South Elementary
Lucy, the Reading Partner Therapy Dog, Attends South School
By LFS
Mar 1, 2005, 13:06

The South Elementary School is participating in a Reading Partner Program in the Primary Learning Center classroom. This program is dedicated to improving the reading skills of children using a registered Reading Partner Therapy Dog and handler.
Mrs. Joan Pahud and her dog, Lucy, have both undergone extensive training and registration to do animal-assisted therapy. Lucy completed Canine Good Citizen training at the Brockton MSPCA last fall. She then completed therapy training with Dog B.O.N.E.S. of Massachusetts and is a registered Reading Partner therapy dog. The team works with individual students during school hours on a one-on-one basis for approximately 15-20 minutes each per week. The program, modeled on Reading Education Assistance Dogs (READ), started in 1999 in Salt Lake City, whose mission was to improve the literacy skills of children, is a unique approach employing a classic concept: reading to a dog. Each child spends a few minutes getting acquainted and comfortable with Lucy. They sit together on a rug with a book chosen by the student and the magic begins! The students read aloud and it certainly appears that Lucy is listening. There is a bond that develops between child and dog... a bond without bias and judgment. Mrs. Pahud has provided her students with an irresistible opportunity to improve reading skills in an effective and fun way and, as we all know, FUN is a powerful, motivating force for learning!

(For more information on the Reading Partner Program visit www.therapydog.info)



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