At a school in Milan, language and expression difficulties are tackled with empathy — the kind that develops between children and a “reading dog” who accompanies them in their school activities.
An intimate, natural empathy that develops through eye contact, posture and closeness. Thanks to two "reading dogs", Ruh and Belle, a group of children with language and expression difficulties has discovered the pleasure of reading. All of this takes place at the Giovanni Battista Perasso school in Via Bottego, on the outskirts of Milan, thanks to a project created by Elena Sposito, a professional educator, and Maggie Patron, a support teacher. With Ruh and Belle, the young pupils learn to face their fears and difficulties in expression at a school where 70 per cent of pupils come from non-European countries and many children have not yet integrated into the social context that hosts them.
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The neighbourhood has its share of squatted buildings, fights and drug dealing. But it also has an oasis of learning and knowledge, where children discover reading and the pleasure of hearing their own voice as they narrate great little stories by important writers. Together with Patron, who has been a support teacher since 1990, Sposito launched the project at the Giovanni Battista Perasso school, which will serve as a trailblazer for further initiatives. The reading dog activities take place inside the school, where a special classroom has been set up that is comfortable for both children and dogs. Each time, a story or a passage is chosen for the children to read aloud to the dogs, and reading thus takes on a playful character, shedding the connotation that children are being judged on how "capable" they are.
"The aim is to share reading and fun with the dog, in order to give back some of the pleasure of reading," says Sposito. "All of this is directed and guided by the practitioners, who provide stimuli and give guidance to the young pupils." The hope is that in this way the children will gradually develop a love of reading, verbal expression and communication with the outside world, in a shared journey in which the dog proves an indispensable companion.
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"The presence of and interaction with dogs proves positive for all children, and in particular for those with Dsa (specific learning disabilities)," explains Patron. "The dog is an excellent attention-gatherer and its presence in the classroom creates a pleasant atmosphere. Many young children affected by specific disorders share a strong sense of frustration: they struggle with activities that come easily to others and are well aware that they are not managing. These 'lived experiences' further affect their performance, and this happens above all at school, where, despite the interventions put in place to support them, the comparison with their peers is constant."
It was precisely this situation that gave rise to the idea of pairing dogs with children. Before embarking on the process that led to the project's implementation, it was assessed with the support of Dsa specialists and with the referents of the Via Bottego school. It was observed that one of the most deeply felt needs was related to reading difficulties. "The dog is a wonderful reading companion," says Sposito. "First of all, it is not 'judgemental' and does not require perfect performance. A dog can wait as long as the child needs to read, and wags its tail regardless, lavishing it with affection and attention." Not to mention the pleasure of stroking a cheerful four-legged friend whose warm, engaged contact relieves stress and helps with concentration. This is an enormous incentive that proves important for children who still feel like outsiders, poorly accepted by the institutions and the society that should be welcoming them.
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Alongside Belle, a beautiful golden retriever, is the little dog Ruh — short for Ruera, meaning rubbish — whose name comes from the fact that she was abandoned among refuse, in a rubbish bin. She was nearly dead: a passer-by heard her whimpering and called for help. As a puppy, she made a long journey from Reggio Calabria, where she was rescued, to Milan, where she finally found a home and a family.
Ruh has now become indispensable to the children of the Milan school. She communicates empathy, affection and calm. She captivates with her kind, deep gaze. "The animals are assessed by the vet in our team," explains Sposito. "Each dog is chosen on the basis of the project and the type of end users. It is not a general suitability assessment but one specific to the project in question. The animals we work with are privately owned, but since we are a team we are also able to work with a colleague's dog, as there is an important bond between all members of the group."
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The meeting between Sposito and Patron was fundamental to the success of the reading dog project. "I am a professional educator, project manager and referent in Eaa (animal-assisted educational activities), and a handler for dogs, cats and rabbits in Iaa (animal-assisted interventions, with direct recognition from the national reference centre)," explains Sposito, "and I have worked for 12 years for the social cooperative Tempo per l'infanzia, coordinating and designing educational interventions in collaboration with teams specialised in pet therapy."
Sposito and Patron, along with Ruh and Belle, will be at BookCity, the book festival taking place in Milan from 16 to 19 November. Joining them will be the third- and fourth-year primary school children from the Via Bottego school. "Many parents have asked for the reading dog project to be extended to middle school as well," says Patron, "and for us it is extremely important to give the initiative scientific validity, so that it teaches people to recognise the specific contribution of dogs to the learning of children with language and expression difficulties." This is also the aim of a project with the Centro neurologico Mondino di Pavia dedicated to children with eating-related disorders, a collaboration that began two years ago. Ruh and Belle and their four-legged companions thus hold great promise for fostering empathy between people and animals — an empathy that can then help overcome class and social divides, those stemming from different levels of education, and those due to the colour of one's skin.