Dorapy

Dear Families,

We are very excited to introduce you to a new member of staff who we will be welcoming to BSQ.

Dora is a 4 year old dog who is going to become a Literacy Mentor to some of our primary students.

Below we have set out the benefits of a school dog, and tried to address concerns you may have.

Numerous research studies have shown the benefits of therapy dogs in schools. Therapy dogs have been working in schools for the past 5 years across the UK. However, they have been commonplace in schools in the USA and Australia for many years. Here in Ecuador, this is still a new field that we are excited to put in place for the benefit of our students.

Evidence indicates that benefits include:

• Cognitive – companionship with a dog stimulates memory, problem-solving and game-playing
• Social – a dog provides a positive mutual topic for discussion, encourages responsibility, wellbeing and focused interaction with others
• Emotional – a school dog improves self-esteem, acceptance from others and lifts mood, often provoking laughter and fun. Dogs can also teach compassion and respect for other living things as well as relieving anxiety.
• Physical – interaction with a furry friend reduces blood pressure, provides tactile stimulation, assists with pain management, gives motivation to move, walk and stimulates the senses
• Environmental – a dog in a school increases the sense of a family environment, with all of the above benefits continuing long after the school day is over.
• Reading – reading to dogs has been proven to help children develop literacy skills and build confidence, through both the calming effect the dog’s presence has on children as well as the fact that a dog will listen to children read without being judgemental or critical. This comforting environment helps to nurture children’s enthusiasm for reading and provides them with the confidence to read aloud.

More information about this can be requested to our SENCo at sleon@britishschoolquito.edu.ec

If you have any concerns regarding this please do not hesitate to contact us.