The goal of the S.M.I.L.E. (Silent Mentors In Literacy Education) Program is to improve, encourage, and nurture the literacy skills of children with the help of certified therapy pets in libraries and school settings. This innovative program is geared toward children who need to develop more confidence in reading, especially those who struggle with reading fluency and comprehension. Through regular interactions with friendly and trained therapy animals, children are provided a safe and non-judgmental environment that fosters a love for reading. A child who has reading difficulties or is hesitant to read aloud may find it more relaxing and less stressful to read to a pet than to a person, as the presence of a calm animal can help ease anxiety and build self-esteem. In addition to improving literacy skills, the program promotes emotional well-being, social skills, and a sense of responsibility as children learn to care for and engage with these wonderful therapy pets.

The S.M.I.L.E. program is currently in libraries and schools all over Gloucester, Salem and Cumberland Counties.

Purpose: To improve their literacy, inflection, communication, and vocabulary skills of children while boosting their attention span and confidence. 
Environment: A quiet room with the child, the therapy pet, and the handler. The teacher is also in the room or sitting right outside the door but within the line of sight. This encourages focus since there is little noise and distraction during the sessions.
Time: 5-15 minutes per child for a reading session. The maximum amount of children is usually around 5-8 per school session to ensure that the session does not overextend the therapy pet’s capabilities. 
In addition to improving literacy skills and an overall interest in reading, a therapy pet program in schools may offer the following benefits to the reader:

• Increased Compassion                  
• Confidence                                       
• Stress relief
• Better focus                                           
•  Socialization                                   
•  Improved moods
• Increased attention span                    
•  Calming influence                                              
•  Practice in being gentle and kind to animals

The children may have one or more of the following issues that make reading difficult:

• Poor frustration tolerance                   
• Learning challenges                    
• Behavioral disorders
• Down’s syndrome                                  
• ADD or ADHD                                
• Asperger’s or Autism Spectrum Disorder                                           
• Developmental Delays​                                                     
• A Stutter or Tic disorder

It is our experience when sitting down in a quiet room with a loving animal, a child will immediately feel comfort and compassion. There isn’t anyone who will critique the child’s reading ability. The therapy animal is there to be a supportive, quiet presence. A pet cannot comment or criticize on how well (or how poorly) the child is reading. The child can nuzzle, pet, or brush the dog while he/she is reading. The entire experience is positive. The pet receives lots of attention and cuddles while the child experiences an environment that encourages his or her confidence in reading. 
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​Below are just a few examples of the positive changes that have been seen in children who have attended.
An angry child has had a bad week and has acted out in class. He has been reprimanded and made to stay in at recess. The teacher has advised that this might not be a good day for him to participate in reading to the dog, but she brings him in anyway. The boy is sullen and looks angry. He refuses to speak to the handler or the teacher. However, when he is handed the dog’s brush and encouraged to simply sit down and pet her — that he doesn’t even have to read if he doesn’t want to — he immediately sits next to the dog, picks up his book and starts reading. Within seconds, the sullen disposition has been replaced with a wide smile and laughter as he reads a funny part from his book. No more bad mood. 

Another boy who was a bit leery of dogs at first overcomes his apprehension within a few sessions. He sees how calm the dog is and he is encouraged to brush her since he is hesitant to actually pet her. By the third session, he has discarded the brush entirely so that he can pet her. He eventually asks if he can feed her treats. His fear of dogs has completely evaporated. 

A child with Down’s syndrome loves the program and looks forward to her session every other week with the dog. She now specifically takes time either at home or in the school library to select a book that she thinks the dog will enjoy listening to. This experience has encouraged her to try to read new and different books. 

Some of the children are not able to have pets for various reasons (i.e. a sibling with allergies, living in a building where pets aren’t allowed), and the reading program provides them with the opportunity to interact with a dog or cat when they would otherwise not have the chance to do so. This interaction teaches the child to be gentle and kind to the pet, how to properly brush or stroke the pet, how to properly give treats, and how to speak in a kind voice to the animal. Also, the kids love to ask about the dog – what she eats, how often she eats each day, if she’s healthy, what types of treats she likes, what commands she knows, etc. This is another valuable experience because they are learning how to properly care for a pet.  

There are many examples of children who started with the program with picture books or simple readers and  have moved on to more advanced books and longer amounts of time reading to the pet as their confidence and love of reading grows.