A PRIMARY school is helping to boost literacy skills and pupils’ self-confidence with a little help from man’s best friend.
Students at Mount Pleasant School, Darlington, spent an afternoon reading to Freya, a two-year-old Rottweiler, in a new initiative sponsored by the Kennel Club. The Bark and Read Programme encourages children to improve their literacy skills by reading aloud to a canine companion. The non-judgemental attentiveness of dogs allows them to play a key role as the perfect listeners. Deputy head teacher Jo Blackham said: “We were approached by Kelly King, one of our parents, who heard about the Bark and Read Programme through her association with the Kennel Club. “We are always looking at new ways of making literacy lessons fun so we asked Mrs King to bring in her Pets as Therapy dog Freya to meet the children. “Reading to dogs is a fantastic, innovative idea and I’m sure will help to boost the confidence of children who may be nervous of reading in front of a class - anything that encourages children to want to read, particularly aloud, is extremely positive.” Freya will visit the school one day a week to sit and listen to targeted readers from each year group.” Mrs King said: “Freya loves children and is an extremely calm and friendly dog making her an ideal listener. “Some people think Rottweilers are a bit scary but all dogs are different and alongside listening to pupils read we also be teaching the children how to approach dogs and they can even give her a small treat after each lesson.” Pupil Kiera Tomlinson, eight, said: “When Miss first told us about Freya I was a little bit frightened as I’m not used to dogs. When I met her she was very big but very friendly.” Jamie Akers, five, added: “I like dogs and I think that Freya liked listening to me read.”
