Thumbs up to Johnson Park School school counselor Robin Minden who has brought in Romy, a golden retriever, who will sit and listen to students who are having trouble reading.
Ms. Minden says that for some kids reading out loud is anxiety producing. They worry about making a mistake and being judged poorly as a result.
But that’s not the case with Romy.
The dog makes no demands of the kids. She just sits and listens.
But it didn’t just happen overnight. To become a therapy dog Romy went through four weeks of training.
Now she is qualified not only to listen to children read, but could go into nursing homes or hospitals, where therapy dogs are sometimes used.
As for the kids, Ms. Minden says studies have shown that reading to dogs can make a big difference in the lives of the students, such as in decreased absenteeism, improvement in grades and increased use of the library.
Part of her job is to support the emotional, social and academic growth of the students, and Romy can help her do that.
