Effects of Reading with Adult Tutor/Therapy Dog Teams on Elementary Students’ Reading Achievement and Attitudes
In: Society & AnimalsSearch for other papers by Edward M. Levinson in
Current site
Google Scholar
Search for other papers by Melanee Vogt in
Current site
Google Scholar
Search for other papers by William F. Barker in
Current site
Google Scholar
Search for other papers by Mary Renck Jalongo in
Current site
Google Scholar
Search for other papers by Pat Van Zandt in
Current site
Google Scholar
This study assessed the effect of reading aloud to handler/therapy dog teams on children’s oral reading fluency using a post-test control group design with repeated measures. Forty-five children in grades 2-5 were assigned to one of two groups using a stratified random assignment designed to equate groups based on grade and sex. Both groups read aloud for 30 minutes per week for 5 weeks; Group One read with a handler/therapy dog and Group Two read to peers. After 5 weeks, the groups were reversed. Between-group and within-group differences were analyzed. Several statistically significant and large effect sizes were found. Findings generally suggested that reading aloud to an adult/therapy dog team tended to increase children’s scores on a test of oral reading fluency much more than reading aloud to peers. No significant effects were identified on a survey of general attitudes toward reading administered to the children.
Purchase
Buy instant access (PDF download and unlimited online access):
Institutional Login
Log in with Open Athens, Shibboleth, or your institutional credentials
Personal login
Log in with your brill.com account
-
Aarnoutse C. & Schellings G. Learning reading strategies by triggering reading motivation Educational Studies 2003 29 4 387 409
-
Ainley M. Connecting with learning: Motivation, affect and cognition in interest processes Educational Psychology Review 2006 18 4 391 405
-
Allington R. L. & Walmsley S. A. No quick fix: Rethinking literacy programs in America’s elementary schools 2007 New York, NY Teachers College Press
-
Annie E. Casey Foundation Early warning confirmed. A research update on third-grade reading 2013 Retrieved October 14, 2014, from http://www.aecf.org/KnowledgeCenter/Publications.aspx?pubguid={58440238-1626-476F-AFDA-155D2185FB3A}
-
Artelt C. Cross-cultural approaches to measuring motivation Educational Assessment 2005 10 3 231 255
-
Barker S. B. & Wolen A. R. The benefits of human-animal interaction: A review Journal of Veterinary Medicine Education 2008 35 4 487 495
-
Barker S. B., Rogers C. S., Turner J. W., Karpf A. S. & Suthers-McCabe H. M. Benefits of interacting with companion animals: A bibliography of articles published in refereed journals during the past 5 years American Behavioral Scientist 2003 47 1 94 99
-
Bassette L. A. & Taber-Doughty T. The effects of a dog reading visitation program on academic engagement behavior in three elementary students with emotional and behavioral disabilities: A single case design Child Youth Care Forum 2013 42 239 256
-
Beka Books A Beka reading 1995 Pensacola, FL Beka Books
-
Binder M. & Kotsopoulos S. Multimodal literacy narratives: Weaving the threads of young children’s identity through the arts Journal of Research in Childhood Education 2012 25 4 339 363
-
Brabeck M. & Jeffrey J. Practice for knowledge acquisition (Not drill and kill): Designing activities with the goal of transferring knowledge. American Psychological Association 2014 Retrieved October 12, 2014, from https://www.apa.org/education/k12/practice-acquisition.aspx
-
Cacioppo J. & Patrick W. Loneliness: Human nature and the need for social connection 2008 New York, NY W. W. Norton
-
Conderman G. & Strobel D. Fluency Flyers Club: An oral reading fluency intervention program Preventing School Failure 2008 53 1 15 20
-
Fawson P. C. & Moore S.A. Reading incentive programs: Beliefs and practices Reading Psychology 1999 20 325 340
-
Fisher P. J., Bates A. & Gurvitz D. J. The complete guide to tutoring struggling readers: Mapping interventions to purpose and CCSS. 2014 New York, NY Teachers College Press
-
Flowerday T., Schraw G. & Stephens J. The role of choice and interest in reader engagement The Journal of Experimental Education 2004 72 2 93 114
-
Friesen L. Literacy to learning goes to the dogs: Animal-assisted literacy proves positive ATA Magazine 2010 91 2 14 16
-
Friesen L. The gifted child as cheetah: A unique animal-assisted literacy program The Latham Letter 2013 14 1 6 10
-
Fuchs L. S., Fuchs D., Hosp M. K. & Jenkins J. R. Oral reading fluency as an indicator of reading competence: A theoretical, empirical, and historical analysis Scientific Studies of Reading 2001 5 3 239 256
-
George D. & Mallory P. IBM SPSS statistics 19 step by step: A simple guide and reference 2011 Upper Saddle River, NJ Pearson
-
Guthrie J. Morrow L. M. & Gambrell L. Best practices in motivating students to read Best practices in literacy instruction 2011 4th ed. New York, NY Guilford 177 197
-
Hennessy M. B., Williams M. T., Miller D. D., Douglas C. W. & Voith V. L. Influence of male and female petters on plasma cortisol and behavior: Can human interaction reduce the stress of dogs in a public animal shelter? Applied Animal Behaviour Science 1998 61 1 63 77
-
Hernandez D. J. Double jeopardy: How third-grade reading skills and poverty influence high school graduation 2012 Albany, NY Annie E. Casey Foundation Available at http://www.aecf.org/KnowledgeCenter/Publications.aspx?pubguid={8E2B6F93-75C6-4AA6-8C6E-CE88945980A9}
-
Hidi S. Interest, reading, and learning: Theoretical and practical considerations Educational Psychology Review 2001 13 3 191 209
-
Hidi S. & Harackiewicz J. M. Motivating the academically unmotivated: A critical issue for the 21st Century Review of Educational Research 2000 70 151 179
-
Hiebert E. H. & Reutzel D. R. Revisiting silent reading: New directions for teachers and researchers. 2010 Newark, DE International Reading Association
-
Jalongo M. R. “What are all these dogs doing at school”? Using therapy dogs to promote children’s reading practice Childhood Education 2005 81 3 152 158
-
Jalongo M. R. Beyond benchmarks and scores: Reasserting the role of motivation and interest in children’s academic achievement 2007 A position paper of the Association for Childhood Education International. Retrieved October 14, 2014, from http://www.uboost.com/Portals/95911/docs/Beyond_Benchmarks_Jalongo.pdf
-
Jalongo M. R. & Hirsh R. A. Understanding reading anxiety: New insights from neuroscience Early Childhood Education Journal 2010 37 6 431 435
-
Kazelskis R., Thames D., Reeves C., Flynn R., Taylor L., Beard L. A. & Turnbo D. Reliability and stability of Elementary Reading Attitude Survey (eras) scores across gender, race, and grade level The Professional Educator 2004 27 1, 2 29 37
-
Klotz K. Jalongo M. R. Promoting humane education through Intermountain Therapy Animals’ r.e.a.d. program Teaching compassion: Humane education in early childhood 2013 New York, NY Springer 175 196
-
Kolencik P. Goodman G. S. Affective and emotional factors for learning and achievement Educational psychology reader: The art and science of how people learn 2010 New York, NY Peter Lang 211 222
-
Lane H. B. & Zavada S. D. W. When reading gets ruff: Canine-assisted reading programs The Reading Teacher 2013 67 2 87 95
-
Lenihan D., McCobb E., Freeman L. M. & Diurba A. Benefits of reading assistance dogs 2011 Retrieved October 14, 2014, from http://vet.tufts.edu/pr/20110810.html
-
Leu D. J., O’Byrne W. I., Zawilinski L., McVerry J. G. & Everett-Cacopardo H. Expanding the new literacies conversation Educational Researcher 2009 38 4 264 269
-
McKenna M. C. & Kear D. J. Measuring attitude toward reading: A new tool for teachers The Reading Teacher 1990 43 9 626 639
-
Miller S. C., Kennedy C., DeVoe D., Hickey M., Nelson T. & Kogan L. An examination of changes in oxytocin levels in men and women before and after interaction with a bonded dog Anthrozoos 2009 22 1 31 42
-
Naceur A. & Schiefele U. Motivation and learning: The role of interest in construction of representation of text and long-term retention: Inter- and intra-individual analyses European Journal of Psychology of Education 2005 20 2 155 170
-
Nagasawa M., Kikusui T., Onaka T. & Ohta M. Dog’s gaze at its owner increases owner’s urinary oxytocin during social interaction Hormones and Behavior 2009 55 3 434 431
-
National Assessment of Educational Progress Nation’s report card: Reading 2013 Available at http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/reading/
-
National Reading Panel Report of the National Reading Panel: Teaching children to read: An evidence-based assessment of the scientific research literature on reading and its implications for reading instruction 2000 Washington, DC National Institutes of Health
-
Newling R. B. Paws for reading: An innovative program uses dogs to help kids read better School Library Journal 2003 49 6 43 44
-
Newman A. P. & Beverstock C. Adult literacy: Contexts and challenges. 1990 Newark, DE International Reading Association
-
Odendaal J. S. & Meintjes R. A. Neurophysiological correlates of affiliative behavior between humans and dogs Veterinary Journal 2003 165 3 296 301
-
Omert M. D. Made for each other: The biology of the human-animal bond 2013 Boston, MA Merloyd Lawrence Books
-
Otaiba S. A. & Pappamihiel N. E. Guidelines for using literacy tutors to support reading instruction for English language learners Teaching Exceptional Children 2005 37 6 6 11
-
Paddock C. Dogs helped kids improve reading fluency Medical News Today 2010 April 27 Retrieved on October 14, 2014, from http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/186708.php
-
Porter A., McMaken J., Hwang J. & Yang R. Common core standards: The new U.S. intended curriculum Educational Researcher 2011 40 3 103 116
-
Pullen P. C., Lane H. B. & Monaghan M. C. Effects of a volunteer tutoring model on the early literacy development of struggling first grade students Reading Research and Instruction 2004 43 4 21 40
-
Quirk M., Schwanenfluegel P. J. & Webb M. A short-term longitudinal study of the relationship between motivation to read and reading fluency skill in second grade Journal of Literacy Research 2009 41 196 227
-
Renninger K. A. & Wade S. E. Engaging students in reading: Implications for research and practice Educational Psychology Review 2001 13 3 Special Issue New York, NY Kluwer/Plenum 187 190
-
Ritter G. W., Barnett J. H., Denny G. S. & Albin G. R. The effectiveness of volunteer tutoring programs for elementary and middle school students: A meta-analysis Review of Educational Research 2009 79 1 3 38
-
Shaw D. M. Man’s best friend as a reading facilitator The Reading Teacher 2013 66 5 365 371
-
Shernoff D. Optimal learning environments to promote student engagement 2013 New York, NY Springer
-
Shinn M. R., Good R. H., Knutson N., Tilly W. D. & Collins V. L. Curriculum-based measurement of oral reading fluency: A confirmatory analysis of its relation to reading School Psychology Review 1992 21 3 459 479
-
Skibbe L. E., Grimm K. J., Bowles R. P. & Morrison F. J. Literacy growth in the academic year versus summer from preschool through second grade: Differential effects of schooling across four skills Scientific Studies of Reading 2012 16 2 144 165
-
Slavin R. E., Lake C., Chambers B., Cheung A. & Davis S. Effective reading programs for the elementary grades: A best-evidence synthesis Review of Educational Research 2009 79 4 1391 1466
-
Snow C. E. Prevention of reading difficulties in young children 1998 Washington, DC National Academies Press
-
Turner J. C. Guthrie J. T. & Wigfield A. Starting right: Strategies for engaging young literacy learners Reading engagement: Motivating readers through integrated instruction 1997 Newark, DE International Reading Association 183 204
-
Vacca R. T., Vacca J. L. & Mraz M. Content area reading: Literacy and learning across the curriculum 2010 10th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ Pearson
-
Worrell F., Roth D. & Gabelko N. H. Elementary Reading Attitude Survey (eras) scores in academically talented students Roeper Review 2007 29 119 124
| All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 4534 | 350 | 39 |
| Full Text Views | 385 | 22 | 8 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 326 | 49 | 16 |
Effects of Reading with Adult Tutor/Therapy Dog Teams on Elementary Students’ Reading Achievement and Attitudes
In: Society & AnimalsSearch for other papers by Edward M. Levinson in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Melanee Vogt in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by William F. Barker in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Mary Renck Jalongo in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Pat Van Zandt in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
This study assessed the effect of reading aloud to handler/therapy dog teams on children’s oral reading fluency using a post-test control group design with repeated measures. Forty-five children in grades 2-5 were assigned to one of two groups using a stratified random assignment designed to equate groups based on grade and sex. Both groups read aloud for 30 minutes per week for 5 weeks; Group One read with a handler/therapy dog and Group Two read to peers. After 5 weeks, the groups were reversed. Between-group and within-group differences were analyzed. Several statistically significant and large effect sizes were found. Findings generally suggested that reading aloud to an adult/therapy dog team tended to increase children’s scores on a test of oral reading fluency much more than reading aloud to peers. No significant effects were identified on a survey of general attitudes toward reading administered to the children.
| All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 4534 | 350 | 39 |
| Full Text Views | 385 | 22 | 8 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 326 | 49 | 16 |