Donation to Canine Classmates
At our 4 December club meeting, Donna Dishman of Canine Classmates organization was our guest speaker. The mission of Canine Classmates is
“to encourage and improve literacy and socialization skills for struggling and at-risk Pre-K through 5th grade students through pairing mentors and trained service dogs in a one-on-one program that is positive, nurturing and motivational.”
The program is conducted at classes in the New Braunfels, Comal, and Navarro ISDs.
“Children may struggle with reading for a variety of reasons. Some children are intimidated by reading aloud in a group. Children may be self-conscious or may have a language difficulty. This can result in lower self-esteem, and children begin to view reading as a chore.
These barriers are quickly removed when the children read to a dog. Learning to read is less about intellectual limitations than about overcoming fears or insecurities.
The program has also shown good results for students who are mentally and physically challenged.”
Our club donated $500 to the Canine Classmates organization.
For more information about the Canine Classmates organization
