What the Program is About
The Purpose
To motivate children to discover the joys of reading and learning through the magic of contact with live horses.
Katana nibbling the boys book.
The Goal
To spark the imagination of children so they will want to read and enjoy their own sense of creativity as they escape into a world of adventure.
The 'kids' are motivated to want to read!
CHILDREN’S LITERACY: ADVICE FROM THE EXPERTS
"When it comes to preparing kids for the larger world, few skills are as important to develop as the ones involved with language and literacy." - Dr. Linda M. PhillipsLiteracy Link
Dr. Linda M. Phillips is Professor and Director of the Canadian Centre for Research on Literacy at the University of Alberta: Handbook of Language and Literacy Development: A roadmap from 0 to 60 months.
Perfect timing ...
The schools are doing a good job of teaching 'kids' to read. Reading skills are like muscles ... use it or lose it! The Arabian Horse Reading Literacy Project motivates 'kids' to want to read and enjoy reading.
Grades one through five are critical years for reading development. It is important to learn the reading basics in the early years. Those who do not, are likely to fall behind in all subject areas. If 'kids' go through the fourth grade and learn to enjoy reading, statistics indicate this increases their chances of graduating from high school and enjoying a reasonable quality of life.
The Arabian Horse Reading Literacy Project is perfectly timed to connect with students who are actively engaged in learning to read and practicing their reading skills. The students are impressionable and this exhilarating experience of working with and reading to the horses provides them with the opportunity to make reading a high priority in their lives.
"We weighed Misty by wrapping a tape around her belly. Next we measured her height in hands which are about four inches. When you measure a horse, you only go up to the highest point on the horse's shoulder which is called the withers." Colchester School.
Touch is a huge part of the program. Here, two "kids", eyes closed, rest their cheeks on the horse's soft coat, listening to horse's stomach sounds.
“Horses are outstanding teachers! The horses motivate kids to want to read.”- Gary Millar
