PROGRAM BENEFITS

WHY DOES IT WORK?

A 2002 study by Karen Allen, PhD, a researcher at the State University of New York at Buffalo, showed that the presence of a dog lowered the blood pressure of children reading aloud. According to a September 2002 article in the journal of Psychosomatic Medicine, this research demonstrates ”that pets can buffer reactions to acute stress as well as reduce the perception of stress.” One reason Allen believes this is true is because animals are not seen as judgmental.

PAST STUDIES HAVE SHOWN SIMILAR RESULTS

Researcher Aaron Katcher notes that the presence of an animal can create a therapeutic environment if it:
· draws attention outward
· turns off anxiety, anger, depression
· creates safety
· creates intimacy
· increases positive expectations of both self and others

The animals used in R. E. A. D. programs help turn the reading environment into a non-threatening place where children can read for the fun of it, without risk of being embarrassed when he/she mispronounces a word, reads at a slow speed, or does not comprehend exact meanings of sentences.

At Intermountain Therapy Animal’s pilot site, Bennion Elementary School in Salt Lake City, Utah, ten children showed remarkable results. The children ranged in age from five to nine years old, all were reading below grade level and had been identified as at-risk youth. Each student met once a week with a Pet Partner team for a 20-minute R. E. A. D. session. At the conclusion of each quarter, the school’s reading specialist evaluated the children with nationally recognized literacy tests. All of the students experienced improved reading skills. One student doubled in reading level – from a 3.4 to a 6.8 grade level – in just 15 months!

IN ADDITION TO INCREASED READING FLUENCY, TEACHERS ALSO NOTED:

· Decreased absenteeism.
· A sense of self-confidence and self-esteem.
· A sense of pride in their accomplishments.
· Involvement in other school activities (chess club, civics club, field trips)/
· Improved hygiene.
· Interactions with animals were gentler and more respectful.
· Found reading fun and volunteered to read aloud in class.
· Check books out of the library and ask the librarian about books.

Interactions: The Human-Animal Health Connection
Volume 21, No. 2, 2003
A Delta Society Publication