Reading to dogs is an unusual way to help children improve their literacy skills. With their shining brown eyes, wagging tails and unconditional love dogs can provide the nonjudgmental listeners needed for a beginning reader to gain confidence according to Intermountain Therapy Animals(ITA)in Salt Lake City．The group says it is the first program in the country to use dogs to help develop literacy in children with the introduction of Reading Education Assistance Dogs(READ)．
给狗朗读是一种可以帮助孩子们提高读写能力的不同寻常的方法。根据位于盐湖城的国际动物治疗中心（ITA）研究表明，狗作为没有判断能力的倾听者，通过它们闪烁的棕色眼睛，摇晃的尾巴，和无条件的爱，可以为刚刚开始学习朗读的孩子增强自信心。在《朗读教育辅助犬》一书的开篇介绍中，研究人员说，这是本国首个用狗来帮助提高孩子读写能力的研究项目。
The Salt Lake City Public Library is sold on the idea．“Literacy specialists admit that children who read below the level of their fellow pupils are often afraid of reading aloud in a group often have lower self-respect and regard reading as a headache ”said Lisa Myron manager of the children's department．
盐湖城公共图书馆正是接受这一观点。儿童部经理丽莎·迈伦说：“读写专家认为，阅读水平低于同伴水平的儿童往往害怕在集体中大声朗读，他们往往比较自卑，把阅读看成是一件令人头痛的事情”。
Last November the two groups started“Dog Day Afternoon”in the children's department of the main library．About 25 children attended each of the four Saturday-afternoon classes reading for half an hour．Those who attended three of the four classes received a “paragraphed” book at the last class．
去年11月，两个小组在主图书馆的儿童部开始了名为“狗的下午”的活动。大约25名儿童参加，每周六下午，一共四次课，每节课阅读半小时。参加了三次课的学生会在最后一次课上收到一本“分段”书。
The program was so successful that the library plans to repeat it in April according to Dana Thumpowsky public relations manager．
据Dana Thumpowsky公共关系经理介绍，该项目非常成功，图书馆计划在4月份重启。
