Canine storytime: Church program has kids reading with dogs

Move over, Rover. There's a new top dog in town, and he's a bit of a rascal.

Desert Spring United Methodist Church, 120 N. Pavilion Center Drive, is scheduled to host the Reading With Rascal program at 10 a.m. the second Saturday of each month.

The program involves children reading to canines. Desert Spring started its program after the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District cut a similar program, Reading With Rover, a few years ago. More than two dozen certified therapy dogs of various breeds are available for Reading With Rascal, but not all of them are used each time.

Jan. 12 was the first session for 2013. Sarah Martin of Aliante brought her daughter Olivia, 5. It was their first time. They learned about it after Southern Nevada Military Families posted it on its Facebook page.

"We're just here for fun," Martin said. "She loves dogs, and she likes to read."

The group met in the sanctuary of the church. The dogs and their owners claimed a spot here or there, and some brought blankets for their dogs to lie on.

There were nine dogs of all sizes, some purebred and others of the Heinz 57 variety. All were on their best behavior. About two dozen youngsters showed up, and many times, it was two children to one dog. Everyone took a turn reading or listening. The sanctuary was filled with the murmurs of little voices.

Harley Swedyk, 6, read to George, a terrier type, keeping her voice low. Her twin brother, Anthony, seemed more interested in crawling on the floor.

As each child finished a book, the owners reached into their pockets and brought out a doggie treat.

What did the children like about reading to a dog?

"People are like, 'Stop' (if you make a mistake), and dogs just pant and lay there," said Krystal Kasinoff, 8, who, along with her sister Caitlyn, 6, was reading to Jack, a Border Collie mix rescue dog.

Garrett Tucker, 7, has been coming to the program since it began more than a year ago. Christi, his mother, said it had made a big difference for him.

"He has a hearing loss, so he struggles with reading. ... This has been huge for him. There's no pressure like at school, and he loves it," she said.

She said she saw his self-confidence improve after only two sessions, with his comprehension increasing gradually after that. His brothers, Grant, 9, and Gavin, 5, are also eager Reading With Rascal participants.

"They're always asking me, 'When is the next time we get to go?' " Tucker said. "It's a big deal for them."

Another parent who saw a big change in her child was Cookie Boone.

Her daughter Kayley, 3, began attending sessions last January with her sister, Kendall, 5. They are now regular participants and go to the library beforehand to check out new books. The girls choose ones they think the animals will enjoy.

Kendall was an enthusiastic participant, but Kayley, 2 at the time, held back. In fact, for the first three months, the toddler clung to her mother's skirt and refused to let go, afraid of being left with a stranger. Boone said it took two or three months before she could gradually step back and remove herself.

"I'd say, 'OK, I'm going to go to the bathroom real quick. I'll be right back,' " she said. "And it took a little while; she was always looking for me, but once she knew she was secure with the dog and the dog's handler, she was happy. ... Now, like, she's with a lady that she's never met before."

Some of the dog owners helped out with a word here or there, but most sat quietly and listened. Other handlers, such as Diane Wise, were more engaging, commenting on the story and what might happen next. She worked with a therapy dog named Trixie, who is owned by a friend.

Becky Gang brought Lacey, a German Shepherd. Besides the church program, Lacey has been a staple at the Nathan Adelson Hospice facilities for the last 12 years.

"It's a different energy because, at (the) hospice, you're dealing with end-of-life care," she said. "Here, it's children and fun energy. Lacey likes this better. ... This is a fun thing."

Rhonda Reeves is the coordinator of family and children's ministries at Desert Springs. Billie Oathout established the program and oversees it.

"Billie had a vision for using pets in ministry somehow," Reeves said. "My children attended Reading With Rover at the library several years ago. I didn't know it had ended. I'd told her (Oathout) how my kids just blossomed, they just grew after they'd been to the library. ... And she thought about it for awhile and said to herself, 'You know, that's really a good idea.' So she did some research."

Her research showed children became better readers after participating in the program. Why? Dogs are nonjudgmental listeners.

Each month sees about 20 children ages 3 to 9. There's no set time as to how long one can spend with a dog, but children are notorious for short attention spans and "they sort of taught us (when they're finished)," Oathout said. "Their eyes start to wander. So we all just learned and adjusted. As long as the kids want to read, we just let them continue."

Children are encouraged to bring their own books, or the church has some available. Not all of them are religious books, and there's no evangelism going on, said Reeves. One does not have to be a church member to participate. There is a social learning aspect, though.

"We don't have rules other than to be polite," Oathout said.

The Rev. David Devereaux said having the church's new building, which opened just before Christmas, meant programs such as Reading With Rascal could be better served. He said the church was getting ready to build two more expansions.

"(On) the date of our grand opening, we launched the campaign to raise the money for the next building," he said.

The new building is planned to add seven more classrooms.

The next Reading With Rascal sessions are scheduled for 10 a.m. to noon Feb. 9 and March 9. For more information, call 702-561-4143 or visit desertspringchurch.com.

Contact Summerlin/Summerlin South View reporter Jan Hogan at jhogan@viewnews.com or 702-387-2949.