Outsourcing Mary's Little Lamb with Dogs
If you recall some of your nursery rhymes, you'll remember how Mary brought her lamb to school one day--or at least, the lamb followed her there.
Now, in Ohio, a school is using this idea in a new way. It has introduced a dog, a chocolate-colored Labrador, into the classroom to help children with reading problems. The dog, oddly named Bear, sits next to the children as they face the rigors of reading that prove to be so difficult for them.
The teachers report that the presence of this canine partner helps children deal with the emotional problems that inevitably accompany reading problems.
The idea is for students to transfer their love of reading to the dog to reading. The dog also has a calming influence on the children. It's reported that children who have hitherto avoided reading are now clamoring to read to Bear, even to the point of bringing books from home to read.
Because the program has been so successful, the school is preparing to add another dog. This is, of course, not the first time dogs have been used in therapeutic roles. There is an organization Therapy Dogs International http://www.tdi-dog.org/ which trains and certifies dogs to perform a range of these sorts of activities.
And for those who are not acquainted with the original nursery rhyme about Mary and her little lamb, here it is:
Mary had a little lamb its fleece was white as snow;
And everywhere that Mary went, the lamb was sure to go.
It followed her to school one day, which was against the rule;
It made the children laugh and play, to see a lamb at school.
And so the teacher turned it out, but still it lingered near,
And waited patiently about till Mary did appear.
"Why does the lamb love Mary so?" the eager children cry;
"Why, Mary loves the lamb, you know" the teacher did reply.
