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Society for Quality Education

Has Teaching Gone to the Dogs?

July 10, 2009 by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) at 07:50 AM

This just in from England where some teachers have found that their students read better if they are allowed to read to a dog. This discovery is of course just a natural extension of the Whole Language/Balanced Literacy philosophy whereby students are expected to gradually and naturally become readers by simply being immersed in a stimulating and literate environment. In fact, the role of dogs in teaching reading is so obvious that School for Thought is surprised it’s taken this long to be discovered.

We confidently expect that further development of this breakthrough will lead to huge savings on teacher salaries, as the role of canine reading teachers is expanded. Of course, taxpayers will still have to foot the bill for kibbles and vet bills, but perhaps even this expense can be minimized if further research finds that reading to the classroom wall is as effective as reading to a dog. Walls do have ears, don’t you know!

Comments

It’s not a new idea - it seems to have appeared first in the USA, back in 2005:

http://www.rrf.org.uk/messageforum/viewtopic.php?t=1447

Posted by SusanUK on 07/10 at 09:10 AM

I caught a hint of sarcasm in the original post by Malkin (?) 

As mentioned in an earlier comment, this is not new and reading to a pet, on a consistent basis, might work to some degree.  I know I learn things more thoroughly and profoundly when I have to teach someone else to do something, whether it’s sewing, gardening, math…..

A dog is not judgmental, and quick to jump in with “corrections” as so many beginning readers have to suffer.

Anyway, this item made me immediately think of the Lancaster method of the 19th C when older, experienced readers taught younger ones. It was one way to make reading more accessible to poor children.  It was also called the monitorial system. 

Today, this would probably not go far in our public schools as this would reduce class size and would be opposed by teacher unions.

Posted by Tunya Audain on 07/12 at 12:20 AM

It all starts at University-the teacher doesn`t learn how to teach Reading-they have to do whole language/balanced literacy(same thing)-there is no teacher expertise whatsoever-for illiteracy to be conquered,our teachers need to know how to teach Reading!
Boys-they`re crashing-they despise all the guessing required with today`s methodologies-they are in desperate need of explicit instruction.High interest readers will help the kids so much once they are taught to read-it all makes sense to me-obviously the school boards and the Ministry of Education in Ontario with it`s Lighthouse Literacy program and fat 25 million dollar budget doesn`t agree with the world reading research-that explicit systematic synthetic phonics can greatly ameliorate reading success and reduce failure more than any other methodology.They figure we can get a 90% success.Hmmm I smell Ben Levin and Michael Fullan on the horizon.Michael Fullan should know better,he attends literacy conferences all over the world.-perhaps Mr.Fullan doesn`t sit in on Reid Lyon`s sessions.

Posted by Jo-Anne Gross on 07/23 at 06:34 AM
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