round the Schoolyard
Have Schools Gone to the Dogs? Therapy Dogs in Schools
Karly Ronan, Special Education Teacher & Glen McKay, Hood School Principal
During the 2022-2023 the J. Turner Hood Elementary School piloted and implemented the use of therapy (comfort) dog services and we are excited to report that we have reintroduced this practice this school year. We are fortunate to have the dynamic duo of Jeff Borkowski and Logan as our therapy dog team. Logan is a certified therapy dog through the Alliance of Therapy Dogs. Both he and his handler, Mr. Jeff Borkowski (a North Reading resident and North Reading parent) have gone through extensive training and classroom preparation to receive this certification.
Jeff and Logan have been attending weekly visits to the Hood School since November 2022. They have participated in small group reading sessions, whole class visits, and have supported students’ social emotional learning. As a team, they happily welcome and interact with all students equally. Not only do the students enjoy their visits, but the Hood School staff also benefits from seeing this amazing duo walk through the front doors. The smiles and excitement from students and staff mimic the happy tail wagging and appreciative cuddles from Logan.
According to the literature, therapy dog work dates back to use in hospitals in the 1970s, but it has become more prevalent in recent decades, especially in educational settings. In the 1800s, Florence Nightingale observed that small pets reduced the levels of anxiety and stress in adult and youth psychiatric patients. This began a wave of informal experiments involving animal interaction with humans to produce a calming effect on patients suffering from anxiety. More recently, Elaine Smith established the first therapy dog organization in 1976 after observing the positive effects of dogs on hospital patients during her work as a registered nurse.
As this practice has evolved, more schools have joined in the movement. It is important to know that school therapy dogs are not just classroom pets. Rather, school social workers, counselors, physical therapists, behavior interventionists, and special education teachers integrate them into specific tasks with students. Students can bond readily with therapy dogs, feeling more connected and confident.
The benefits are numerous according to the literature. Through this research, we have learned the following:
Studies show that this helps reduce negative behavior in children.
Spending time with dogs also helps improve children's mental well-being.
A 2019 study published by the National Institute of Health found that a dog present in the classroom promotes a positive mood and provides significant anti-stress effects on the body.
A study conducted by the University of California on canine reading programs found that students who participated in one program increased their reading fluency by between 12 percent and 30 percent.
Therapy dogs help children learn social skills, preventing social isolation. Interaction with therapy dogs has also been found to cause a social catalyst effect, and this further helps improve the stimulation of social behavior.
It is important to also understand the connection that this program has to our goals, specifically focusing on improving the school climate and the emotional experience of students, teachers and staff members. We have observed many of the previously noted positive effects of the use of therapy dogs in schools. Most importantly, the school experience is improved as students and staff are clearly in elevated moods as soon as the pair enter the building. Logan and Jeff are frequently being read to and according to Adriana, a grade 5 student, when she reads to him, he shares “the most adorable yawn and goes into downward dog. I feel happy when I read stories to him.”
