Young readers go to the dogs

Dino Zahirovic started school speaking Bosnian. As a fourth-grade student at Sheridan Elementary, he struggles to read English out loud. He’ll sometimes try to take a shortcut and guess a word after seeing the first couple of letters.

Of all the school efforts to improve his reading, Zahirovic looks forward to a fuzzy reading coach, a dog named Harmony, that meets with him once a week.

Zahirovic is one of 26 students at Sheridan Elementary who read to trained service dogs with a volunteer in the room.

Last year, teacher Linda Irish established the district’s first organized effort to use dogs to aid student reading skills. The program is called the Reading Rovers. Similar programs have been used around the country. Nine trained dogs are used in classrooms by nine volunteers.

Irish is a longtime dog lover who owns four dogs, including a gentle giant English Mastiff named Bailey. Four years ago, Irish would bring a dog to class to see the impact on the class.

“It was an amazing thing to see,” she said.

The dog seemed to know which kids had the most needs and she’d go over and nudge them until they petted her, Irish said.

Then Irish read about studies that showed how pets reduce stress and anxiety in senior citizens. In the past several years, she read about a dog-reading program in Salt Lake City that helped provide a safe environment in which kids could practice reading with less anxiety.

A $2,500 grant from Nike over the summer has allowed her to expand the program’s library. The Newport School District recently called her about expanding the program, but that will depend on volunteers.

Not just any dog can join the Reading Rovers. They must train to pass a set of service-animal standards. Once they make it, volunteer handlers wear red shirts. Dogs sport red scarves around their necks.

For Zahirovic, the weekly 25-minute session begins with a Pup-Peroni snack for Harmony in a small, enclosed conference room in the library. Then the little Sheltie curls up on the floor on a dog bed between the volunteer and Zahirovic.

“I like this dog,” said Zahirovic, who will stroke Harmony’s soft fur.

When the lesson ends, he gives Harmony another treat, pets her and heads back to class where classmates are finishing up their section on sustained reading.

“We do everything but stand on our heads to get our kids to read better,” said Principal Don Warner.

Sheridan has almost 500 students in East Central Spokane, where almost 75 percent of the students qualify for free or reduced-price meals. In the last Washington Assessment for Student Learning more than 70 percent of students, a strong number, passed the reading portion.

“I’ve already seen an improvement with all the children,” said Debbie Jensen, a volunteer who meets with Zahirovic and other students.

Jensen heard Irish’s presentation last year, which inspired her to go through service-dog training and become a volunteer.

“You’re sitting on the floor. It’s all very relaxed. The dogs make everything easier,” Jensen said.

The dog gives them something to talk about. Jensen has only been with Zahirovic three times. She realizes that he could be very shy while in a small reading room with an unfamiliar adult, but the dog gives them something to focus on.

On the wall are fliers of other volunteer dogs with their pictures, including Griz, Luna and Irish’s own dog, Bailey.

Fourth-grade teacher Leann Hooper, a 15-year Sheridan veteran, said it’s hard to tell exactly what’s helping students improve, the Reading Rovers program or a number of other reading-focused programs.

What is clear is the enthusiasm students have for dogs. Even when a dog passes by the classroom, the class will become excited and want to pet it.

Now mix dog time with an attentive volunteer, and that’s makes for an enjoyable reading experience, she said.

“All kids like that individual attention,” Hooper said. “I think it’s great. I wish more kids could go read with the dog.”

Brittany Fisher, a fourth-grade student, reads with Harmony too.

“It’s like being at home,” Fisher said.

Fisher’s never been able to read at home with her own dog.

“If I read with my dog Ginger, she’d just lick me and the book,” Fisher said.