A Literacy Intervention Program that pairs mentors & reading dogs with at-risk elementary students.

How it works: 

• The service dog and the student bond over a shared story that the student reads to the dog
• The children are asked to help the dog understand the story. This helps the children with enunciation and reading comprehension. The dog handler (Best Buddy) is there if the child needs help with certain words or has questions regarding the meaning of words or text
• The student has a 30-minute session on the same day and at the same time each week for consistency
• Animals increase relaxation and lower blood pressure
• Creates excitement and interest for the child; reading becomes fun, and children want to be in the program

Pre-K through 5th-grade students