Readers of the Pack™ is a program to encourage children to read and to find enjoyment in reading.
Canine teams who wish to participate go through an additional half day training on Readers of the Pack. These teams then can participate in our Readers of the Pack program at most branches of the Sonoma County Library. The program is fairly simple, children get a chance to sit down with a therapy dog and read a book of their choosing to the dog. Dogs do not care if they make mistakes or may struggle with a word but will show a child love and affection regardless. It is this judgement free environment that encourages children to work on their reading skills and provides a positive reinforcement for their effort. As an additional reinforcement after a child has read six different times to a dog they are sent a book in a subject area of interest to them which is theirs to keep. It is not unusual for children to already be waiting when the therapy team arrives for their reading session.
Additionally, therapy teams who have gone through the Readers of the Pack training have also become valuable assets in the elementary classrooms, where the children get to practice their reading one on one with a canine friend. While the classroom environment is somewhat different than the library teachers will carve out a quite area for the kids to read with the dog and enjoy a little one on one time with their furry friend.
