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solve on their own, increase their fluency and increase their confidence as readers." Before a Certified Therapy Dog Team can become a Paws for Reading team, they must attend an orientation and successfully complete mentoring sessions, depending upon which venue —library or schools — in which they will volunteer. When they arrive, they bring a blanket or mat to define their reading space. This is also a signal to their canine partner that they will be "listening." "They use their canine companion as a vehicle to help their reader better understand the story line or definition of a difficult word," says Gale Hollstein, Blue Gray Therapy Dogs Paws for Reading coordinator. "For instance, if the handler suspects that the child doesn't know what a certain word means, they may say that their dog 'Sally' doesn't understand that word and then tell 'Sally' the definition of the word. By using their canine partner in this way, it makes the reading session a positive and fun experience for the child. "Not only do our dogs make a positive impact on the kids who read to them, but we, as volunteers, are rewarded with the knowledge that we have contributed in some small way to the academic success of these children and hopefully have encouraged a lifelong love of reading." Kerry Pinto is a freelance writer living in Stafford. RIBBIT ING News! GIE bo ok ! n ew E LEPHANT & PIG A from the New Y ork T imes best sellin g aut hor Mo Wil lems! Don't miss Let's Go for a Drive!, A Big Guy Took My Ball!, and all the other Elephant & Piggie books! Mo' Mo at © 2013 Mo Willems www.FredParent.NET 19