Pets make great 'Reading Buddies' for children

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Hi everyone,

Currently I am in my final year at university, studying Early Childhood Studies.

During one of my previous lectures I learnt that it can be significantly beneficial for children to read to pets. I thought this would be a good thing to share, as it is not something I had really thought about before and so had never tried with my son (age 7), therefore I thought this might come in useful for others with young children.

Reading to pets can help children develop their literacy skills and build confidence. This is because the environment is more comforting for the child and the pet is not at all critical of the child's reading ability. Therefore, highlighting this as a very beneficial activity for children to engage in with a pet.

Since finding this out I have asked my son whether he would like to read a story to our only pet Snowy the hamster, of which he has and really enjoyed. On several occasions Snowy has gone into his house once my son has started reading, so I told my son that the hamster thinks it is his bedtime story.

Often, it is dogs that are that are known for supporting children's reading in this way, however I believe this to be the same for many pets. Furthermore, my son enjoys reading more and gets excited by Snowy's response, thus I believe reading to the hamster has definitely been beneficial.

Does anyone else's children read to a pet, or is this something that people are not so aware of??

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