Midway Hills Primary Introduces Therapy Dogs to Boost Reading Skills

Midway Hills Primary School is piloting an innovative program to help students improve their reading skills—and it's bringing smiles and wagging tails to the library.

Media Specialist Jennifer Williamson was approached by Susan Wucher on behalf of the Reading Education Assistance Dogs (READ) program, designed to ease reading anxiety by allowing students to read aloud to specially trained dogs. Williamson explained, “There's research that shows just petting or being in the presence of a dog can reduce anxiety significantly. A lot of our youngest readers have anxiety around reading aloud, so this creates a more relaxing experience for them.”

How the READ Program Works

The R.E.A.D program invites two specially trained Collies, Skye and Laddie, into the school library once a week, guided by their owners Jay and Susan Wucher. Children have individual sessions with the dog, reading books at their own levels directly to the dogs. “The teachers said the kids came back just absolutely glowing," Williamson shared. "They were super excited to be able to read with the dogs, something they'd never experienced before."

The Reading Education Assistance Dogs (R.E.A.D.) program is an affiliate of Intermountain Therapy Animals, a nonprofit organization founded in 1999. R.E.A.D. dogs are registered therapy animals that work alongside their owner-handlers to help children improve reading and communication skills. This powerful method involves children reading to dogs, creating a nonjudgmental and supportive environment to enhance literacy and confidence. The Wuchers brought their two specially trained collies to Midway Hills Primary for a tryout. After rave reviews from the students and teachers, the school moved forward with making it a weekly event.

Aiming for Improved Literacy and Confidence

The ultimate goal of the program is clear: enhancing literacy by reducing anxiety and boosting students' confidence in reading aloud, which is known to improve fluency and comprehension. Williamson added, “We're hoping literacy rates go up and kids become more excited about reading, especially by connecting a positive experience to reading aloud.”

A Leader in Educational Innovation

Midway Hills Primary is currently the first in the Baldwin County School District to pilot this program. Williamson, in only her first year at the school and coming off a big win of the Malcolm Mitchell Reading Initiative, is enthusiastic about this new opportunity. She said, "I'm very excited. I like to jump in with both feet on any new initiative, especially if it supports the students here at Midway Hills Primary."

The program has already sparked interest across the district, with other schools considering similar initiatives to reward students and further support literacy. Midway Hills Primary continues to exemplify Baldwin County School District's commitment to innovative educational excellence.