Story Dogs

Murrumbeena PS Story Dogs

	Jayne and 'Harvey'  About: Retired Carer for Children with Disabilities Sponsor: Atrium Media Dog breed:Labrador How we met:'Harvey' is a rescue dog and we have had several Labradors Great loves:Walks, being a loyal companion, his toys, other dogs, people and swimming Favourite foods: Anything and everything  Doesn’t like: Nothing Quirks:  He likes to paw us when he wants something. Always thanks us for his dinner
	David, Jen and 'Reggie About: David is an Engineer, he enjoys sport, music and spending time with the family. Jen is a nurese who loves watching netball and footy, and eating chocolate. Sponsor:  Bendigo Bank Murrumbeena Dog breed:  Cavalier King Charles Spaniel How we met:  As a puppy in 2020 Great loves:  Walks, pats and lots of naps Favourite foods:  Dried chicken tenders Doesn’t like:  Being alone Quirks:  Loves lying on his back on your lap
	Silvia and 'Cooper'  About: Silvia loves travelling and spending time outdoors with her kids and 'Coope Sponsor:  Community Bank Murrumbeena Dog breed: Golden Retriever How we met: We have had 'Cooper' since he was a puppy. We chose him from the litter because he was a curious pup, sniffing everywhere and not afraid of loud noises. Great loves: Lots of pats ,cuddles, food and puddles of water Favourite foods: Any food that the kids eat, especially ice cream Doesn’t like:  Being told off when he steals food from the table Quirks:  Pushes his head to your hand so that you don't stop patting him
	Karen and  'Henry'  About: Karen is a children's author and loves knitting Sponsor:  Generously funded through a gift from Murrumbeena Primary School Dog breed:  Cairn Terrier How we met:  The whole family went to choose 'Henry' from a litter of happy puppies Great loves:  Tug-of-war and stories Favourite foods:  Zucchini Doesn’t like:  If you're late with dinner or breakfast Quirks:  Getting on to the kitchen table

Story Dog volunteer teams (made up of a volunteer handler and their accredited dog) visit participating schools to help children improve their reading skills by listening, not judging, and having fun with the child. 

Animal assisted programs, such as Story Dogs, have been shown to positively impact on student outcomes. 

Not only does it encourage children to practice reading fluency in an engaging way, Story Dog teams ask questions about texts and involve students in meaningful conversations about their reading. 

The program has been shown to improve children’s focus and reading skills, as well as their general engagement and motivation at school. 

As you can understand, coming to school and being able to see a furry friend is really special and treasured by students who are lucky enough to be a part of this program, and many schools have also seen a boost in school attendance amongst these children. 

Story Dogs is primarily directed towards Year 2 children, who need help for a variety of reasons with their reading skills, as this is a pivotal year in development of literacy skills and confidence. 

To this date, Story Dogs helps 2705 children; they have 541 dog teams and work in 349 schools across Australia each week. 

THIS IS WHERE WE NEED YOUR HELP, PLEASE!

We already have several volunteers, but we would love some more!

If you have a calm, gentle dog who loves children and being patted, and you would like to join a passionate team of volunteers who help children become enthusiastic about reading, Story Dogs maybe the answer!

Please note that this program requires a time commitment from you, ideally of a couple of hours a week. During these times, you would come to M.P.S. and assist small groups of students or individual students.

For more information, please get in contact murrumbeena.ps@education.vic.gov.au 

Also, check out Story Dogs website.

Please read this fantastic news article all about the program.