Dogs Teaching Children to Read

Most of us agree that dogs are the best people in the world. But just when you think these little friends couldn't be more amazing, they can now help children learn to read!

According to today's story on CNN.com/living, therapy dogs are now visiting schools and libraries to help children read. It may not be all that shocking since anything can happen these days, but when you sit down and really think about it, dogs can't even read themselves. How can they teach humans?

Well, CNN seems to know. According to them "The philosophy is simple. Children who are just learning to read often feel judged or intimidated by classmates and adults. But reading to a dog isn't so scary. "

When did reading to humans become scary?

I'm not discounting that rotten feeling deep down in the pit of your stomach when you're 6-years old trying to sound out a sentence from If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. You're the center of attention in a room full of 20 other children, jaws clenched, hoping and praying that they're not chosen next. But even so, these little monsters are listening carefully to each and every syllable. Timing you, taking mental notes of anything and everything for an excuse to hate you for the day. When it's time for handball, you can be sure that Timmy will pull out all the shots (even slicies).

I'm pretty sure children need petrifying situations like these. Not only for literacy, but social development. Education is a combination of academic and social skills that may be learned by letting them scrape their knees and their gentle little children souls every now and then.

In no way am I blaming dogs for our less than stellar educational ranking in the world (18th, I believe). Dogs exist to benefit humans by making them happy, telling them when to cross the street and sniffing out cocaine in airports. They may quite possibly be the core of my own personal happiness. Every time I see one, especially when I'm alone, a noise resounds from the depths of my soul that only a dog can summon. This is an example of scary.

Learning to read is not scary. Being kidnapped is scary. Not knowing what you're going to eat the next day is scary. Being violently raped by rogue soldiers because you believe in democracy is scary. Earthquakes. The inability to receive health care. Big waves that pull you under when you're boogie boarding and you're not sure you'll come up for air in time. Car accidents.

Let's not confuse future generations about what is and what isn't scary. It only thickens this American bubble that I admittedly live in with everyone else I know. I'm upset that my pay has been cut and I can't take shopping trips with the gals every weekend. For this, I deserve to be smacked with a Forever 21 shoe made by someone's pre-pubescent daughter in Indonesia.

Hows that for spinning out of control?

In the end, of course dogs helping children learn to read is an all-around positive development. Let's just try not to raise a nation of scaredy cats.

Disclaimer: This blog is 100% biased and a result of my fingers regurgitating the doo-dah parade marching around in my brain. Nothing in the above should be taken as fact. The CNN story can be found here: http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/10/22/dogs.irpt/index.html