Children's Reading Scores Soar 40% with Therapy Dog Program

It turns out dogs really are a kid's best friend — especially when it comes to learning to read. The national 'Read to the Paws' program, which pairs struggling young readers with certified therapy dogs, has released its first large-scale results, and they're extraordinary. Across 2,000 schools in 45 states, children who participated in twice-weekly reading sessions with therapy dogs improved their reading scores by an average of 40% over one school year. Even more remarkably, 92% of participants reported enjoying reading for the first time. 'Dogs don't judge, don't correct, don't make you feel stupid,' explained child psychologist Dr. Sarah Monroe. 'They just listen. For a child who's anxious about reading, that unconditional acceptance is transformative.' Seven-year-old Jayden Thomas, who went from reading below grade level to above, put it more simply: 'Biscuit thinks I'm the best reader ever. So now I am.' The program has been so successful that the Department of Education has announced $50 million in funding to expand it nationwide.