Dogs? Reading? I didn’t know the two went together! But they do. In Schenectady, NY, dogs sit and listen while children read aloud. They can’t judge, they can’t criticize, they can’t correct. Why does it help? That’s just it! Kids can just sit and read comfortably.

There are about 16,000 certified therapy dogs included in this reading-assistance program. Schools and libraries across the country are demanding this program. “It seems as if their anxiety just . . . disappears!” says instructor Mary Roberts. With test scores improving, Therapy Animals are really getting some business done. The Therapy Animals program is run in 48 states, with close to 13,000 dogs as reading assistants. This business is really booming!

I love reading, and dogs. I also know many people that like the same things. This sounds like a really fun and interactive thing. I think that I would really enjoy, but, my one concern is that some animal lovers will become distracted.

When I was little, and sometimes I do the same now, I read to my cat or talked about my ideas to my dog before proposing them. I believe that animals are very intelligent creatures and I know from personal experience that they do help.