Today is National Reading Education Assistance Dogs (R.E.A.D.) Day!

Join our family today in celebrating R.E.A.D. dogs, like our very own Lady and Merlin!  If you would like our R.E.A.D. dogs to visit your school, bookstore, or library, call 727-421-1341.

 

The US Senate has established November 14th as National Reading Education Assistance Dogs Day. The senate agreed to create a national R.E.A.D. day for these great reasons:

• Because reading provides children with an essential foundation for all future learning;
• The Reading Education Assistance Dogs (R.E.A.D.) program was founded to improve the literacy skills of children through the mentoring assistance of trained, registered, and insured pet partner reading volunteer teams;
• Children who participate in the R.E.A.D. program make significant improvements in fluency, comprehension, confidence, and many additional academic and social dimensions;
• The R.E.A.D. program is active in 49 States, 3 provinces in Canada, Europe, Asia, and beyond with more than 2,400 trained and registered volunteer teams participating and influencing thousands of children in classrooms and libraries across the Nation;
• R.E.A.D. program has received awards and recognition from distinguished entities including the International Reading Association, the Delta Society, the Latham Foundation, the American Library Association, and PBS Television;
• R.E.A.D. program has garnered enthusiastic coverage from national media, including major television networks NBC, CBS, and ABC, as well as international television and print coverage. 

The R.E.A.D. program is a part of Intermountain Therapy Dogs.  Check out studies on R.E.A.D. therapy and increased childhood literacy on their website.