Therapy Dogs Help Children with Reading Education Assistance
The READ program has demonstrated that the literacy skills of children can be increased by partnering them with registered dog/owner therapy teams. The Reading Education Assistance Dogs (READ) Program improves children’s reading and communication skills by employing a powerful method: reading to a dog!
READ dogs are not just any dogs—they are trained and registered therapy animals that volunteer with their owners, going to schools, libraries, youth centers, detention facilities, and other locations as reading companions for children in need of literacy support.
If you would like more information about having a READ program in your school, please contact our Executive Director.
Learn about the history and growth of the READ program and what it takes to become a READ team.
Clare reads to Moppy, an AHF registered therapy dog.