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Kids benefit from 'Read to a Dog' program at Howard Gardner School in Scranton

A group of kindergartners read to Charlie the therapy dog as part of an after school program to improve their reading skills and confidence.

SCRANTON, Pa. — The Howard Gardner Multiple Intelligence Charter School has an after-school program that offers a variety of extra-curricular activities.  One in particular, helps kindergarteners become better readers. But this isn't any old reading program.  This is the Read to a Dog program.  Principal TreeAnne McEnery says they wanted to try something new to help kids who struggle with their reading.

"All these generations now that are coming out of COVID and doing our best as a school to figure out how to meet the needs of the students so they can gain and progress in their academics," said McEnery.

School officials put out the call for a therapy dog to take part in the program.  Marge Gardner and her dog Charlie recently completed therapy dog training when they were contacted.

"I hadn't really thought about Read to Dogs until two organizations reach out to us and we decided to go for it.  He loves kids," Gardner said.

The kindergarteners who participate in the after-school program look forward to their Thursdays reading to Charlie.

"We read lots of fun books."  Courtney: "Is Charlie a good listener?" "Yeah!  He's very cute too," said Melinda Golembeski.

McEnery says they are seeing big improvements in these students.

"They're more comfortable with their reading.  They're comfortable sounding out the words, figuring out the words, because they have Charlie there with them and he's so nonjudgmental," said McEnery.

School officials hope to expand the Read to a Dog program in the future.

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