OUR IMPACT

The Story Dogs Impact in Australia

Take a moment to be inspired by some amazing stories of the success of the Story Dogs program. Some of these stories also show why Story Dogs is so much more than a reading support program. We change lives!

‘Polly'

My son read to 'Polly' last year and looked forward to Wednesday’s every week. He is so much more confident now because of Robyn and 'Polly'. Even though he is too old for the program this year, he mentions at least once a week how much he misses 'Polly'. He even shed a few tears knowing that she won’t be attending the school anymore. Thank you so much Robyn and 'Polly', you have changed my son’s life for the better.

‘Zell'

"My son was crying and upset to go back to school today...then he spotted his Story Dog, 'Zell' and he ran into the classroom!"

‘Holly'

In one term, I have seen a delightful little girl go from reading like a quiet mouse to a roaring tiger (as per ‘Holly’s’ request), and a little boy who started on level 12 at the beginning of the term and reached level 25 by the end. The little boy’s teacher is amazed, but watching him with 'Holly', it is clear that he just needed a reason to sit still while he reads. Patting 'Holly' while reading was the perfect excuse.

'Rosie'

This is a story about Jayon…..the little boy that could.


Jayon is a Year 2 student that wanted nothing to do with reading! He found it overwhelming and struggled to stay focused which meant he was disinterested in his school work….until he met 'Rosie'!

'Rosie' and I began our Story Dog journey at Northshore Christian Grammar School in Term 2 this year. When Jayon first came to read with us, I noticed a few things about his reading. For example, he would guess the words and become distracted very easily. He was unable to hold the book still

which would obviously make it difficult for him to read and he would lose interest very quickly which meant I would have to read to him.

So I came up with a plan. I decided that I would hold the book instead and point to each word and helped him to sound the words out instead of guessing. To keep him focused and still, I asked him to pat/massage 'Rosie’s' back which helped keep his hands busy. 'Rosie' certainly didn’t mind a bit!

Using these methods, Jayon’s reading improved every week! He developed a beautiful bond with 'Rosie' and she would show him so much love and affection! She knew that he needed her and it was lovely to watch them together.

As the weeks went by, Jayon’s enthusiasm for reading became stronger. He FINALLY loved reading!


He told me he would even read to his own dog at home! His wonderful teacher also kept me up to date with his progress in class. It was wonderful to hear that not only had his reading improved dramatically but his writing, focus and behaviour has also improved! By the end of the last term of

school, he had climbed 9….yes 9 reading levels!! Each week I was astounded at how much he had improved and how he would absolutely nail those big words which was once very scary! If that wasn’t amazing in itself, I was then informed that he would be receiving the Growth Award at the end of year Awards Assembly!

I was fortunate to be able to witness the wonderful moment Jayon was presented with his award and was extremely proud that the Story Dogs program was given some credit to his achievement, alongside the hard work and patience from his teachers and of course Jayon’s determination and

perseverance! It was an emotional and proud moment for his lovely family as well who were very grateful to 'Rosie' and I! 


These success stories are the reason programs such as Story Dogs are so important! ALL of my students looked forward to 'Rosie' and I visiting every week and their little smiles and day so much brighter! Knowing that my beautiful 'Rosie' and I can have such a huge impact on their future makes it

all worthwhile!

We will miss our time with Jayon, however we couldn’t be prouder! We will always remember him as, ‘the little boy that could’…...and he did!

Teacher Feedback

Game Changer

Story Dogs has been a game-changer for many of our most disadvantaged students at Gillwinga Public School. We have a high number of students with ADHD, ASD and trauma and we have found that ‘Rusty’ has not only broken barriers in terms of reading instruction for many of our kids, but has also been instrumental in helping them learn to regulate their emotional responses and provide joy in their lives. You can see their faces light up when he enters the school gate, and the students are always begging to read with ‘Rusty’. We can't thank Kathy and Story Dogs enough for what they bring to our school.

John Galea, Learning Support Teacher.

Best Decision

"Story dogs is one of the best decision as a school we could have made to support our children. Thank you all for your hard work and dedication. Kindest Regards"

Deanne Taylor

Principal

Lalor Park Public School

72 Heffron Road Lalor Park 2147

Children wanting to read

Phil Hesse, the principal at St Simon the Apostle Primary School in Rowville, VIC, sent us this note:

“We are re-commencing the program tomorrow and I cannot stress enough how successful the program has been.

The program has been a wonderful initiative with the children WANTING to read to Samson.”

Best Thing

The principal of South Kempsey School said that after the Regional Director and the Area Director from the Department of Education did a tour of the school, while the Story Dogs were conducting reading sessions with their students their comment to the principal was..... ‘ the best thing about South Kempsey School is the Story Dogs’.

So appreciative of your support

"We are so appreciative of your support which allows us to run story dogs in our school.

We have seen such growth in our students this year. I would love to share with you that 2 year 4 students that read with 'Ziggy' actually made the finals of our Dramatic Reading Competition, with 1 student coming first and the other one 3rd. So lovely to see their confidence improve so that they could read beautifully in front of a large audience."

Kalamunda Christian School


A large majority of our dog teams are fully sponsored

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