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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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