Lake Avenue ‘Dog Therapy’ Helping Students Improve Reading Abilities

SARATOGA SPRINGS —It isn’t always easy to teach children to read. However, when there’s a dog in the equation, things can change rather quickly.

Lynn O’Rourke, the K-2 reading teacher at Lake Avenue Elementary School, has been offering “dog therapy” to second-grade students at the school for over 20 years. The program was forced to undergo a lengthy pause due to COVID-19, but O’Rourke said they are preparing to bring dogs back into the classroom.

“I just got approval for a couple dog handlers in December, right before break,” said O’Rourke. “I’m hoping by next week we can get all the permission slips in and have all the dogs start visiting the school.”

Students visit O’Rourke’s classroom and read to a therapy dog, which she said helps the students get enthusiastic about reading.

“The dogs come into my room, and then a group of students will come to my room, and they each take turns reading to the dog,” O’Rourke said. “They have time to ask questions about the dog to the dog handler.”

Students typically read to the dog for about 15 minutes and are provided a reading certificate with an image of the dog. 

“It’s a great program just for kids to feel good about their reading, and create confidence,” said O’Rourke.

O’Rourke has been running the program for 23 years, she said, noting the program has helped increase reading participation and has “taken the stigma off” her classroom.

“Because students kind of think, ‘Well, if you have to go to Mrs. O’Rourke’s room, then you have to get help with reading’,” she said. “But now they all associate the dog with my room, so everybody wants to come to my room.”

O’Rourke said that some of her students have told her that reading to the dogs is “the best part of second grade.” 

“And the kids help each other, which is nice,” said O’Rourke. “The adult doesn’t necessarily intervene with corrections, the kids help each other. It builds a nice little camaraderie with the kids.”

She also said that being in a small group “reduces stress and anxiety for the students,” offering them a comfortable place to improve their reading abilities. 

Prior to COVID, O’Rourke said she had roughly eight to ten therapy dogs that would rotate in her classroom daily. 

“I literally had a dog every single day in my classroom,” O’Rourke said. “Students were able to come in and read with the dogs, and they love the different certificates with the different dogs.”

Now, over two years since the last time a dog entered her room, O’Rourke is “starting fresh.”

“I don’t have any of my old dog handlers for various reasons,” said O’Rourke. “Right now, I have three dogs that have gone through the approval process. I’m always just looking for a few more if possible.”

In order for a dog to join the classroom, it must be a certified therapy dog through Therapy Dogs International and has to be approved by the Saratoga Springs City School District. Anyone interested must fill out a pair of forms, which are in turn sent to the district superintendent to be approved. To access these forms, email O’Rourke at l_orourke@saratogaschools.org. 

“There’s a lot of positive impacts with the program, and it’s been pretty good over the last 20 years,” O’Rourke said.