WILSON: Reading ‘going to the dogs’

Local News

November 16, 2009

Use of a therapy dog encourages literacy among elementary students

By Joe Olenick The Niagara Gazette Mon Nov 16, 2009, 12:27 AM EST

W.H. Stevenson Elementary has brought in a specialist to help kids with reading. But not your typical specialist, this one has four legs, a tail and wears a collar.

Tuesday night, the Wilson School Board met Beebe, a greyhound who is brought to class by first-grade teacher Kim DeBiase. Beebe is a therapy dog who helps kids improve their reading skills. It’s not all that much work — all the dogs do is listen while the kids read to them.

DeBiase said there are kids who are struggling with reading who read to Beebe every day. As the school day goes on, any student can sit down with a book and Beebe.

“Anybody who wants to can go over and lay with her and read to her,” she said.

Beebe is a retired racing greyhound. DeBiase, Beebe’s owner, said she raced for two years in Virginia until Beebe broke her ankle, ending her racing career. DeBiase first brought Beebe to school three years ago for a week when her class read “One Good Pup.” Even then, the struggling readers would ask DeBiase if they could read to Beebe. DeBiase read an article about dogs being used as therapy dogs to help promote reading.

“I found my reluctant readers were navigating toward her, even after the reading lesson was over,” DeBiase said. “When I saw the article I thought this was something that would motivate them throughout the year.”

How do the dogs help?

“They’re non-critical listeners,” Stevenson Principal Michael Cancilla said. “Children who feel uncomfortable reading or have a fear of being corrected while reading, the dog is a perfect companion.”

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