Comparing Canine-Assisted, Stuffed Animal, and Traditional Reading Interventions for Struggling Second-Grade Readers

This quasi-experimental study investigated the short- and long-term effects of animal-assisted literacy (AAL) interventions on both reading performance and emotional valence in second-grade struggling readers. To examine whether different modes of delivering the same foundational reading intervention were associated with different reading performance and emotions related to reading, four conditions were compared: therapy dog intervention, stuffed bear intervention, classic intervention (without animals), and a no intervention reference group of typically achieving peers. Ninety-two second-graders who were identified with reading difficulties participated in the current study. Participants in the intervention conditions received the same standardized, multi-dimensional reading intervention, adapted only in its mode of AAL delivery according to each condition: therapy dog, stuffed bear, or classic mentor-only delivery. Participants were assessed at three time-points: pre-intervention, post-intervention, and six months post-intervention to evaluate both short- and long-term effects on reading performance and emotion related to reading. Findings revealed that each intervention condition benefited different aspects of reading and emotions. There was a long-term trend of reduced reading anxiety in the children participating in the AAL dog group, with exploratory analyses showing that a greater proportion of the participants had maintained improvements in reading self-concept; a pattern of results that calls for replication in larger samples. However, the stuffed bear group demonstrated the most significant improvement in basic reading skills, while the dog and classic intervention groups showed short-term gains in reading comprehension. All intervention groups improved in reading accuracy and fluency in both short and long terms. These findings suggest that different modes of animal-assisted literacy interventions may benefit specific literacy skills and emotional outcomes, rather than a one-size-fits-all approach to reading interventions. Our research advances the understanding of AAL interventions and their potential for supporting struggling young readers, providing insights to inform targeted literacy support strategies, based on students’ specific difficulties in literacy skills and emotions related to reading, as well as intervention goals.