What is Animal-Assisted Education?
Barbara Vokatis describes it as bringing therapy dogs right to educational settings. Children can lay down and engage with the furry friends, read to them, pet them, walk them around, and so much more all while learning.
How Covid Impacted Dog Therapy
Vokatis says the pandemic impacted peoples social skills, so she found new innovative ways to keep the fun alive with her dog. She read second-grade children stories about the dog therapy experience, which inspired them to write their own stories. She also had children struggling with math have her dog pick what equations to do, which made learning more exciting.
What Inspired This Movement?
Vokatis says children struggling with school inspired her to take on this new approach to give them new ways to learn that bring fun and excitement back to the classroom.
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