Children learn by reading to dogs (and a few cats) trained to "listen" attentively. This pilot program in Salt Lake City is spreading across the country.

Television report on program in Salt Lake City in which children read to dogs that "listen." Comments from some of the kids.

Children who have had difficulty in learning to read are helped by reading stories to therapy dogs. Delta Society article about a program in Salt Lake City.

Improves literacy skills and fosters a love of animals by partnering reading assistance dogs with children. Includes training and testing for pet and handler. How it works in Chicago. [May not work for all browsers.]

Hand-in-Paw brings the Sit, Stay, Read! program to the Avondale, Alabama, Public Library.

Therapy dogs provide attentive ears to children who often do not have the confidence to read in front of classmates. Philadelphia Inquirer.

For children who struggle with reading aloud in a group. Dogs offer a calm accepting presence for the children to practice. Pictures. In the New Orleans area.

Therapy dogs lend a paw to children learning to read. The dogs don't rush the kids or interrupt them. Princeton and central New Jersey.

Salt Lake City program in which kids read to dogs. The children have shown dramatic improvement in skills, and other states are now following Utah's lead. National Geographic.

Children relax by petting a dog as they read. They don't have to wory about the animal correcting them. R.E.A.D. is Reading Education Assistance Dogs.

H.A.R.T. (Human-Animal Relational Therapies) brings therapy dogs with their handlers to the Mahopac (New York) Library where children learn to read better when they read to the dogs.

A weekly after-school program for gifted, at risk, and special needs students at a middle school outside Houston, TX. Children gain confidence and interpersonal skills.

Encourages children to read one-on-one with therapy dog and a trained volunteer. Each child is matched with a Therapy Dog Team for a semester. In Laurel, Maryland.

Students read to Annabelle, a beagle, who listens politely. This Canine-Assisted Reading Education (CARE) program is run by Caring Canines, a volunteer organization that offers animal-assisted activities in the Baltimore-Washington area. [Laurel Leader]

This library program uses dogs as listeners. Kids gain skills reading out loud. One child even read in Chinese. [Pleasanton Weekly]

Levi, Rascal, and Magie and their owners are part of (HABIT) Human Animal Bond in Tennessee. They visit nursing homes in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. [Oak Ridger Online]

A white dog named Merry Christmas and five other pet therapy dogs are taking part in "4 Paws for Reading" program at the Clarksville-Montgomery County (TN) Library. Dogs and owners are trained and screening to be designated as special literacy mentors. (The Leaf-Chronicle)

A corgi named Fezziwig spends days helping students with his owner, an elementary school counselor. [NewsRegister, McMinville, OR]

The Beaverton City Library's "Read to the Dogs" program aims to encourage reluctant readers. The relaxed atmosphere encourages children to read. [The Oregonian]

Experiments in using the natural bond with animals to relieve stress in children. Love, compassion, and empathy are vital concepts for challenged children.