder introduces the
program with a class orientation,
bringing in her Golden Retriever and
reading the story, “School Daze with
Daisy”, about a seven year old golden
retriever who is nervous about
entering school for the first time.
With parent’s permission, the
children sign up to participate in the
program. While the focus is on the
more challenged readers who are
given at least six separate visits by a
dog and a volunteer, Dolder arranges
the schedule so that all children who
want to participate, even the more
advanced readers, get at least one
session with a dog in the course of
the school year.
Tail Wagging Success!
Kathy Shambo is excited about this
highly successful program. “What I
love about (LE) is that the team sees
the same students for at least six
weeks in order for them to build a
bond and become more comfortable
reading aloud. When you see them
transform from kids who come into
TIDEWATER TEACHER MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2010
13
the room reluctantly, dragging their
feet, to bounding in the room,
flopping next to their canine pal and
immediately start reading, it is
amazing. I also really appreciate the
respect we receive at the schools,
too. They make us feel as if we are
part of the teaching team.”
While anecdotal reports abound of
cases where students have greatly
benefited from participation in this
program, there is solid research to
support these claims as well. Some
studies have shown that students
involved in such reading assistance
programs experience anywhere
from 50% to 600% improvements in
fluency and comprehension scores
on standardized reading tests and
sight-word vocabulary lists.
Get Involved!
Do you have a mild-mannered dog
that would do well in a school
setting? The VBSPCA is hoping to
expand the program offerings, but
will need even more volunteers and
dogs to meet the demand. All dogs
need to be certified by the SPCA and
have their Canine Good Citizen
certificates. The dog will need to be
able to follow a variety of obedience
commands and stay calm in unfamiliar surroundings. Evaluations are
performed every month. Understanding how important the core school
hours are, they are becoming flexible
and expanding into after school
reading programs.
To schedule an evaluation, or to learn
more about volunteer opportunities,
contact either the Outreach Director
Teresa Lamarche, or the Humane
Education Director, Kathy Shambo at
(757) 427-0070 or email Educationdirector@vbspca.com to become an
“official” VBSPCA volunteer.
To volunteer in Norfolk, please
contact Renee Dolder, Norfolk
Communication Skills Specialist at
Redolder@nps.k12.va.us T
Some studies have
shown that students
involved in such
reading assistance
programs experience
anywhere from
50% to 600%
improvements in
fluency and
comprehension
scores.
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Laura Ingalls Wilder
Performed by Theatre IV
Thursday, November 18, 2010, 10:30am
Join Laura Ingalls Wilder and her family as they travel
across America in the back of a covered wagon and face
the hardships and the triumphs of the wondrous new land!
If You Give a Cat a Cupcake
UPCOMING STUDENT MATINEES:
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One free chaperone ticket per
ten student tickets reserved.
FOR TICKETS,
CALL (757) 605-3071 TODAY!
14
Performed by the Omaha Theatre Company
Thursday, January 20, 2011, 10am & 12pm
Join the Cat and his friends for a whirl-wind tour following
the antics of these comical characters. Audiences will love
participating as the show brings this award-winning book
to life!
Star Trek Live!
Presented by Mad Science
Friday, February, 18, 2011, 10:30am
Join us for an out of this world, interactive adventure
with cutting-edge special effects, unmatched audience
interaction, and cool science in this unforgettable
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