Abilene Public Library hosts ‘Read to a Dog’ day to help children improve literacy skills

ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – The Abilene Public Library welcomes guests every day, and on the first Saturday of each month, some furry friends join the fun. The south side branch hosts ‘Read to a Dog’ day to help children improve their literacy skills in a low-stress environment.

The setup is simple: kids and parents walk into the room, pick a book, and sign up to read to a dog for about 10 minutes. Kids get to choose which dog they would like to read to, and they have the opportunity to read to more than one.

The pups from Abilene Therapy Dogs in attendance today were Wylie the Corgi, Cash the Australian Shepherd, Obi the Poodle, Archie the Corgi, and Omi the Chinese Crested.

Librarian Marnie Boyers at South Branch Library said that this helps children feel more comfortable reading and also gain confidence.

“A lot of times, kids, you know, when you’re in the classroom or school, you get called on to read and get a little nervous. It’s hard to read aloud in front of other humans, but reading to a dog is a little different,” Boyers shared. “They’re not judging you, and they’re very calm; they’ll lay in your lap, and they’ll let you pet them. So it’s just a stress-free anti-anxiety way of being able to try your literacy skills and practice reading to someone other than a human.”

Boyers enjoys watching the children open up as they interact with the dogs.

“When they come up to look for a spot to read, they’re very standoffish and very quiet. Then you give them the book, and then you see them go over to the dog, and their whole facial expression changes, and they kind of open up, and they’re smiling. Then, when they’re done reading, they’re petting the dog. They’re very open. It seems like it just kind of changes the personality a little bit, even if it’s just for a few minutes, but a lot of fun to see,” Boyers expressed.

The South Branch Library, located in the Mall of Abilene, hosts this free event every month on the first Saturday from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.