By KRISTEN DOWD
“If you give a mouse a cookie, he’s going to ask for a glass of milk. When you give him the milk, he’ll probably ask you for a straw.”
As little Anna Dougherty read Laura Joff Numeroff’s classic children’s story at the Haddonfield Public Library the afternoon of Feb. 28, the 6-year-old occasionally stole a quick look at her single audience member.
Anna’s voice was clear and strong in the quiet room, and aside from occasionally shifting to a slightly new position, her listener did little to distract Anna from her reading.
Actually, this listener was the perfect audience for Anna, who was a very strong reader, but just a little shy about reading in front of others. Desi wasn’t going to pass any judgment on Anna — or on any of the other children who stopped by to read to her on Tuesday afternoon — because Desi was, in fact, a dog. “This is another opportunity for literacy,” said Dorothy Peppard. “The dogs are great, the owners are great and the kids are wonderful.” Peppard is the children’s librarian at the Haddonfield Public Library, and she helps schedule the Read to a Dog program, held on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. The idea came from Jane Berkowitz, who approached Peppard last year suggesting she visit the library with her black Labrador, Visa.
“I have to say, I was skeptical. But I thought, ‘you know what, why not try it out?’” said Peppard. “There’s been an enormous response.” The idea behind Read to a Dog — which is a program at libraries all around the country — is that children, typically ages 3 to 6, read to a registered therapy dog. Their canine audience is patient and encouraging, giving the child an opportunity to read at his or her own pace. “Anna loves to read, but she’s a little shy about reading in front of people. She loves dogs, but she doesn’t have one. We thought this would be a good opportunity,” explained Anna’s mom, Tracey Dougherty. “I have seen improvement since we have been coming. She has gained confidence.” One of the best parts of the program, according to Peppard, is that it can involve children at all reading levels.
“The idea of just forming words, narrating out loud, is a step toward literacy,” she said. “It’s reading readiness.”
Narrating was the name of the game for 5-year-old Frank Grozier on Tuesday. The kindergartener brought two of his favorite books to share with Desi — “Dog in Boots,” by Greg Gormley and “Skippyjon Jones and the Big Bones,” by Judy Schachner.
Even though he wasn’t quite ready to read his stories word-for-word, the experience gave the enthusiastic kindergartener a chance to tell the stories in his own way, without worrying about what anyone would think.
When asked why he started Read to a Dog, Frank said it was a no-brainer.
“My friends told me about it, so I said, ‘Mom, sign me up,’” he said. His mom, Maureen, can already see the benefits of the program, even after Frank’s second time.
“Something like this is great. I think it builds confidence and he loves dogs,” Maureen said. “He really looks forward to it. Anything that gets him wanting to continue reading is great.”
At the end of Tuesday’s session, a lot of giggling could be heard from the Read a Dog room, elicited from an extremely happy 4-year-old being slathered with kisses from an equally happy Desi.
Avé Ippolito isn’t ready to read yet, but her mom, Andrea, helps her share her stories with her four-legged friends.
“It works for everybody,” Andrea said with a smile.
In addition to Berkowitz and Visa, dogs taking part in the Haddonfield Public Library’s Read to a Dog program include Desi and owner, Judy Hutnik, and Springer and owner, Rachelle Sher.
Tuesday was Hutnik and Desi’s second week with the program. Desi is a 22-month-old German shepherd with her Canine Good Citizen and Therapy Dogs Incorporated certifications. She loves to work, Hutnik said, and this is a good opportunity not only for the kids, but for Desi, too.
“It’s terrific,” Hutnik said. “Desi seems to have a great time.”
The Haddonfield Public Library hosts Read to a Dog every other week on Tuesdays from 4:15 to 5:15 p.m. and on Thursdays from 4 to 5 p.m.
Registration is required, and each child can register for a 15-minute time slot.
For more information, visit www.haddonfieldlibrary.org or call (856) 429–1304.
