Abstract
Abstract The “L.E.R. Cãofiante”* project was implemented with first-grade pupils who took part in reading sessions animated by a librarian in partnership with her dogs. The goal was to evaluate the effect of this intervention on children’s emotions regarding reading (enjoyment, anxiety, boredom). The participants were 80 children (47 in the Intervention Group (IG); 33 in the Comparison Group (CG)). Parents and teachers answered a questionnaire about children’s involvement, and the children answered one about reading emotions. For data processing, repeated measures ANOVA was used along with content analysis of the answers to the questionnaires. The results showed different emotional profiles of children in the IG and the CG, mostly regarding enjoyment, which increased in the IG. Data from parents and teachers corroborated this conclusion, emphasising positive experiences which allowed an understanding of the role of dogs in children’s enjoyment and interest in reading.
Highlights
In the educational context, learning to read and write takes on an important and often crucial weight in the success or failure of children
By comparing interactions with dogs and the reading of books, the results have shown that the interactions with animals were as relaxing and stress-relieving as the reading of a book, possibly even more beneficial because of the positive effects caused by rises in oxytocin, prolactin and β-Endorphin
In addition to the Intervention Group, data were gathered from two other classes which were used as the Comparison Group and which did not participate in the project
Summary
In the educational context, learning to read and write takes on an important and often crucial weight in the success or failure of children. Emoções Face à Leitura arises to help in dealing with these difficulties by creating a safe, affective and non-judgemental reading environment, through an animal that helps these children feel increasingly at ease, confident and joyful with reading (Jalongo, 2005; Shaw, 2013). This aspect of Animal Assisted Reading becomes even more important as we know that, in a learning context, emotions such as enjoyment, hope, pride, anger, anxiety or boredom are frequently present, very often in an intense manner, and that they have an important role in academic development (Pekrun, 2013, 2014)
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