Reading in Rhonda Birnie's 4th grade class is going to the dogs - literally! Students in Mrs. Birnie's class get the opportunity to read to Roxie - a therapy dog with the R.E.A.D. (Reading Education Assistance Dogs) program. Every Tuesday and Thursday Roxie visits the class, with her friend Kathleen Hite, the Jerome County Fair Manager. Roxie brings her favorite blanket and treats, and students read stories aloud to her. She enjoys listening to the stories, and the students have fun while practicing their reading skills.
Roxie is a therapy dog trained through the Intermountain Therapy Animals program based in Salt Lake City, UT. The mission of the R.E.A.D. program is "to improve the literacy skills of children through the assistance of registered therapy teams as literacy mentors." The hope is that by working with the trained therapy animals, students will improve reading and communication skills, and learn to love books.
Students in Mrs. Birnie's class take turns each time Roxie comes to visit, so that they all get a chance to read with Roxie. Ullyses, one student, shared that he enjoys the practice time he gets reading to Roxie because practice will make him a better reader - and he gets to spend time with a "sweet dog." Fabian shares that he like reading with Roxie because she "really listens."
Mrs. Hite shared that she is in her fourth year working with Mrs. Birnie's class, and enjoys seeing the students grow in their reading skills.
For more information about the R.E.A.D. program, please visit the following website: Intermountain Therapy Animals.
Thanks to Kathleen Hite, and the Jerome County Fair Board, for working with Jerome students!
