StoryDogs is an Australian wide not-for-profit reading support program creating a fun, supportive, non-judgemental environment for primary school aged children.
StoryDogs enables a child and a dog, and their volunteer handler weekly one-on-one sessions held at the child’s reading level throughout the course of a school year.
Volunteers are guided on working with children to go at the child’s pace and use the calming presence of the dog to support reading and comprehension during each 15 min session.
Our mission is to make reading fun for children, so they become confident lifelong readers. Many thanks to the Variety of Tasmania for sponsoring 3 dog teams throughout our state.
Bess loves going to school. As soon as her black bag and orange jacket appear she is ready at the door to leave! The classrooms are always abuzz when we come in. Everyone wants to say hello to Bess. They all sit in a circle or in a quiet line. It is important that the children take it in turn to give her a pat and do not crowd her.
Bess always has two leads clipped to her collar - the child she is going to work with holds one lead and I hold the other. We usually leave the classroom and head for a patch of wall or grass to sit on to read our stories. Bess is supposed to sit on her special mat, but she prefers the ground. Bess listens very patiently and has not yet fallen asleep while her children read to her. At the end of each session, her new friend chooses a dog sticker for their Story Dog bookmark and asks Bess if she would like to do a trick. She usually obliges but sometimes she flatly refuses. Her best trick is “touch”, jumping up to her touch stick, her favourite reward is a piece of dried banana.
I have noticed a change, even in the short time we have been placed at the school with usually shy or reserved children becoming more bubbly and chatty and children who are nervous of dogs becoming calmer and more comfortable giving her a pat. Having a dog at school is good for everyone. All the children are reading more competently. They certainly enjoy their time with Bess. When we leave, she likes to say goodbye to the teachers with a curtsy and give as many children as possible a sniff with a wag of her tail.
- Deb and ‘Bess (volunteers)
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