Lily was the perfect model for our Reading Buddy Training that took place at the Westhampton Elementary School this afternoon. As she does each week at the school, Lily greeted the entire class of second graders in the circle formation set up in advance by the school’s librarian Karen Rousseau, who is in charge of the Reading Buddy Program at the school. Karen leads the group in a discussion about dogs and how to approach them appropriately. She always allows three questions from the students. Then, four at a time, the boys and girls come up to pet Lily and say hello. After the class meet-and-greet, Lily and I proceed to the special Reading Buddy corner for one-on-one reading sessions with the readers. Reading sessions typically run ten to twenty minutes. Lily listens attentively, without interrupting, as the reader reads from the the book(s) he or she has selected and read ahead of time. The dog either lies down or sits while the reading takes place.
The two certified Bright Spot volunteers started their two-part training today which leads to becoming a certified Reading Buddy Team. Volunteers come to this first session without their dogs. They come to observe the certified team in action. When the reading period ends, the trained handler (in this case, me), talks with the volunteer(s) to answer questions and go over the skills and techniques used with the dog during the individual reading sessions. Volunteers learn that this type of work isn’t for every dog. Reading Buddies are capable of sitting or lying still for long periods of time, as they listen to several readers (one-at-a-time) read to them.
Volunteers proceed to part two of the training if they feel comfortable doing with their own dog what they saw in the observation. In part two, the roles are reversed. The trained handler observes the trainee and his/her dog performing a meet-and-greet with an entire class, then modeling two or three one-on-one Reading Buddy sessions. The trained handler watches to insure the trainee employs techniques and skills taught in the observation. When finished, the trainer offers advice and tips to help teams succeed when they start working at their assigned schools. If necessary, a trainee can repeat any part of the training, as long as the dog shows promise as a Reading Buddy.