Reading at Barnes & noble

[Autoshow]

While reading this mornings Daily Sun there was an article about people reading to their dogs,was this a misprint, and should have been people reading to their children or grandchildren.
I know there are a lot of wierd things many people do in TV, but reading to their dogs just about knocks me for a loop. Please tell me it was definately a misprint.

[Keedy]

While reading this mornings Daily Sun there was an article about people reading to their dogs,was this a misprint, and should have been people reading to their children or grandchildren.
I know there are a lot of wierd things many people do in TV, but reading to their dogs just about knocks me for a loop. Please tell me it was definately a misprint.

My dog loves it when I read the newspaper out loud to him. He especially likes the comics.:22yikes:

[cybrgeezer]

When my kids were little and they had a dog, the dog ran to listen to bedtime stories, particularly when Dr. Seuss was involved.

I will admit to having a certain sing-song skill with the good Doctor and both kids and dogs found it entertaining.

But only the kids fell asleep.

[784caroline]

The purpose of this progran is to get children to read and how that is done is having them read to dogs is the presence of an adult dog handler. You may find this funny but it does work for the kids are less inhibited when an animal is involved and the dogs go through fairly extensive training. First they have to be awarded good canine citizen certificate and then go through theraphy training in order to become a therapy certified dog. All dogs must be at least one year old. Adults are also trained in how to respond to obvious errors in reading not by making direct corrections but again using the dog as the intermediatery.

Kids need to be motivated and nothing breaks the ice like a good lick from a well behaved dog. You should go to Barnes and Noble July 8th and see how this works...you would be suprised at the results.

No misprint!!

[oatmealgirls]

Looked at The Villages Daily Sun o/l but couldn't find the article you are talking about.

We have a program at our local library, Paws for Reading, where children ages 5-10 can practice their reading with trained therapy dogs. My daughter says that her 7yo daughter loves it.

[dfn8tly]

What do you have against dogs with a good vocabulary and knowledge of what's happening in the area? Makes them much easier to understand.

[Boomer]

When my kids were little and they had a dog, the dog ran to listen to bedtime stories, particularly when Dr. Seuss was involved.

I will admit to having a certain sing-song skill with the good Doctor and both kids and dogs found it entertaining.

But only the kids fell asleep.

Good morning, cybrgeezer,

I see that you are a Dr. Seuss fan who likes dogs and always read to your kids. And so I just wanted to say this..........


When you read those nite-nite books,
And your dog came in to look,

That just added to the fun,
For your little ones.

And I'll bet that to this day,
Those kids smile about the way,

That their daddy read those books,
And their dog came in to look.

Boomer


(Well, here I sit, early in the morning, at this infernal computer, I drink coffee. And now it is time for Cheerios. I am such a morning person and it is almost always Cheerios. But, cybrgeezer, for some reason, this morning, I am suddenly in the mood for green eggs and ham instead.)

[Muncle]

The purpose of this progran is to get children to read and how that is done is having them read to dogs is the presence of an adult dog handler. You may find this funny but it does work for the kids are less inhibited when an animal is involved and the dogs go through fairly extensive training. First they have to be awarded good canine citizen certificate and then go through theraphy training in order to become a therapy certified dog. All dogs must be at least one year old. Adults are also trained in how to respond to obvious errors in reading not by making direct corrections but again using the dog as the intermediatery.

Kids need to be motivated and nothing breaks the ice like a good lick from a well behaved dog. You should go to Barnes and Noble July 8th and see how this works...you would be suprised at the results.


Now Caroline, you've got to be putting us on. The implication here is that if little Sally mispronounces a word, some huge rottweiler goes for her throat. I'm as big a fan of tough love as the next guy, buy say it ain't so. This is carrying reward/punishment training a bit too far. Or not.



`

[Boomer]

Now Caroline, you've got to be putting us on. The implication here is that if little Sally mispronounces a word, some huge rottweiler goes for her throat. I'm as big a fan of tough love as the next guy, buy say it ain't so. This is carrying reward/punishment training a bit too far. Or not.



`

Oh Munc,

You old night owl you. What are you doing on so early in the morning? And on is the operative word here. I love it.

Oh I want to stay to play.
But must move forward with my day.

I must pack up my suitcase.
To go to a different place.

At this point not TV.
But in the fall I hope that's me.

But for now -- under the gun.
'cause my laundry is not done.

Will my laptop go along?
Or would that just be wrong?

Oh my gosh, I cannot stop.
I am going o'er the top.

It's that Doc Seuss thing that I read.
Now Theodor Geisel's in my head.

What if I talk this way all day?
Leaving others in dismay.

I must escape this newfound curse.
I will try becoming terse.

That would be ironic.
Boomer becomes laconic.

Boomer
.

[Bogie Shooter]

What do you have against dogs with a good vocabulary and knowledge of what's happening in the area? Makes them much easier to understand.
I saw a collie on the square at LSL with a petition to be submitted for the right to vote. Several dogs were lined up to dip their paw into the ink to sign the petition. What dedication......they were standing in the rain.

[Keedy]

There is a drive going on right now that will give animals the right to sue humans. I believe a bill was filed.:shrug:

[784caroline]

Muncie and others

You can make a joke of this program all you want ...I hope you are fortunate enough not to have children or moreso grandchildren that desparately need help in reading, when there are volunteers through programs such as this, who spend their time trying to help kids learn in school or bring a smile to their face by visiting local hospitals at a time when things may not be going all that well for them. Most grandparents are not even aware of educational issues their grandchildren face that most of us all take for granted..and slow reading ranks near the top.

Rather than riidicule and joke, your suppport and better understanding of this the program for the children involved would be more welcomed rather than your misplaced comments.

[katezbox]

... and like many kids, a story or two at night was a great way to settle him in. We found that after I read to him, he wanted to read ... to his cat (and Teddy bear). Tessa (the cat) would sit on the bed and listen and purr - it was great reinforcement.

Kate

[Boomer]

Muncie and others

You can make a joke of this program all you want ...I hope you are fortunate enough not to have children or moreso grandchildren that desparately need help in reading, when there are volunteers through programs such as this, who spend their time trying to help kids learn in school or bring a smile to their face by visiting local hospitals at a time when things may not be going all that well for them. Most grandparents are not even aware of educational issues their grandchildren face that most of us all take for granted..and slow reading ranks near the top.

Rather than riidicule and joke, your suppport and better understanding of this the program for the children involved would be more welcomed rather than your misplaced comments.

Hi Caroline,

Even though I said in that second little rhyme I wrote here that I was going to become laconic and go pack my suitcase, I passed by the desk and looked back and here I am.

I understand your point. But I want to say a little something that I hope helps you to feel better about this.

I strongly suspect that Munc loves books. And I know for a fact that Munc is prone to hyperbole. And I know quite well that Munc does not need me to cover his back. But Munc has a fine wit and I love to see it. With Munc it is not sniper fire that you see. I know sniper fire when I see it. It is just Munc sharing his wit and giving some of us a little laugh. It is nice to laugh around here once in awhile. That really was not sniper fire.

I just wanted to throw this in here. Please understand that I am not trying to chastise you. I just do not want to see this thread disintegrate. It is centered around an important topic. Kids and reading.

Kids have to learn the love of reading young. It is even more crucial now in a society where the name of the game is to plug kids in at an early age in front of the television. The infinitely patient babysitter I guess.

Parents prop their babies up in those little seats and turn on the tube. Too bad. Television hits brainwaves differently. Kind of flattens them I have read. No imagination necessary. There was a book long ago called "The Plug-In Drug." The author tried to warn us but it was too late for many. Maybe they should have made the book into a movie. Yeah, right.

I started reading to Boomette as soon as she could focus her little eyes. And she loves books. In fact, she is in the book biz now.

Anyway, Caroline, you are right. This topic is important. And the dogs in libraries program has been around for a long time. The joy of reading needs to start young. And reading has to be marketed to kids. I understand. I understand that very well. But I also understand how Munc is. And I know he does not need me to defend. But I just wanted to. See, Munc has an imagination. I bet Munc has been a reader all his life.

Boomer the Book Pusher

[Keedy]

Muncie and others

You can make a joke of this program all you want ...I hope you are fortunate enough not to have children or moreso grandchildren that desparately need help in reading, when there are volunteers through programs such as this, who spend their time trying to help kids learn in school or bring a smile to their face by visiting local hospitals at a time when things may not be going all that well for them. Most grandparents are not even aware of educational issues their grandchildren face that most of us all take for granted..and slow reading ranks near the top.

Rather than riidicule and joke, your suppport and better understanding of this the program for the children involved would be more welcomed rather than your misplaced comments.
"A sense of humor can help you overlook the unattractive, tolerate the unpleasant, cope with the unexpected, and smile through the unbearable."

[Muncle]

Muncie and others

You can make a joke of this program all you want ...I hope you are fortunate enough not to have children or moreso grandchildren that desparately need help in reading, when there are volunteers through programs such as this, who spend their time trying to help kids learn in school or bring a smile to their face by visiting local hospitals at a time when things may not be going all that well for them. Most grandparents are not even aware of educational issues their grandchildren face that most of us all take for granted..and slow reading ranks near the top.

Rather than riidicule and joke, your suppport and better understanding of this the program for the children involved would be more welcomed rather than your misplaced comments.

I'm sure this is a wonderful and worthwhile program. There's been remarkable advancements in the use of therapy animals, be they dogs, rabbits, or whatever, over the last several years. There were certainly no formal programs like this around in our youth. And this program at Barnes & Noble is typical of the many extraordinary opportunities available throughout The Villages area, both on and off campus, where one can contribute.

I regret, however, that you do not see the incipient humor in the concept that the human will use the dog to make "direct corrections" should the child make mistakes. Perhaps a result of a warped childhood, but the sentence immediately brought to my mind a Gahan Wilson cartoon.




`

[Keedy]

I immediately saw the humor and after the worst spring and now summer weather in my memory, I can appreciate any humor thrown my way.

[oatmealgirls]

Reading is amazing gift! What I find so interesting is when someone interprets the same words, written the same exact way, differently. That's the beauty of our uniqueness.

I love when you see a child "get it" about reading - wanting a book read to them, or when they first "pretend" to read a book, or when they really do read a book (either to themselves, to others, to a pet, you get the drift). Wow, a whole new world opens up to them. How exciting!!

Kudos Boomer for your enjoyable Suess style writing!

..... for some reason, this morning, I am suddenly in the mood for green eggs and ham instead.)

Did you try green eggs and ham?
Was that, tell us, really your plan?

Or could you not resist the o's?
Those tasty, good for Boomer, Cheerios?

LOL LOL LOL


Have a great day everyone!

[Boomer]

Please, everybody, get thee to Barnes and Noble and look for a series "Hank the Cowdog" by a guy whose last name is Erickson. The first one in the series is a wonderful read for kids who have a sense of humor. (And for adults with a sense of humor, too.) The author is supposedly writing about a dog's life on a ranch in Texas. But the guy is really writing about human behavior.

There is a part where the dog and his sidekick dog jump into the back of the ranch hand's pickup truck when he is not looking because they know it is worth getting yelled at for sneaking on-board to get to go to town. The part where the dogs get into what would be in human terms "words had in a bar" is roll-on-the-floor funny. They are in the back of the truck while it is parked in front of a saloon and they start in on a dog in the next truck. It is human behavior for sure. And a situation Hank would never have gotten himself into had he not had a sidekick. Just like real guys do in bars sometimes.

And then there is the part where Hank falls in love with a coyote. Forbidden love. When he goes to meet her parents they serve him special rancid meat for dinner. Poor Hank. He loves her so. But he just cannot understand her family's ways.

The writer, if I remember right, has a PhD in theology from one of the biggies, Harvard or Yale or something like that, as I recall. But that is beside the point. He writes human behavior perfectly, through anthropomorphism, in these silly books. -- They can be a little politically incorrect in places. The coyotes talk with an accent like the Indians in the old cowboy movies did.

(And I must also warn you that there is even a chapter about farts in one of the later ones in the series. Oh my! Hank has gone camping with the ranch hand who has beans for supper. Poor Hank.)

It's not great lit, but it's the book I was glad I had with me when I ended up huddled down under a tornado warning with a whole bunch of teenagers. I read to them about Hank the Cowdog. Voices and all. We were in the basement. We were ready. And we laughed. While the sirens blew. What else could we do?

So anyway, this post is all about books and kids and reading and dogs and a sense of humor. That pretty well covers it for me I guess. And so now, maybe I really will go pack my suitcase.

Happy Reading!

Boomer

[nONIE]

:QUOTE=Muncle;212339]Now Caroline, you've got to be putting us on. The implication here is that if little Sally mispronounces a word, some huge rottweiler goes for her throat. I'm as big a fan of tough love as the next guy, buy say it ain't so. This is carrying reward/punishment training a bit too far. Or not.

Im afraid you have the implication bass ackwards.

This is not tough love. There is NO FEAR OR PRESSURE with dog therapy reading.The child is not being judged by a human and is free to read with mistakes because noone is judging them.

The dog trainer is only there to watch the dog. and the children form a bond with the dog. They actually are excited about reading because the dog is not critiquing their reading skills. It is a completely safe reading environment.

Sounds like a great idea to me!





`[/QUOTE]

[katezbox]

Somehow I missed a few of these posts.

Boomer, you are witty as usual. Oh, to have had you as a friend when I was another awkward bookworm with the least amount of athletic ability possible. Of course, I am still that way... but more comfortable in my own skin I guess. Definitely going to look up Hank.

Muncle - I know you to be a true bibliophile - and more of a kinder, gentler Peeves, than a dementor taking all the joy from a great reading program. Or in this case, maybe I should say more who than Grinch. As Boomer said, you don't need me to cover your back, but I want to all the same.

Caroline - I agree wholeheartedly on how effective this program is. As I said earlier, at the age of 4 my son read to his cat. I have to think that her gentle purr was encouraging. At age 7 he lost his grandfather - and read Ecclesiastes to the entire congregation.