Register now for Read to a Dog at Oshkosh Public Library, reading to dogs improves literacy skills

Sept. 21, 2011 – Man’s best friend may be a child’s best bet for learning to read better, thanks to a popular and successful program at the Oshkosh Public Library.

Read to a Dog pairs children with trained reading/therapy dogs to improve literacy skills. Sessions are available by appointment at 236-5208. Registration is required. The program runs Sept. 26-Nov. 28 and is open to children of all ages.

According to Sandy Joseph, Oshkosh Public Library children’s librarian, reading to a dog is an appealing and effective way for children who struggle with reading to improve skills and feel more confident. “A child who doesn’t want to sit down and read aloud at home will settle in here with one of the dogs and before you know it, the child is reading,” she explains. “There is a comfort level that really benefits a child who typically is nervous and self-conscious about reading out loud.”

The dogs in the program are trained through the Reading Education Assistance Dogs program, a division of Intermountain Therapy Animals.

Read to a Dog is held in 20-minute blocks on Monday nights in the library’s lower level meeting room. Register at the Children’s Desk or call 236-5208.

Don’t miss these additional programs for children at the Oshkosh Public Library:

Fall Storytime: Stories, songs and activities for children ages 9 months and up, including the Tuesday night family session, Pajama Rama. Sessions available through Oct. 13. Sign up at the Children’s Desk, call 236-5208 or register at www.oshkoshpubliclibrary.org.

Tweens Create: After-school art programs for grades 4-7, Tuesdays and Thursdays at 4 p.m. Programs run through Oct. 6.  Scraplings (papercrafts and book making) on Tuesdays and Storigami (origami based on a story) on Thursdays.

For more information about library programs for children and families, visit www.oshkoshpubliclibrary.org.