The R.E.A.D. (Read Education Assistance Dogs) program is amazing in its efforts to help children become better readers. The R.E.A.D. Dogs have been coming to the library for a couple of years and have always been a hit with children and grown-ups.  More and more libraries are making these dogs a part of their efforts to improve literacy and help children develop a love of reading. If you would like to learn more about the R.E.A.D. program and the benefits it provides follow the links to these two articles -

• Children reading storybooks to dogs—what could be cuter? But every day we’re learning there’s more than just cuteness when this happens. The smiles on a child’s face, the wagging tail of the dog, the excitement of doing something different (even forbidden in some public places) proves there’s anticipation when it comes to reading in this particular setting. Read more here.
• Meet Bailey. She's a registered therapy dog, but you won't find her in hospitals or nursing homes. Instead, Bailey makes weekly visits to libraries and schools. She sits quietly or snuggles up to kids as they read her a book. And no, she's not napping, and the kids don't have treats in their pockets. She's actually helping these children learn to read. Read more here.

Our R.E.A.D. dogs will be here in January and February on Sunday afternoons.