Read to a Therapy Dog!

On October 13, the Madison Public Library, part of the Huntsville-Madison County Public Library System, hosted its first Kids Read to a Therapy Dog program. In partnership with Therapy Partners, Inc., we invited a few four-legged friends to lend an ear to participating children as they read their favorite books aloud. This program is part of the Partners Achieving Literacy (PAL) initiative, which seeks to create opportunities for children to practice reading aloud to an affectionate, nonjudgmental audience—a therapy dog.

Fifteen children participated in the event. To ensure each child had uninterrupted reading time, parents signed up for 15-minute sessions. Children could bring a book from home or pick one from the library, sit down, and read it aloud to a furry friend who listened attentively with a wagging tail.

Madison Public Library aims to make this a regular program to give more children multiple opportunities to practice reading skills. It is so rewarding to be able to provide these young readers with this meaningful experience and see the confidence these furry friends instill in them.