Prince

Georges County Memorial Library System Hyattsville, MD 20782

** NEWS RELEASE **

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Karen Beckwith Hyattsville Library Hyattsville, MD Phone: 301 985-4690 Hyattsville Library Begins Read to the Dog Program

Beginning the first Saturday in May 2012 and every 1st Saturday of the month until September 2012, Hyattsville Library will be sponsoring a Read to the Dog program for children ages 6-8 years of age. When it comes to the community, Hyattsville Library is totally committed to literacy enhancement through their learning and reading programs. We are focusing all of our resources on the needs of our culturally diverse customers, and our vision is to increase the literacy of our patrons from all walks of life, especially the children, said Karen Beckwith, a Library Associate in charge of the Read to the Dog program. Studies have shown that reading to dogs can improve a childs reading fluency by 30 percent over 10 weeks, and thats our target. Our mission has always been to enhance literacy in our community by engaging with the people in our neighborhoods and enriching and inspiring both children and adults through our reading programs. The Read to the Dog program begins May 5, 2012. Please call 301-985-4690 for additional information.

Prince Georges County Memorial Library System Proposal Per our discussion last year, I am still interested in pursuing a Children Reading to Dogs Program at the Hyattsville branch. The main objective of the program is to provide a relaxed atmosphere which allows children to practice their reading skills. I would like to conduct this program for one hour the first Saturday of every month this summer (May, June, July, August, Sept). The target age range is 6- 8 yrs. Why Read to the Dogs? Benefits -Reading to the dog programs have shown that children tend to be less self-conscious when reading aloud to a dog as opposed to their classmates or an adult. -Dogs are loving and accepting. -Dogs provide a nonjudgmental audience. -Reading improves because the child is practicing the skill of reading, building self-esteem, and associating reading with something pleasant. -Children get excited about going home and reading to their own dog or pet. -Children who have a fear of dogs develop a better understanding of dogs. -Of course, the program is not about the dogs, but the children, who become better readers during this process.

A study done in 2010 by researchers at the University Of California at Davis showed that reading to dogs improved childrens reading fluency by 30 percent over 10 weeks. See UCDAVIS study http://dateline.ucdavis.edu/dl_detail.php?id=12612 The dogs used will be therapy dogs, or what are known as service dogs. These dogs have been specially trained to provide assistance to persons with disabilities. Many of the dogs are specifically trained for libraries and are called R.E.A.D. dogs (Reading Education Assistance Dogs). All dogs are certified in their skill set, and carry an insurance policy. The adults who accompany the dogs are volunteers. Community Partners: -Paws to Read Lets children read aloud to attentive canines. -Fidos for Freedom - http://www.fidosforfreedom.org/ -People Animals Love - http://peopleanimalslove.org/ -Pets on Wheels of Prince Georges County - http://www.pgpetsonwheels.org/ -Wags of Hope - http://www.wagsforhope.org/ Each partner will be invited to participate and scheduling will be done according to their availability. Evaluation: Sign up will be required. Evaluations will be based on consistent attendance. We expect to have a minimum of 20 children in attendance at each event.