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 The quiet murmur of children’s voices filled the room as several dogs listened quietly. Dogs?! That’s right. About five dogs from Sue Bani’s All Good Dogs Therapy Partners visited the Royersford Free Public Library on a recent Tuesday evening for the DART – Dogs Are Readers Too! – program.
Children read a book of their choice to a DART! dog for a 15-minute session. The first program was held in late June, followed by two in July. Children’s librarian Nancy Niggel noted, “It just gets bigger and bigger each time.” About 11 children participated the first night, she said, and by the third that number had doubled.
According to Bani, research shows that children read easier to someone that’s not judgmental, not correcting their mistakes. “When they sit and read to a dog, the dog has no clue,” Bani remarked. Dogs are therapeutic, she said, and children read better and are more relaxed when reading to a dog.
In fact, she said, the dog is between the child and the dog’s handler, and the handler only helps the child if the youngster is stuck on a word. The program is not instructional, Bani noted, but more recreational. The goal is to get the children to simply relax and read.
Bani began the DART! program this past school year while working as an instructional assistant in a third grade classroom at Limerick Elementary School. She brought one of her dogs in once a month so the children could read to the dog.
“The kids just love it,” Bani commented. They love the interaction, and the program helps the children build self-confidence. She stressed that the program works best when individual children read one-on-one with a dog, without friends or family.
All the dogs in the program are certified therapy dogs. To be certified, dogs need to receive at least six months of training and pass a therapy dog test. All the dogs present at the July 31 program have been in training for at least two years, she added.
Bani noted that some of the dogs are rescued animals. These dogs thrive on “being somebody’s buddy,” she said, thriving on love and attention.
Just one more DART! program is scheduled for this summer at Royersford Public Library. Bani said she hopes to continue the program into the school year, although she realizes that children get very busy with schoolwork, sports and other activities.
The next DART! program at the library will be Tuesday, Aug. 14, 6 to 7 p.m. The reading portion is followed by an obedience demonstration at 7:15 p.m. The obedience demonstrations are open to the public.
Parents may contact the library to preregister their child for a 15-minute session. Sessions are for one child reader, one canine listener and the dog’s handler. No parents, siblings or groups may be included. The program is open to independent, school-aged readers. Parent permission slips are available at the library and must be presented before reading with a dog.
Preregistration is not required for the obedience demonstration.
All activities are held at the Royersford Free Public Library, 200 S. Fourth Ave. The library is open Monday to Thursday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and closed Sundays. For more information call 610-948-7277 or visit www.mc-npl.org.
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