Service/therapy dogs are an innovative way to reach school children, assisting them with basic learning and emotional skills.
There are a variety of jobs service dogs perform. Many are specially trained to work as guide dogs for children and adults who are seeing or hearing impaired. There are also dogs that can forewarn epileptic patients of an impending seizure. Additionally, canines are valuable therapy animals that visit or conduct programs in nursing homes, physical rehabilitation centers, hospitals, assisted-living facilities and even public schools. Dogs are able to provide non-judgmental, patient, unconditional love and companionship. They provide a powerful impact in the classroom, greatly enhancing learning in areas like reading, responsibility, kindness and safety. There are many ways trained service/therapy dogs can participate in public school settings.
Instructions
1. Conduct short, interactive class presentations along with service-therapy dogs. Keep presentations limited to 20 or 30 minutes, and incorporate age-appropriate materials and information. For example, read a storybook to the class that incorporates the topics you wish to share with pre-school or kindergarten children. Simple things like not pulling tails, that dogs need lots of care, or safely and correctly approach a dog are presented well in this manner. Older children may enjoy interactive question and answer sessions that incorporate animal care, responsibility and safety in a fun manner. Allow all children to have ample time to each visit the dog or dogs at the end of the presentation.
2. Participate in reading programs that allow children to have individual time with the service-therapy dog. Many schools now incorporate these types reading programs, because it is often easier for a child who has difficulty reading to practice with a dog. Dogs make great listening companions because they do not criticize or judge the child for any mistakes, and simply enjoy the attention. Such programs do require close communication with the schools and teachers, because it is typically necessary to visit schools frequently to be able to work with many children.
3. Use a service or therapy dog in classrooms with special-needs children. Those children requiring greater assistance in learning because of physical, emotional or developmental disabilities benefit greatly from dogs that assist in teaching. For example, dogs can help children demonstratively learn basic concepts that might otherwise be hard to grasp like "down," "under" and "up."
4. Have service or therapy dog available to work with school social workers. Children who suffer from many emotional problems, or suffer from experiences with physical or sexual abuse, often are more at ease with a canine companion present in sessions with the social worker. Generally, children will experience less anxiety, and many times the dog becomes the catalyst for better communication or disclosure with the social worker.
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