Reading dog celebrates 14th birthday at Milo Elementary

MILO — For the last two years Erma the READing (Reading Education Assistance Dog) Dog has been visiting Milo Elementary School to visit classrooms and work one on one with students who are struggling with reading and also has been stopping by during summer sessions.

The German Shorthaired Pointer recently turned 14 — having been an Alliance of Therapy dog for 13 years as well as a READing dog — and Erma and her handler READing with Erma Founder April Taylor celebrated the birthday at Milo Elementary on Oct. 2.

“Kids are pulled out of school for something positive, not negative,” Taylor, a resident of Lakeland, Florida who has summered in the area for well over a dozen years, said before students at the kindergarten to grade 2 school came into the multipurpose room.

“We enjoy coming and visiting the children in their classrooms but our real goal is to encourage children to read more and have confidence in their reading,” she said.

Students will have 15-minute sessions to read with Erma by their side. The dog may put a paw or head on the student and Taylor said when this happens she can see the tension go right out of the child’s body.

Children improve their reading skills in a unique and fun environment, free of performance pressure. The program is extremely flexible and can be implemented in many settings. The participants gain self-esteem as they begin to master the skills of reading.

“It’s not all us but I notice a change in their attitude,” Taylor said. Students look forward to their sessions with Erma, doing their best to make sure they are not absent that day and having specific titles picked out in advance to read aloud to their canine friend.

After the students all took a seat on the floor, and Taylor brought the leashed Erma around to be petted, the birthday celebration began. She said the dog is now 14, twice as old as most of the students, and that equals about 98 in human years.

“Erma wants to share the love of reading with you,” Taylor said, as the group sang “Happy Birthday”.

Taylor told the youngsters that Erma realizes she already has many dog toys, so instead of getting birthday gifts for herself she wanted to give something to all her friends. 

Each student got to come up and pick from a table covered with books, picture and chapter books for the various ages and abilities, each with a READing with Erma sticker. The pupils also got to enjoy birthday cupcakes.

“We’re going to continue coming to your classroom and reading to you,” Taylor said. 

She said a summer reading contest will give everyone another free book as they are tasked with reading 15-20 minutes a day.

In the near future Milo Elementary will have a Storybook Pumpkin Contest with Erma. READing with Erma provides pumpkins to all classroom teachers who would like to take part and the classes design their pumpkin to resemble a favorite book character (Taylor and Erma are currently working on their pumpkins).

Prizes will include a pizza party, cupcakes and more.

At the conclusion of the program Erma showed the students her reading ability. With Taylor showing the dog a series of cue cards, Erma was able to follow the written commands such as down, paw, high five and speak.

Erma and Taylor have been volunteering in the area for eight years, reading with elementary students at the SeDoMoCha School as well as at the Thompson Free Library for anyone who wants to snuggle with Erma on her dog bed.

“In Maine, as in other areas in the nation, reading is a struggle in many homes,” Milo Elementary Principal Tina Dumond said in a statement before Erma’s birthday celebration. “One of the best things parents can do with their children is read with them. With so many devices out there now, there is a lack of physical reading material in many homes unless the parents are able to acquire books. As a consequence there is a decline of children being read to at home. We want to change that and make reading a fun activity at home between parent and child.”

“There is no app to replace a child sitting in your lap and listening to a book,” Taylor said, mentioning an idea she has is to post signage with this phrase outside schools.

“Reading to your child for just 15 minutes a day drastically changes a child’s life,” said Thompson Free Library Youth Services Librarian Michele Fagan in a statement, “It helps them prepare for school and it continues to make learning connections in reading and writing especially. It created a bond and a safe feeling with children and their caregivers. Thompson Free Library is here to help increase families’ reading and putting books in children’s hands by offering storylines, free cards for residents of Penobscot and Piscataquis counties and multiple times a year we give kids free books to keep so they can grow their own home libraries. We want to continue to grow healthy readers in our community and beyond.”

READing with Erma has put in a pair of Free Little Libraries in the region, one at SeDoMoCha and the other in Sebec Village. In 2019 the organization developed “Erma’s Books on the Bus”, a program where all the buses at SeDoDoCha had a tub of books for the children to read.  

“Some of these children have a 20-minute, one-way ride,” Taylor said in a statement. “We wanted to give them the opportunity to read and relax.”