Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Reading dogs enjoy a good tale
As barking as it sounds, a teaching technique which has seen pupils reading to dogs has won an award for a Canterbury School.
St Stephen’s Junior School has been honoured at the Kent Literacy Awards for its Read 2 Dogs programme.
The golden retriever Alfie and Jack Russell Herbie, have been making weekly visits since September last year.
The initiative, which involves them listening to groups of children reading in 15-minute sessions, won the district award for Best Creative Reading Programme.
Nominations described it as phenomenal for building pupils’ confidence and enjoyment of reading.
Representatives from St Stephen’s were presented with certificates at an awards ceremony organised by the KM Charity Team.
Becky Chidgey, the school’s reading co-ordinator, said: “It’s been amazing. They can’t wait to read to the dogs and it’s really encouraged reluctant readers, because the dogs don’t say ‘you’ve missed a word out’ or ‘you’ve not said that quite right’.
“To have won an award is amazing and it gives recognition that we have this scheme, it does work and works really well.”
The dogs have become so popular with pupils that they have to be brought into school by a side door to prevent them being mobbed.
Mrs Chidgey thanked Sue Hopkins and Pat Blackett, the owners of Alfie and Herbie, who volunteer their time.
Other district winners included Canterbury Library, which received the Best Promotion of Reading for Pleasure award and Kent Libraries winner of the Most Effective Use of IT to Enhance Reading award.
To find out more or view the video news report, visit www.kmcharityteam.co.uk.