Training to develop reading skills and motivation through a guided reading approach in the presence of a therapy dog

In our paper we designed and researched effect of training for developing reading fluency, reading comprehension and reading motivation, which was based on the approach of guided reading and therapeutic influence of a dog. These reading skills are the key to development of literacy which enables the readers to have a quality life and a lifelong learning. Students and grownups with reading disabilities are facing diverse challenges when it comes to literacy. Our training was designed to help a student with reading difficulties. It included adjusted and translated program of guided reading and a presence of a therapy dog because different researchers showed their efficiency in developing reading skills and literacy. Guided reading is a known approach to reading development in English countries and therapeutic effects of presence of animals in educational systems are recognized more and more in Slovenian school system, too. In our research we tested training´s efficiency by measurement of progress of a student with reading difficulties who was included in training. We tested his reading fluency, reading comprehension and reading motivation before and after the training. For measuring reading skills we used test of reading comprehension Noben pes ni zadosti, one minute test of reading out-loud Ptica in slon (for measuring reading fluency and reading comprehension) and Vprašalnik bralne motivacije za mlajše učence for measuring reading motivation. From the test SNAP we used 2. test (measuring phonological awareness) and 3. test (reading made-up words for measuring reading speed and reading accuracy) and from Test motenosti v branju in pisanju we used tests Branje besed I in II (measuring reading speed and reading accuracy). For formative collecting of information about student´s reading skills we used translated and adjusted forms for measuring reading skills. We were also curious how will the presence of therapy dog effect student’s reading motivation. A smaller part of training was carried out without the presence of a therapy dog so we could compare its influence on reading motivation of our student. We gathered information about reading motivation of our student with self-evaluating scale at the end of every session. Training proceeded in student´s school. We started training in the middle of April and carried it out till the end of school year. It included 14 sessions of 45 minutes to which we added extra sessions where we collected information about student´s reading skills before and after the training. Training was individualized but because of its structure it can be used in different situations by other special education teachers. Comparison of information collected at the beginning and at the end of training showed student´s progress in reading speed, reading rhythm, expression and one of the aspects of reading motivation (a perception of reading as hard activity). In reading comprehension and other aspects of reading motivation (competence in reading out-loud and interest in reading) the progress was not recognized. Comparison also showed that therapy dog did not have any kind of influence, positive nor negative, on student´s reading motivation. With result analysis we concluded the partial efficiency of training for developing reading skills and reading motivation through a guided reading approach in the presence of a therapy dog