Dogs helping kids to read? What could be better! Become a Tales to Tails assistant.

Save to Favorites

The Felton Branch library is looking for a volunteer to assist with the popular Tales to Tails program on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of each month from 2:45 PM to 4:15 PM. This program offers children a chance to read to certified therapy dogs. This program is wildly successful in helping children gain confidence in their reading ability! The therapy dogs offer a warm, supportive, and neutral space as the children practice reading aloud.

Responsibilities:

• Schedule appointments online.
• Setup and cleanup of Tales to Tails area.
• Help children find books to read.
• Transition children and dogs between appointments.
• Create a calm atmosphere so children can focus on reading.

Training Provided: Orientation with Volunteer Office.

Here's a little more on Tales to Tails program research...

In a pair of studies, researchers at the UCD School of Veterinary Medicine joined forces with Tony La Russa’s Animal Rescue Foundation of Walnut Creek to document the impact of children reading to dogs.

The first study looked at reading skills among third-graders in a public school and the second focused on homeschooled children. In both studies, children read once a week for 10 weeks to one of three shelter-rescued dogs provided by the animal rescue foundation. Researchers found reading fluency improved by 12 percent in the first group and 30 percent in the second. Three-quarters of parents reported their children read aloud more frequently and with more confidence after the study.

UC Davis, Tales to Tails Research: https://www.ucdavis.edu/news/reading-rover-does-it-really-help-children-veterinary-school-says-%E2%80%98yes%E2%80%99/