<p>Veterinary researchers from Tufts University in the US paired school second-graders with dogs or people and asked to read aloud to them for 30 minutes every week in summer. <br />When the programme ended, students who read to the dogs improved their reading ability and changed their attitudes towards reading, according to a university statement. <br /><br />The reading ability was measured on the curriculum-based measurement and elementary reading attitude survey respectively, while those who read to people experienced a decrease on both measures. Another surprising result was the high rate of attrition among students in the control group. A third failed to complete the programme. No students left the dog-reading group. <br /><br />Students in the dog group read to canines enrolled in the Reading Education Assistance Dogs (R.E.A.D.) Programme by a non-profit organisation that encourages children to read through the use of therapy animals and runs programmes at a public library.</p>
<p>Veterinary researchers from Tufts University in the US paired school second-graders with dogs or people and asked to read aloud to them for 30 minutes every week in summer. <br />When the programme ended, students who read to the dogs improved their reading ability and changed their attitudes towards reading, according to a university statement. <br /><br />The reading ability was measured on the curriculum-based measurement and elementary reading attitude survey respectively, while those who read to people experienced a decrease on both measures. Another surprising result was the high rate of attrition among students in the control group. A third failed to complete the programme. No students left the dog-reading group. <br /><br />Students in the dog group read to canines enrolled in the Reading Education Assistance Dogs (R.E.A.D.) Programme by a non-profit organisation that encourages children to read through the use of therapy animals and runs programmes at a public library.</p>