The only thing better than curling up with your kids and a good book is sharing the moment with your best pup. The next time your children find a book that ignites their desire to read, consider setting them up with your nearest and dearest doggies. You'll be astounded at all the amazing ways reading to dogs can benefit your kiddos!
What's the Ideal Age for Kids to Start Reading to Their Dogs?
Grabbing a book and finding a furry friend to share it with is proven to help children around ages 5 to 11 who may struggle with completing reading assignments or overall confidence when it comes to reading aloud. When your children enter the stage where independent reading is encouraged at school, they can reap the benefits of this fun and exciting practice.
Who knows—you may find out you love reading to dogs, too. If you're an adult looking to get back into reading after a few years away, there's no judgment from us (and especially none from the pets). Grab that weekend Rom Com that’s been sitting on your shelf, and try it out!
How to Help Your Children Pick the Best Book to Read to Dogs
The first step to reading to dogs is selecting the perfect title. The next time you go to the library, search for an audiobook, or shop our sidewalk sales, allow your children pick books to read to Fido that excite them. Letting them to shop for their own books, without parental judgment, fosters independent growth and a passion for reading at a young age.
Pro tip: To make the experience even more memorable, lightly guide them towards children's books that feature dogs in the story! Puppy characters, from Clifford to Spot and everyone in between, will enable even more connection between your kid and the dog. Don’t forget to pick up a new July book release for yourself while you’re at it.
Our Favorite Children's Books Right Now:
We've loved reading these titles to our own kids—so why not try them out in front of a barking-fun audience?
Any of these children's books would be a hoot and a half to read to your beloved pets:
- The Incredible Journey written by Sheila Brunford and illustrated by Carl Burger
- Charlotte's Web by E.B. White
- Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar
- Hotel for Dogs written by Lois Duncan and illustrated by Leonard W. Shortall
- Don't Trust Cats: Life Lessons from Chip the Dog written by Dev Petty and illustrated by Mike Boldt
5 Ways Reading to Dogs Can Benefit Your Children
Learning the alphabet is one thing—becoming a strong reader is another. If you have children at home who are just learning how fun (and important!) reading can be, it's time to introduce dogs to the routine. These are just some of the ways reading aloud to pups can benefit your child:
1. Emotional Support and Comfort
When children first start their reading journey, it can feel lonely and overwhelming, as if they're the only person in the classroom who can possibly mix up pronunciations and letters. Reading aloud to dogs, rather than peers, can help kids get comfortable and feel whatever they need to feel as they read a new book. With one hand petting that soft fur and the other turning the page, the dog instantly becomes a safe space for a child. They can even read along with their favorite audiobook service!
2. Involved and Fun Practice
Any parent can attest that sometimes (not all the time!), asking your children to accomplish their required reading time feels like pulling teeth (and the Yoto Player only goes so far). If this happens to you, it's time to find a new motivation—and what's better than getting to be around an adorable doggie? When you combine a dog experience with an otherwise hard-to-motivate task, your kids will jump at the bit to be able to pick up a story—all while checking off their school assignments for the week.
3. Strengthened Reading Skills and Fluency
Reading to a dog is proven to help children learn valuable reading skills as well as increase overall verbal fluency. Between stumbling over hard-to-pronounce words and general frustration trying to understand the plot, reading in front of others can be anxiety-inducing. In fact, new studies show that even just the presence of a dog slows down a child's heart rate, giving them a safer emotional starting point for tackling the sometimes-difficult task of reading aloud.
4. Unbeatable Confidence Boost
When it comes to reading aloud, confidence is key—but that can be hard to gain on your own! Luckily, dogs don't care if you need to sound out long words or reread the same sentence over and over before you get it right—they're the least judgmental audience there is! If you want to set your children up for success in the classroom, let them get confident in their reading abilities in front of fluffy pets first.
5. Mutual Stress Relief
Children aren't the only ones benefiting from this experience—dogs love it, too. Reading to pups is shown to help calm them down and reduces their overall stress, as it gives them the undivided attention they so crave. Kids are so empathetic that they'll sense the emotional regulation and experience it themselves. Plus, if you tell your children that reading helps the dogs, they're going to leap at the opportunity to read a few chapters!
Where to Find a Dog Reading Program Near You
If you don't have your own dog at your disposal, don't worry! With these new studies of how beneficial reading to dogs can be popping up more and more, community programs around the country are focused on getting trained therapy dogs to visit ASAP. Google “dog literacy programs near you” to find specific companies or search at:
- Local libraries
- School programs
- Mommy-and-Me classes
- Park district events
- Children's hospitals
Dogs are more than a man's best friend—they can be a helpful companion to any struggling reader! Getting to hang out with a fluffy friend is the best motivator for any child. Find a program near you that brings puppies and reluctant readers together and watch your kid's relationship with reading transform in just a few sessions.