Something to Bark About!

The learning with Lucky reading program. By Chris Shafer. Photo courtesy Sara Carlson / Stuart Advertising.

“I'm going to read enough books to get my puppy a collar,” said a first-grader at Bryan Elementary in Coeur d'Alene. Another student held up her yellow Lab pup and said, “Look at mine! His name is Max.”

No, it isn't “Bring Your Dog to School Day.” Labrador puppies are present eight months of the school year in first-grade classrooms throughout the Coeur d'Alene School District, and they are very well behaved. These Labrador puppies are cuddly stuffed animals. They are the patient reading buddies of the Learning with Lucky® reading program, launched in 2005 by Cathy Bayes, a Bryan Elementary School teacher, and her insurance agent Camy Popiel. Parker Toyota and Horace Mann Insurance are the original sponsors of this supplemental program designed to encourage reading.

Turns out these little pups can make a big difference in the reading performances of their two-legged buddies. Not only do students get excited about reading to their puppies, but also, with more reading practice, reading fluency and self-confidence are very likely to increase.

Why do the puppy buddies make such a positive impact on student readers? For one thing, they provide a non-judging presence, like an actual dog. Students feel comfortable reading aloud to their Lucky puppies. Also, they enjoy reading to their buddies and earning reading rewards for them, like collars, tags, and blankets.

Students spend time with their loveable reading companions each day in the classroom, and teachers can individualize the program to suit their students' needs. At the end of the year, graduates of the program take their pooches home where the pups can continue to assist with reading.

So far, there have been over 15,000 successful graduates of the Learning with Lucky® program. Now that is something to bark about!

The cost of the Learning with Lucky® program is paid for by sponsors in the form of local businesses or community-minded philanthropists. Learning with Lucky® is growing. If you'd like to sponsor a classroom, please contact Camy Popiel, Top Dog at Learning with Lucky® at 208.640.6596. Also, you can check out their web site: www.learningwithlucky.net.

Chris Shafer is the writer and creator of Dog About Town NW, a regional blog that celebrates dog ownership in the great Northwest where outdoor adventures with one's canine companions are typically more than a walk in the park.

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