Kids read to dogs

WILMINGTON — Reading to Rover — some elementary school kids and some canines got together to practice Tuesday.

Students at Wrightsboro Elementary participated in Paws for Reading, a program started by Carolina Canines.

Ten kids were selected in the second and third grade. They paired up with a dog to read for 20 minutes each week.

The goal is to help the dogs learn to interact with children and promote literacy among students that may be intimidated by reading aloud to a group

Mary Phelps with Carolina Canines said, “It gives the kids an opportunity to read to someone who doesn’t care. Who if they, make a mistake or say something they shouldn’t have said, then the dog doesn’t care about it.”

Wrightsboro Elementary third-grader Georgia Surles said, “It’s pretty much fun, because I do it at home and my puppies learn how to be staying and stuff, so I like to read to the puppies and stuff.”

Phelps says Paws for Reading also teaches the dogs something — the service dogs learn tolerance and how to socialize with kids.