King had his interview this morning at the Kelly School in Holyoke, Massachusetts. He will begin work as a Reading Buddy in the School’s Tails to Read Program next Tuesday. His sister Lily will be involved, as well, alternating weeks. Both are experienced Reading Buddy dogs. King has been working at Hilltown Charter School in Easthampton, Massachusetts for the past three years and Lily has been working with readers at Westhampton Elementary School in Westhampton, Massachusetts for the same length of time.
King and Lily adore children. They are perfect for this type of therapy dog work. It’s not for every therapy dog. Some therapy dogs are better suited to work with adult or elder populations in healthcare facilities, some with college-age students. It’s so important for the human end of the lead to choose a visiting location that works well for both ends of the lead, not just one. At Bright Spot Therapy Dogs, we are fortunate to have a wide variety of choices for our volunteers to choose from. Our list of visiting opportunities includes facilities and programs in the following categories: Adult Daycare, Assisted Living/Retirement Communities, Group Homes, Hospice, Hospitals, Mental Health, Nursing Homes & Rehabilitation Centers, Public Libraries, Public Schools, Psychiatric Units, and Schools for Learning & Behavioral Disabilities. In all, we have over 140 facilities throughout New England requesting our volunteer services. All of the choices available to Bright Spot volunteers make it possible to zero in on a perfect placement for the individual team. Proper placement is critical in making meaningful visits that benefit all involved.
For King and Lily, I have determined that their love of children, coupled with their ability to sit or lie down quietly for long periods of time – sometimes 60-90 minutes – and engage with a youngster while he/she reads aloud, seemingly listening to every word, makes this the best choice for them. As for my end of the lead, although I spent 22 years visiting with my past therapy dogs in a variety of healthcare environments, it is extremely enjoyable for me as a former elementary school teacher to be back working with kids. It’s a win-win for both ends of the lead.
I’ve been wanting to be apart of the Tails to Read Program at Kelly School since I met with the director of the program and the school principal last spring to discuss a Bright Spot donation of books and bookcase through funding we received from the Charter Oak Foundation. When they described the program to me – where the same four children meet weekly with the same Reading Buddy team throughout the school year and progress is tracked by testing the students at the beginning of the year and again at the end, I was psyched. I saw this as a great model. And, the test results proved it worked. On average, students participating in the Tails to Read Program jumped 4.4 reading levels, in some cases as much as 9. At that point in time, my schedule was full, but a recent change in my weekly schedule makes it possible for King, Lily, and me to jump on board. I’m very excited about helping kids succeed with their reading and feel good about themselves. King and Lily will be in their element! And, Kelly School will now have six Reading Buddy teams, one per day (two on Tuesday), with each team working with their own four students who meet individually for a 20 minute one-on-one reading session with their special Buddy!