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A local non-profit is using dogs to help kids learn
RIVERVIEW, Fla. - A Bay Area non-profit uses dogs to help children learn to read.
Nyla Shaw and her classmates look forward to reading to their four-legged friends at Pepin Academies Riverview School.
"Sometimes they'll just lay on your lap as well, and they're just more comfortable," Shaw shared. "I mean, they're just more relaxing to be with."
The students are taking part in "Furry Tales," a one-on-one weekly reading mentor program that uses a dog to help students learn to read.
Children read to dogs at Pepin Academies Riverview School.
"It's a non-threatening way for students to practice reading and reading to a dog and instead of to a human. I think is a huge benefit to them," Hannah Fox, mental health counselor for Pepin Academies Riverview School said.
The program is offered by Kids and Canines, a non-profit with a mission to help undeserved children.
READ: Students learn STEM principles for automotive careers at Pepin Academy
"What you're seeing today is our reading programs, and that really focuses on educational enhancements, but we also work on social skill development and we work on mental well-being," explained Kelly Hodges, founder of Kids and Canines.
A dog listens as a child reads a book out loud.
The programs seem to be working.
"We went from one classroom of about 15 kids to over 1500 kids a year," said Hodges. "And we're now in residential centers and in about 13 schools."
All because of the positive impact the dogs are having on the students.
Children read to dogs at Pepin Academies Riverview School.
"The dogs seem to break down the barriers, especially when I'm working with the older kids. They seem to accept the children for exactly who they are and that non-judgmental creates that environment that is welcoming to the child," Hodges explained.
It creates lasting memories for children as they improve their reading.
Dogs help children with reading skills though the "Furry Tails" program.
Kids and Canines offers summer camps for young people who want to learn about training and taking care of dogs.
The camps are important because the dogs still need training and interaction even when school is out for the summer.