Students at Charles G. Harker School in Woolwich Township celebrated Read Across America Day — which officially happened Tuesday but is observed all week long — by reading to some of FURever as Friends’ therapy dogs and a cat on Friday.
Read Across America Day is an annual event aiming to encourage reading among children and is held every year on or near to Dr. Seuss’ birthday, March 2.
Students from Charles G. Harker School celebrate Read Across America Day by reading to dogs — and a cat — from FURever As Friends, in Woolwich Township, Friday, March 4, 2022. Joe Warner | For NJ Advance Media
Approximately 785 students in grades 3 to 5 visited with the pets throughout the day.
FURever as Friends, a registered nonprofit with volunteers based in Gloucester, Salem, Cumberland and Camden counties, has certified pet therapy teams that regularly visit both libraries and schools.
The organization has several programs, such as S.M.I.L.E. (Silent Mentors In Literacy Education), which is aimed at children who are having difficulty reading or need to gain more confidence in their reading by giving them a less stressful and relaxing environment to build their skills, as pets don’t criticize or correct as the child reads aloud.
Students from Charles G. Harker School celebrate Read Across America Day by reading to dogs from FURever As Friends, in Woolwich Township, Friday, March 4, 2022. Joe Warner | For NJ Advance Media
For more information on scheduled visits to libraries, visit the FURever As Friends website at fureverasfriends.org or the group’s Facebook page.
For more photos, click on the photo gallery below.
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Lori M. Nichols may be reached at lnichols@njadvancemedia.com.