CAMBRIDGE, MASS. (WHDH) - Kids in Cambridge are cracking open books with a reading buddy who never judges and is always wagging his tail.
“The world needs more love and warmth and kindness, and he embodies all of that,” Susan Block said, Dante’s owner.
Dante is a certified therapy dog. Kids as young as 4, all the way up to teenagers, sign up for a chance to read to him at the Valente Branch Library. And yes, he loves every second of it.
“He’s always had this beautiful spirit, and he loves, loves, people,” Block said.
“It relaxes [the kids], it gives them more confidence,” Kerri Anne McQuown said, manager of branch services at the Valente Branch Library. “Being around an animal does tend to make people calmer.”
Librarians say Dante is a great audience for shy or new readers. He’s patient, quiet, and unbothered by mistakes.
“The dog doesn’t care if you stumble over words or if you sound things out,” McQuown said. “It helps them develop their skills and develop their confidence in reading, especially reading things out loud.”
Each child gets 15 minutes of one-on-one time, and Dante spends most of it cuddled up right next to them.
“It’s lovely,” Block said. “It’s lovely, he looks forward to coming. When he sees me getting out his blue vest, he gets excited. He prances in here.”
Even though Dante can’t say which story is his favorite, he’s helping a lot of kids feel like reading rockstars.
“Instead of feeling scared and embarrassed, or ‘My skills aren’t great.. I don’t want to read out loud,’ you can come here and read to a fluffy friend and then you associate reading with this wonderful dog,” McQuown said.
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