‘PAWS to Read’ a hit at Mars library
MARS — The Mars Area Public Library has a trick that can help reluctant and slower readers come out of their shells and embrace the written word, and that something is a golden retriever named Wally.
Wally — along with her handler, Annette Kirkwood — comes to the library twice a month as part of the PAWS to Read program, which aims to build the reading skills and self-esteem of children ages 6 to 11 in the company of the world’s softest listener.
The library started the PAWS to Read program earlier this year, when Kirkwood, a resident of Mars and a member of the Alliance of Therapy Dogs, brought Wally, her own therapy dog, and asked if they could help.
“I had been going to some nursing homes with (Wally) and someone asked me, ‘Why don't you go to the library and let kids read to him?’” Kirkwood said. “And so, I stopped in one day.”
“Annette reached out and wanted to do this because she was trying to train her dog to be an appropriate therapy dog,” said Tara Watson, a volunteer at the library.
Since its inception, PAWS to Read has been a hit, with each two-hour session routinely filling all available spaces.
“The kids love (Wally),” Kirkwood said. “They pet him and they hug him and they kiss him and they sit and read their books to him and the parents sit by and listen and watch.”
“It was really fun. He liked reading because he kept laying down next to me,” said 8-year-old Kinsley Mannelli, who dropped by at the session held on Thursday, Sept. 19.
The program has even attracted some repeat visitors, including 5-year-old Carson Fraser. His mother, Alexis, brought him to the session Thursday.
“It’s a great experience. He’s been coming ever since it started,” Alexis said. “He really enjoys making up stories because he can't read yet. So he just looks at the pictures and makes stories up for Wally.”
The only major change so far is that the amount of time granted to each child to read to Wally was extended from 10 to 15 minutes.
“We used to do 10 minutes, and then we found that it was not enough time,” Watson said. “So we bumped it up to 15 minutes, so we get four (children) in an hour.”
Watson touts the benefits of the program for children who are struggling to learn to read and may need help outside of a school environment.
“Usually in school, when you're reading and you make a mistake, the teacher corrects you and other kids tease you if you make a mistake,” Watson said. “This gives them a chance to build their confidence, build their social interaction, practice their reading out loud, and work through some of the struggles themselves without feeling like they're being picked on or that they've made a mistake.”
Mars’ program, while popular, is not unique. Similar “reading to dogs” programs have popped up at libraries and other institutions around the country, including at the nearby Butler County Humane Society.
According to Watson, not just any dog can be at the center of a program such as this. It takes a dog such as Wally, who is trained to be such a good listener.
“You need the right dog. You need a dog that's a little bit mature, who doesn't get easily excited,” Watson said. “Therapy dogs have to go through special training and that seems to help with this program.”
PAWS to Read is held two Thursdays per month at the Mars library, with sessions taking place from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Spaces can be reserved in advance on the library’s website.
