Dogs teach children to read! This is a story from one of our certified teams in Norway.
Oscar Frogner is seven years old and has learning difficulties. For him, letters, words and numbers are very difficult.
Both young and old children often learn many strategies to hide the fact that they cannot read.
The first time we meet Oscar, he struggles to read two-letter words. But the desire to learn has been aroused. It was seriously awakened when he was allowed to come to the Dog House three times a week.
– Get, Oscar says to Lazy, and at the same time shows the “get” sign. The dog picks up a block with a letter.
– It’s an R, says Oscar.
Next letter. – “It’s an O”, says the boy, and stutters through the word RO. He guesses a good deal too.
– Sometimes, when I see that the child needs to experience mastery, I start with tricks. I can choose one that the dogs already can. But if the child wants another trick, I may have to “train the thieves” with the dogs to give the child a quick experience of mastery, says special educator Anne Grethe Låhne.
It’s been seven weeks. We are back with Oscar, Anne-Grethe and the dogs in Hundehuset at Midtbygda school.
– Get it, says Oscar. Five letters are put together into one word. “R E A D”, Oscar works his way through.
– It says read, he exclaims with a smile.
– Yes, confirms Anne Grethe.
Oscar now manages to read simple words. And not only that. He has begun to read some sentences and understand the content.
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