Dogs are man’s best friend and there are many reasons why they are called as such. Their level of intelligence and emotional attachment is higher than other domesticated animals, so they are closer and more loyal to their owners.
There are many things to love about dogs and one of these is their ability to help humans in learning. Actually dogs are known to assist cognitive development of young kids. They also promote character development that helps students’ study. Let us look at how much our friendly home companions help us learn:
Dogs Promote Reading
Dogs Are Readers Too (DARTS) and Reading Education Assistance Dogs (READ) are some of the best programs when it comes to pet and children’s collaboration to improve reading skills. Most kids have trouble reading aloud in class because of their fear of being ridiculed. However dogs are known to help these kids improve their reading skills and their confidence, as well. Mary Renck Jalongo reports on Academic Journal, that reading programs “build motivation and interest in many reluctant readers to have a four-footed reading buddy.” He added that reading to a dog is less stressful than reading to a person or a teacher. After all, dogs won’t judge the readers if they commit mistakes.
Dogs Boost Self Esteem
Self esteem, in many ways, improves students’ learning and participation in class. A student with a healthy self esteem, participates more in class and is more open to learn new ideas. They are also good at managing their time, so they are efficient in balancing school and non-school related activities. Petting dogs are a great way to ward off self doubt and sparks confidence among students. Actually, this is one of the goals in many dog companionship programs. The company of a dog makes people pre-occupied to think about their fears and problems. In the long run, these people become more sociable, confident and open.
Dogs Teach Responsibility
For adults teaching their kids to be responsible, is tantamount to teaching them to be a better student. A responsible student learns a lot in school compared to naturally intelligent students. Owning a dog actually helps kids to become responsible. With adult supervision, dogs can encourage kids to be responsible. They may be tasked with walking, feeding and cleaning the dog.
Dogs Promote Social Development
Our pawed friends also promote social development. When kids develop self confidence, they also become more sociable. They can easily interact with people and communicate with them efficiently. There are many schools and libraries that now use dogs in teaching. These animals spark interest among students, so classes become active and engaging.
Dogs Lower Truancy in Class
Attendance is one of the problems educators face among their students. But with the help of dogs, students are keen to attend in school and participate. Tonaganixie Middle School in Kansas, principal Steve Woolf used dogs to encourage one student to attend class. Mandy was absent for 40 days and so Woolf asked the help of a service dog. He told the student, that if she do not attend to class, the dog “wouldn’t get walks, water or love.” This encouraged the girl to finally go back to school and see the dog.
Dogs Serve as Inspiration to Write
When writing, people usually encounter writer’s block. One way to solve this is to read it to someone. Dogs are highly adaptable to human culture and language, so reading your work to them can be more comforting than to read it to yourself. So when you are having problems when writing your essays or papers, talk to your pet and read your work. They might not answer back, but you might be surprised at how attentive and helpful they are to you.
Of course we cannot fully attribute cognitive and character development to dogs, but they are no doubt helpful in promoting learning to students. The six entries above just gave more reasons why dogs are considered as man’s best friend.
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