By Jolene Ogle
ONCE a week Holly the greyhound dons her orange jacket and heads to the Noosa Pengari Steiner School in Doonan to help students read.
Holly is part of the Story Dogs program which is designed to offer students a safe, judgment free space for learning to read.
Holly attends the school along with her handler Petra Westphal who has been helping students to read for more than a year.
Petra is the co-ordinator of the Story Dogs program for the Sunshine Coast north region and said she loves helping students find a safe place to practise their reading.
“I wanted to volunteer and when I got Holly I thought she would be great with kids,” she said.
“Holly helps make reading enjoyable and there is no pressure on the students as they read to her.”
Petra said it has been a great experience joining the Story Dogs program and Holly loves it too as she lays in the sun while the students read to her every Monday afternoon.
According to the Story Dog philosophy, learning to read is best when the learner can practice in a comfortable space and dogs make great companions because they promote relaxation, lower blood pressure, don’t judge, laugh or criticise children who are learning to read at their own pace.
Every dog that takes part in the program is sponsored by a local business and Arcare Aged Care is Holly’s sponsor.
For more information on the Story Dogs program or to have the program visit a school, visit www.storydogs.org.au.
