Will Hunter, Yorke Peninsula Country Times

Local school students continue to be supported in becoming lifelong learners by furry reading companions.

Each week during the school term, Story Dog volunteers spend a couple of hours encouraging students to read aloud to their dogs, boosting the students’ confidence and literacy skills.

The program, founded in 2009, has grown on Yorke Peninsula with more people taking up the call to lend their four-legged friends, and their time, to the cause.

Local coordinator Julie Johnston said volunteers and children benefit from the program.

“The volunteers feel as if they’re making a difference, and the kids actually enjoy the process of reading aloud to a dog, it encourages them to be lifelong learners,” she said.

“On the other side, I believe the volunteers also enjoy having their dog as part of the program as they know their dog is special and has the right temperament to work with kids.

“The confidence of the students involved in the program grows as well — often the conversation isn’t all about reading, you get to learn a lot about the kids and they get to learn about you.”

Ms Johnston said the support from local sponsors has been crucial in allowing the program to flourish across the peninsula.

“Each dog team needs to find a sponsor, so their support has been fantastic,” she said.

“My thanks go to Ardrossan, Maitland and Moonta Progress Associations, Wallaroo Lions Club, M&M Companion Dogs, Member for Narungga Fraser Ellis, Stansbury Primary School and Seaside Vets, Wallaroo, who have all sponsored one of our Story Dogs.

“We’re still looking for volunteers, especially in the southern YP area, where we have schools such as Warooka Primary wanting to start but haven’t found a volunteer yet.” To find out more, visit www.storydogs.org.au/ or contact Ms Johnston via juliej@storydogs.org.au or 0438 382 393.

This article appeared in Yorke Peninsula Country Times, 16 January 2024.