Another way to encourage reading

As we saw in the ECIPs post on Language and Literacy development, it's important to encourage early literacy with preschool aged children. The more exposure children have to books and reading, the better.

I came across this article about using therapy dogs as reading companions. Children practice by reading aloud to the dog (under supervision of the trainer). This low-stress environment and forgiving audience as well as the physical contact with the dog help boost the child's reading confidence. The children also learn compassion and basic pet-care.

Now, it is not expected that every 3 or 4 year old be able to read aloud fluently. But just pretending to read a story aloud to another person/pet/stuffed animal is excellent early literacy practice. The more children learn to read for pleasure, the greater the likelihood that they will read above grade level and eventually become life-long readers.

What do you think?

photo by acpl