National Pingtung University, in association with the university’s affiliated Experimental Elementary School, has started a program introducing dogs as study aides for young children to improve their concentration.
Students from the university’s department of special education brought two dogs to the elementary school’s library, where the dogs stayed with the children as they read.
The university students said the dogs could help encourage children to study, as playtime with the dogs could be offered as a reward after completing their assignments.
Photo: Luo Hsin-chen, Taipei Times
Children who are more active and need encouragement to focus on their work can often become stressed by the pressure teachers and parents place on them, the university said, adding that children might find it more worthwhile to finish their reading with the incentive of playing with dogs as a reward.
The program could also be of use to children with mental or physical disabilities, the university said.
Children who finish their assignments could feed the dogs, hug and pet them, or play catch with them, the university said.
The elementary school is using two dogs, a golden retriever named Emma and a Welsh corgi named Didi, during a trial period for the program, the university said.
The department said the construction of classrooms that could accommodate higher numbers of dogs is scheduled to be finished by Friday next week.
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