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Can DNA tests free ex-Akron captain?
Victim of beating in Kent last week is declared dead at Akron hospital
Green High senior goes extra mile for those who walk and jog the park trails
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Tragedy to hope: Family creates foundation for bereavement therapy
Visiting new Navy ship brings back memories for Doylestown man serves on USS New York in 1930s
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Police accuse bank robbery suspect of gobbling up note (with dashcam video)
Victim of beating in Kent last week is declared dead at Akron hospital
Dad accused of forcing son into field, killing him
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Can DNA tests free ex-Akron captain?
Browns' roster nearly devoid of consistent players
Coventry man killed in crash at I-77 ramp
Review: You've never seen 'Sound of Music' like this
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Cat-loving chihuahua suckles seven abandoned kittens
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Browns vs. Lions live …
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Hitchens leads Zips in second-half comeback
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Seven players added to Tribe’s 40-man roster
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Robiskie, Harrison inactive
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Kent State blown out in second half, loses to Temple 47-13
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Gameblog: Cavs vs. Philadelphia 76ers
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OSU – Michigan college football rivals meet in Baghdad
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Four area football teams play tonight
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Will Health Care Reform Pass?
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Health Care Financing Reform: (69) The Brookings Institute Study on "Bending the Curve" – Four General Strategies
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TIME TO GET YOUR COLLECTOR CARS WINTERIZED
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Silverdome Potentially SOLD!
Ohio Travels with Betty:
George is looking for a Thanksgiving buffet in Akron.
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Steely Dan Plays "The Royal Scam" at E.J. Thomas Hall
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A Random Rant on Testing
Akron Gamer:
Nintendo's Mario endures even as games come and go
Wadsworth kids practice word skills with dog listeners
By Malcolm X Abram Beacon Journal staff writer
Published on Sunday, Oct 14, 2007
WADSWORTH: Reading is fundamental, but for some children, it's also fundamentally difficult.
The Wadsworth Public Library has begun a new program and has enlisted a trio of specially trained ''therapists'' who not only listen to children read but also offer them positive reinforcement with copious face-licking, tail-wagging and occasional requests for belly rubs.
This month, the four-footed therapists were Brodie, a golden retriever; Elmo, a talkative collie; and Sonnet, a diminutive Shetland sheepdog.
All three pooches are trained therapy dogs who must be certified annually.
The program, called Tales & Tails, runs from 10 a.m. to noon on the second Saturday of each month in the children's department at the library
''It's a casual, relaxed atmosphere, and the dogs don't judge the kids,'' said Linda Warner, president of Wooster-based Caring Therapy Canines and the owner of Brodie.
Warner, a volunteer at the library, began the Tales & Tails program.
The retired teacher with 30 years in the Revere school district said that whenever she brought a dog to class, the students and atmosphere were immediately leavened, and teaching and learning were better experiences for all.
After retirement, Warner wanted to continue volunteering, and involving her own mild-tempered dog seemed a natural fit.
Caring Therapy Canines now has about 70 members who take dogs to hos
pitals, hospices, schools and nursing homes. They even help the Salvation Army with its annual fundraising.
On Saturday morning, all the dogs had to do was relax, bask in the attention and listen.
Nathan Josifov of Wadsworth read each of the dogs a different book. He even picked out some Clifford the Big Red Dog books for Sonnet and Elmo because he figured they would like them.
Brodie lounged while the 9-year-old read him the cautionary tale Officer Buckle and Gloria, giving the book a spirited reading and ensuring that the pooch heard the many safety tips, such as: ''Never stand on a swivel chair.''
Nearby, Nathan's mother, Andra Josifov, sat on the floor and watched quietly as her son read the lengthy book to Brodie, pausing only to show the dog the book's illustrations.
Josifov, who home-schools Nathan, said her son has had considerable difficulty with reading comprehension and is seldom excited about the activity. But since coming to Tales & Tails last month, they have made it a fixture on the family calendar, she said.
''It just makes me want to cry; I wish his dad and his sisters were here watching this,'' she said of watching him happily read to each dog.
''He's a lot more comfortable,'' she said.
''At home, I'm his teacher, and we're always working on something specific,'' Josifov said. ''But the dogs will never correct him on his pronunciation or anything. It makes it less of a chore for him.''
The program is only in its second month at Wadsworth, but Warner said the response has been very good. She said she hopes to soon have lines out the door, formed not just by kids who want to read but also children who may have issues with dogs.
Malcolm X Abram can be reached at mabram@thebeaconjournal.com or 330-996-3758.
WADSWORTH: Reading is fundamental, but for some children, it's also fundamentally difficult.
Get the full article here.
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