Eliminating the stresses of criticism or judgement, the St. Johns County Public Library provides a safe (and cuddly!) environment for children learning to read.
If you were to try and imagine the most adorable method you could think of to aid in the process of teaching a child to read, this program would be what you’d come up with. Read to Rover will melt your heart, and the best part is that it truly is helping children here in St. Augustine learn to do something very important to their every day life: read! For the past five years, the Southeast Branch of the St. Johns County Public Library has hosted Read to Rover on the second and fourth Saturday of each month.
On these designated days, children in the St. Augustine area can show up to the library and practice their reading skills in a no pressure, quiet environment by reading to sweet, four-legged furry friends (not all of whom are named Rover). Generously provided by the Alliance of Therapy Dogs, kids are allowed the time and patience they need to practice their reading skills without having to worry about being embarrassed or having judgement passed on their progress.
If a child isn’t at the level where they’re reading words or full sentences, the library encourages even preschool aged children to come and spend time with these therapy dogs, emphasizing that they have plenty of picture books for kids to show off to the appreciative pups. In an effort to serve the visually-impared, the library also has books with braille, so that blind students can come out and utilize the Read to Rover program as well.
Of course, all of the readers’ hard work does not go without recognition. Every child receives a “frequent reader card” and the chance to win fun and motivating prizes like stickers (and even bigger prizes are available for children with more visits under their belts!). Participants can even get a free t-shirt, and who doesn’t love those?
Not only does this program give local kids the option to enhance an important skill that they will use forever, but as the director of the program Alex Phillips pointed out, it also “allows them the opportunity to become more comfortable with animals.”
Is the South East branch of the library a little too far from home? You’re in luck. Because Read to Rover has been so successful, the Anastasia Island Branch of the library has also begun hosting the program, making it even more available to everyone. A genius idea that has definitely proved to help those that take part in it, this program almost makes you wish you were still learning to read!
