Therapy Dogs Nationwide provides therapy dogs and volunteers through their scheme "Paws and Read". This scheme allows children to read to a therapy dog. These dogs are gentle, non-judgemental, attentive and the perfect listeners. This scheme can help with self-esteem and behavioural problems, plus teaching children how to behave with dogs appropriately, and it also teaches them basic dog safety skills.

Polly the Reading Dog and her owner, Michael, have been visiting Portland and reading, in Years 1 and 2, during both the spring and summer terms.

Therapy Dogs Nationwide provide assessed and trained dogs for therapy visits to hospitals, nursing homes and other places, as well as the "Paws to Read" scheme in schools. https://tnd.og.uk/schools-2

Year 1 children told Miss Munnerley, our English/Reading Lead, that they love reading with Polly "as she's a good listener". Mrs Smith, their class teacher, said that 23 out of 26 children loved reading with Polly and looked forward to her weekly visits.

Deborah Zaher, Regional Community Development Manager, who organised for Polly and Michael to visit Portland said, "Reading to a friendly and calm therapy dog helps children to feel more confident about their reading, as they know that whatever they say Polly will listen and not correct them, happily accepting and listening to them. The pressure to read things correctly is taken off the children, and they feel more at ease. We are extremely grateful to Polly, Michael and Therapy Dogs Nationwide for this wonderful opportunity."