BARK donates books to kids at Christmas Tree Lane Parade

Aiming to bring attention to reading, 35 Beach Animals Reading with Kids (BARK) volunteers donated 2,500 books to kids along the Daisy Avenue Christmas Tree Lane Parade route on Saturday, Dec. 10. Founded four years ago by Josie Gavieres, BARK is a local, all-volunteer nonprofit that encourages children to improve their reading skills and self-confidence by reading aloud to certified therapy dogs.
A recent study at UC Davis showed that kids in reading dog programs increased their reading skills by 12 to 20 percent in eight weeks. Teachers find children in reading dog programs have greater self-esteem, better reading skills and higher test scores. BARK now has 95 dogs serving more than 50 schools and libraries in Los Angeles and Orange Counties.

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readingdogs.org
(562) 235-8835
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