GAINESVILLE, Ga. (AP) - For a child who has trouble reading, it can be embarrassing to read out loud at school.
Sometimes children need someone who will listen and not judge. At Chestnut Mountain Creative School of Inquiry, that's what Wicket does.
Wicket is the 6-year-old therapy dog of school counselor Sonia Stewart. Wicket meets with students by appointment each Friday to listen to them read.
"Children who have struggles with reading are much more confident reading to dogs because the dog is nonjudgmental," Stewart said. "The kids don't feel like he is someone who will correct them or tell them they are doing it wrong."
Stewart said she adopted Wicket from the Humane Society when he was 8 weeks old. He began his therapy program at Chestnut Mountain in September, after completing training and registration this summer.
"I've been working with him since he was a puppy on training, but over the summer he went through a registered therapy dog exam through Pet Partners and passed the evaluation," Stewart said. "There are certain things they look for with temperament and basic obedience skills. They also look at the relationship between the handler and the animal, making sure that person is aware of what's going on with their dog and advocating for their dog."
The school sent information home to parents at the start of the school year to see who would be interested in their child reading to Wicket.
On a recent school day, 12 children in second, third and fifth grades at the school read with him. Stewart said the program is based on research by Intermountain Therapy Animals, but it is open to any child at the school.
"Usually we look for the kids who struggle with reading a little bit more, but anybody can do it," she said. "It's great with reading confidence and helps with their comprehension. It helps develop a love for reading and not just video games."
Children meet with Wicket one-on-one during 30-minute intervals, with breaks in between so he doesn't get tired or overwhelmed.