Last night, I held the first training and information session for the See Spot Read reading program for kids and dogs. There were 7 in attendance, and several others who had to cancel last minute.
I began with introductions and a little bit about why the program was formed and its brief history to date. Then, I gave a presentation on the program, the process to follow and the many resources that we are making available on our
Yahoo Group and web site (
www.seespotread.com).
In particular, the most important point was that this “organization” is not really organized in a traditional sense. We won’t be incorporating, but will exist mostly to share information and network with others who want to find and pursue opportunities for kids to read to dogs. So everyone who wishes to be affiliated is responsible for finding and sharing these opportunities, while also sticking to the guidelines of the group.
My role is mostly to coordinate, since I don’t think I can find and organize all the reading opportunities myself. Rather, my goal is to encourage others to find and lead those opportunities and make it easier for them by sharing information and resources.
After the presentation, we watched a training DVD from Intermountain Therapy Animals’ READ program. This was a great introduction to the concept of kids reading to dogs in schools and libraries. It had some good pointers about how to conduct reading sessions and facilitate between the child and the dog. I also gave some information about joining ITA as a READ partner for anyone that was interested.
It already looks like we have a great core of people who are willing and interested in getting involved. It felt like people left the session with a better idea of what we are doing and with some motivation to find reading opportunities now that more material is available in the Yahoo group.
As a follow up, I’ll be sending out information to the group, making the presentation available and posting more resources as they become available. I feel like it got off to a great start, and I’ll be scheduling another session in March for those unable to come to this one.
