During this Dyslexia Awareness Week 2024 – we are thinking about the importance of motivation, self-esteem and well-being and how that impacts a dyslexic learner’s story.The popularity of animal assisted education is growing, and it is our pleasure to chat with Dr Jill Steel about her experience and research in this area.

Hannah (NPQ Team): Jill, welcome and thank you for talking to us.When animals are involved with learning, this is often reported very positively – what does the research tell us about the effectiveness of animal assisted interventions?

Jill: Well, you’re right there Hannah, research in the area is growing, and findings are generally positive. Animal-assisted interventions are adopted in a range of settings, such as health and social care, and education (known as animal-assisted education or AAE), and are widely reported as having a beneficial impact on wellbeing outcomes such as feelings of reduced anxiety and increased calm.

The research literature suggests these benefits arise from the non-judgemental demeanour and unconditional positive regard bestowed on the human by the animal…most commonly a dog.The term ‘social catalyst’ is often used to report increased and enhanced social interactions in the presence of an animal.

These wellbeing outcomes might be considered the starting point for a range of learning benefits…so what I mean is… that enhanced wellbeing leads to improved learning.For example, with less anxiety comes a greater willingness to have a go without fear of making mistakes….with enhanced feelings of calm comes greater focus and concentration.This all leads toan overall enhanced learning environment, with benefits at the individual and collective level.

Hannah (NPQ Team): Often, animal assisted interventions are reported in the press as very positive, alongside some very sweet pictures of dogs with children. Does the research universally support AAE or does it reveal more of a mixed picture?

Jill: I’m glad you’ve asked about this Hannah, as this concerns me quite a bit, particularly in relation to the introduction of animals in school settings.There is a danger that schools might adopt AAE without a full understanding of the issues…and by that I mean both benefits and challenges.

One issue is that of publication bias, which refers to the over publication of research with positive outcomes at the expense of research showing no effect or even a negative effect, but it is difficult to know exactly how much of an issue this is.Another issue is that research is often published in scientific journals rather than educational ones…potentially missing the right or most relevant readership.

Certainly, I feel there can be an overinflation of benefits in the media because it makes a good story…and as you say sweet pictures of dogs and children are appealing and likely to attract more interest.This can be dangerous if the challenges and risks, for example, are overlooked. By risk I mean not only to children, but to staff too and very importantly to the dog/animal itself.

One issue I have found in my research…is an ethical concern about the impact of withdrawing a dog at the end of the programme of AAE.Particularly in vulnerable children who may have become attached to the dog, and for whom benefits are believed to be the greatest…I am concerned about any negative impact on the child about withdrawing the dog.This is an area seldom referred to in the literature but one I believe needs greater consideration.

With all that said, with due diligence undertaken and the right regulations in place, and careful attention given to the selection of the dog…as not all dogs would enjoy or be suited to the school environment… there is no doubt that AAE can be mutually beneficial to children, staff and the dog.

Hannah (NPQ Team): This blog is being published for Dyslexia Awareness Week 2024.How might a learner who specifically experiences reading challenges benefit from a Reading to Dogs programme (RTD)?

Jill: As a former teacher of learning support, I can confidently attest to the potential benefits of a RTD programme for children with dyslexia or other specific learning differences.As any teacher knows…for children with dyslexia …when the teacher says ‘take out your reading books’, feelings of anxiety can take over…the fear of reading out loud in front of others and making mistakes can be quite terrifying for children with reading difficulties. If this situation continues children are at risk of developing a negative long-term association with books and reading ..with harmful ramifications for every part of their education and life outcomes.

While creative reading programmes and schemes are plentiful, reading anxiety is often overlooked as a barrier to reading development, and in children with dyslexia anxiety might be a particularly detrimental factor.Perhaps the best way to describe how RTD might benefit children with dyslexia is to look at the research…at children’s self-reported improved feelings of calm, self-esteem, confidence and even attitudes towards books and reading.Children often refer to preferring to read to a dog rather than a human, stating that the dog does not judge or correct them but is a good listener and enjoys their reading regardless.The dog makes no difference between children… by this I mean that the dog is perceived as valuing all reading, from any ability level, equally . This breaks down barriers in the classroom helping children with reading difficulties to feel just as good as their peers… to relax… to keep trying and to find a flow to their reading.In the research, children often refer to feeling less nervous in the presence of a dog… of increased calm and enjoyment… and even the desire to read more often.This idea of the dog as a good reading companion seems to make reading more pleasurable…and in time confidence and motivation to keep practicing is increased.In research teachers have often referred to children’s increased organisation and motivation when they know a dog is due to visit.

Hannah (NPQ Team): If a school can’t get access to a RTD programme, or have learners where the presence of a dog might be problematic – are there other ways they can experience this type of intervention?

Jill: Good question Hannah…as the benefits RTD become more widely recognised, demand increases but there is definitely a shortage of RTD programmes.Online programmes seem to offer potential…certainly a key advantage of an online programme is of course that risk is almost eliminated.In my research I trialled an online 4-week programme in 3 schools with children aged 9-10 years of age. My dog Archie and I visited schools in live sessions…benefits described by children and teachers were remarkably similar to physically present RTD.While some children expressed disappointment that the dog was not physically present others said they preferred that the dog was behind the screen.The teachers also said they found the online format preferable to having a dog in a classroom due to the over excitement and distraction they felt a physically present dog would cause.

But there are issues with online delivery including the variability and sometimes unreliability of technical connections, and online safety in schools.With these issues in mind, I have begun to develop an offline RTD programme called Paws and Learn®, or PAL (the dog being a friend) for short, with my dog Archie who took part in my research.I feel PAL could have potential despite not being live…the idea being that children would develop a vicarious relationship with the dog…similar to the way they develop relationships with characters in the media and in books…they never meet these characters but feel connected to them nonetheless.Children can choose to ‘Call Archie’ on the sofa (Sofa PAL), at the beach (Beach PAL) or in the garden (Garden PAL)…to read to him.In addition, supplementary resources to help build connection to Archie are offered. If anyone is interested in learning more they can check my website at www.pawsandlearn.co.uk and sign up for updates if desired or get in touch at DrJillSteel@gmail.com if they’d like to learn more.

Thank you so much Jill for sharing your expertise in this area.We hope that during this Dyslexia Awareness Week and beyond - the information shared here will inspire you to review current practice around AAE or inspire you to think about how AAE might have a place in supporting your learners and adding to their stories.

Find out more about studying for the NPQ SENCO with the Church of England by emailing npq@churchofengland.org.