Paws 2 Read

A Project Open Book Initiative

Man’s furry, four-legged best friend has a new job at The Library. As part of Paws 2 Read, children can build their reading confidence by sharing stories with registered therapy dogs. At these sessions, each child receives his or her own private 15-minute time period to read to a furry friend.

During the session, children select books of interest and then take turns reading to the registered therapy dogs. Incorporating a dog as part of storytime encourages students to talk about emotional themes discussed in the book. The dogs help children discuss what might otherwise be difficult topics such as bullying, winning and losing and shyness.

Paws 2 Read is a great program for all children, but especially those who might be struggling with learning to read and those who don’t find reading as fun as it can be. Attendees can read at their own pace, and the dogs offer a friendly, nonjudgmental audience.

Each child who attends three Paws 2 Read programs receives a free book to keep.