Kevin Prieto / The Bulletin

Portraits of respected and beloved teachers line the wall in a hallway at Elk Meadow Elementary School in Bend. But these are not ordinary teachers — they have tails.

Over the past 12 years the registered therapy dog teams in the Dog Tales program at the school have helped hundreds of children develop their reading, writing and social skills. Together with their handlers, the dogs have undergone extensive training and testing and visit the school regularly, much to the delight of the children they are paired with for one-on-one support.

“When I first met Dwight the dog we got to feed him and lay on the blanket and just spend time with him,” said Liam Santos, a third grader who graduated from the program last year. “When he’s gone I write him letters.”

Jemma Santos, Liam’s mother, recalls picking up Liam after school on the first day of his participation in the program. He told her about reading with a dog and working on a poem together. At first Santos wasn’t sure about the program, but she could clearly see that Liam was enjoying the experience. And not only that, but as a shy child in a new school, he was coming out of his shell. Time spent reading out loud to Dwight and practicing his reading and writing skills began to pay off, and Santos began to see the improvement in her son’s fluency.

“Liam is a shy kid, and reading aloud in the classroom made him really nervous,” said Santos. “Sitting next to Dwight and petting him while he read took his mind off the anxiety of reading and allowed him to break through.”

Now, Santos said, Liam brings home beautiful poems that he has written and reads every night, often to his four-month-old little brother, Simon.

“His teacher told me that in the classroom he raises his hand to volunteer to read aloud,” said Santos. “I’m so proud to hear that. He worked really hard on that.”

Dwight

By Liam Santos

Reading with Dwight

is fun

like playing video games

He has a furry tail

that wags fast when he sees

me

He’s a huge dog

with a wet ice cube nose

Mrs. Lundgren is

nice

I’m excited when I’m ready

to go read

My heart beats

fast

It’s like Christmas morning.

The program has morphed over the years to meet the needs of the children, said Heather Korman, a second grade teacher at Elk Meadow who was one of the founders of the Dog Tales program. Often, the time a student spends with a dog and handler is not really about reading at all, she said. The program is designed to address a child’s social and emotional areas in need of development, as well as reading and writing skills.

“If a child needs reading support, or if they could benefit from a special friendship, the dogs can offer that,” said Korman.

“When the kids are walking out of the classroom to meet up with their dog every other student in the classroom wants to be them,” said Shirley Lundgren, a reading specialist at the school who has volunteered along with her dog Dwight with the program for nine years. “It is a feeling of being special that a lot of students have never had before.”

The Dog Tales program began 12 years ago when Korman happened to see a flyer inviting children to come read with dogs at the library. While she was impressed with the library program, she knew that transportation and other issues would most likely be obstacles for the children in her school on Bend’s south side.

“I started thinking, ‘How do I get kids the help they need when they can’t make it to the library?’” said Korman. “I figured I would go to Compassionate Canines of Central Oregon and basically beg them to help. I told them that these kids needed a reason to keep reading.”

The first volunteers with the program were an older couple with two very small dogs.

“From there it took off,” said Korman.

Conguita

By Lacie Weaver

Reminds me of my favorite

lamb blanket

with a wagging tail

She’s like a teddy bear

who gives me kisses and

puts her head in my lap

She’s as pretty as a

blooming flower

with bright blue eyes

Jennifer makes me feel special

she is my favorite person

next to my family

When I read with them

I feel excited, happy, cool and

proud

Jennifer Horsman, Volunteer Coordinator for Compassionate Canines of Central Oregon and a member of the Alliance of Therapy Dogs, has been volunteering at Elk Meadow since 2001 and has had several therapy dogs in the program, including Patches, Reggie, Tucker, Hobie and Conguita.

She and Conguita, who was rescued off a beach in Mexico, visit the program weekly. Horsman has found that Conguita’s background provides a connection with many of the children at the school. Often Horsman will bring a map of Mexico for a geography lesson with the children, sharing Conguita’s journey to the United States.

“I have heard many stories about their parents’ similar journeys and I would never have been able to make these connections with these very special kids, whose parents are not bi-lingual, if not for Conguita,” said Horsman. “It is not always about reading. I remain open to what the kids want to share.”

Horsman said that dogs like Conguita who are relaxed, quietly social and approachable do well in the program. They give off a safe aura that children find comforting.

“I like reading to the dogs because they are always nice and listen to me,” said third grader Caden Robinson, a graduate of the Dog Tales program.

Reading with a dog has been proven to lower children’s blood pressure, allowing them to relax and enjoy the experience. Research shows that positive interactions help children establish a foundation for learning that will last a lifetime.

“I didn’t used to like reading much,” said Simone Petersen, a third grader who has participated in the program. “I thought it was boring. But now I don’t. Some books can help you feel better when you are feeling sad sometimes.”

According to information shared by the Reading Education Assistance Dogs (R.E.A.D.) program — one of the first and largest programs in the country — much of the success of the model can be attributed to the process of letting the child focus their attention on the dog. It takes their mind off their own anxiety about their reading skills and children are empowered to help the dog understand the words and story. They become a teacher, instead of a student lacking skills, and are able to enjoy the process of reading to someone who listens closely without judging.

“Reading to a dog is easy and comfortable,” said Gwen Brock, one of two R.E.A.D. instructors in Oregon. “And the child is not criticized by other children.”

Children love to have fun, and using techniques to make reading fun helps them to learn very quickly, said Brock.

“Reading is so important in everyone’s life, but more so for children,” said Brock. “Learning to read from kindergarten through third grade is crucial so that they can read to learn from fourth grade and on, for the rest of their lives.”

Conguita

By Caden Robinson

Reading with her is fun

like playing my favorite card game

She is pretty

the color of a

chocolate candy bar

Her hair is smooth

like a soft blanket

Jennifer is fun

she helps me with

difficult words

I can tell her all

my thoughts

I’m so happy to see them

every week

Third grader Lydia Unruh graduated from the program last year and has retained strong bonds with Dwight and the volunteers who participate in the program. Although Dwight is now retired, he still receives letters and stories from the children, to which he always responds.

“I like to write to Dwight and tell him about my holidays and what I’m doing outside of school,” said Lydia.

The relationships that develop between the dogs, students and handlers are based on understanding and support and continue even after the students have graduated from the program.

“Sometimes it is about having a good friend,” said Korman. “And that can be a reason to come to school.”

Korman and Lundgren recall a student who participated in the program that was very shy and unable to make eye contact at the beginning of the school year. Through participating in the Dog Tales program, he blossomed and became more sure of himself, even to the point of volunteering to write a paper on what the program had meant to him.

“He wrote his paper and we worked for a month reading it out loud to Dwight,” said Lundgren. “We practiced a lot and he was able to stand up and read his paper out loud in front of a large group of people.”

That kind of transformation is commonplace for the students who participate in the program. While there aren’t formal statistics about increases in skill and confidence levels related to the Dog Tales program, the teachers, parents and the students themselves clearly recognize the benefits.

“Dwight helped me,” said Liam. “Back then I couldn’t think of any stories and now I think of more and more stories. He gave me confidence.”

Simone’s favorite thing about the program is discovering new stories about animals to read with her pet partners. She reads to her dog, Buddy, at home and says that Buddy prefers animal stories as well. Liam also reads at home with his dog, Arcada, and echoes this belief.

“I know that, because if I read a story that is not really an animal story she goes to do something else,” said Liam. “But if animals are in the story she will listen.”

Lydia does not have a dog at home, although she does have six cats.

“Cats are not as good at reading as dogs are,” said Lydia.

A stuffed animal can sometimes be a good substitute to cuddle up with and read or write, at home and at school.

Dwight

By Lydia Unruh

Tic Toc

I watch the clock

I can’t wait to

read with Dwight

I love him as much as

my favorite blue bunny

stuffed animal

He has floppy ears

like big marshmallows

We write stories and poems

I give him big

Hugs

I’m always happy & excited to

see them

Mrs. Lundgren is my

special friend

They make my heart

happy

As for the dogs themselves, Horsman said that they enjoy reading with the children, especially the attention and belly rubs.

“What I have observed through the years of volunteering is that they want to get into the car and once at our designated location they want to get out of the car and lead the way to where we are volunteering. And, it is not just about the reading. These dogs engage each child on so many levels. It is up to us as handlers to keep up, take notice, and follow our dogs’ lead.”

While there are always children who could benefit from the one-on-one sessions and presence of the non-judgmental dog and handler, participation in the program is limited by the number of volunteer teams. This year the program has two teams, which means four students will be able to participate.

“We select the kids that need it the most,” said Korman. “The reasons they come into the program are as unique as the child, so no one set of guidelines applies to the kids we pick. But with reading they just might need that extra push.”

A real love of children and the desire to make a deeply profound impact are the character traits that Korman, Lundgren and Horseman feel would be a good fit for volunteers considering the program. And while the kids and dogs are the stars of the program, said Korman, it is the volunteers who make the magic happen.

“Like the cliché, you get much more than you ever give,” said Lundgren. “Seeing the kids light up, seeing their self-esteem and self-confidence grow — when I think about the things we’ve done together it brings tears to my eyes.”

To learn more, contact Jennifer Horsman at j3horse@aol.com or check out the following organizations: • Compassionate Canines of Central Oregon

• Reading Education Assistance Dog Program (R.E.A.D.)

• Pet Partners, Read to Me Program

• Alliance of Therapy Dogs