Tales for Tails: All about a ‘paw-some’ reading program in Colorado Springs!

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) - Dogs may be man's best friend - but they're a child's best reading partner!

One Thursday afternoon a month for the last nearly three years, a small, nondescript building near South Academy and Platte overflows with the sound of paws padding across the carpet and children sounding out vowels.

This is Tales for Tails, a "paw-some" program run within an amazing Colorado Springs non-profit!

"Tales for Tails is a program we have once a month where therapy dogs come in and children can read to them," said Judy Cara, executive director of Friends of the Children. "This really helps to improve their confidence with their reading skills, and they're a little more relaxed around the dogs than they might be in a typical classroom situation."

Friends of the Children is a mentorship program, focused on nurturing and uplifting kids from the most difficult backgrounds. The program website states the mission is: "Impacting generational change by empowering youth who are facing the greatest obstacles through relationships with professional mentors."

The program enrolls children between the ages of 4 and 6, pairs them with mentors and stays with them until all the way until they graduate high school.

"Twelve-plus years, no matter what," the website reads.

"Each one of our mentors - we call them friends - have eight children they are responsible for, and they spend four hours a week with each child. Typically, two hours at school - it could be playing basketball with them or sitting alongside them in math to give them more confidence; we don't give them the answers, just confidence! - then the other two hours, they come here to the clubhouse. They play games, they do crafts, or so on."

Cara came up with the idea of adding a reading program for the kids in late 2021, inspired by a similar program she had seen at local libraries.

"I thought it might be great fun to bring the dogs to the children once a month to do this. So we reached out to the Go Team in Colorado Springs, and they come in and bring different dogs each month."

The benefits have been immediate!

"The children love coming in and talking to them. Like today, when the dogs arrived, there were some little girls here, and they rushed to the door and gathered around the dogs," Cara said.

The kids then go grab a book off the shelves, choose a cozy spot with their mentor, and start reading to the pups! The kids hone their reading skills, while the dog do what they do best: lying around, looking cute, and getting petted.

"Someone said to me one time, 'What kind of stories do the dogs like?' But I think they're pretty impartial!" Cara said with a laugh.

She does believe on some level, the dogs understand they're helping the kids.

"I think the dogs really enjoy interacting with the children. ... You can see it: They're wagging their tales and watching the children to see what they're doing. They don't miss a thing, they really are watching what's happening. I think they really understand these children are trying to improve their reading skills, and they're very patient with them."

The benefits are even there for the adults.

"Quite honestly, the mentors have a stressful job. Sometimes the children are struggling, their home situation may be more challenging," Cara said. "And so, for the staff as well as the children, it really is great therapy. We get to relax and pet the dogs and talk to the dogs."

But as with everything else Friends of the Children does, Tales for Tails is about what it does for the kids.

"Oh, it makes me feel wonderful," Cara said when I asked her how it feels to see the kids improving their skills. "Everything we do with these kids is really to improve their standard of living, their lifestyle, their educational opportunities."

I visited the clubhouse in June and again in September and saw firsthand how the kids are flourishing with the support of these furry friends! One little boy in particular was a much more confident reader when I saw him in September versus June. I watched him read to his mentor and Tater Tot the therapy dog at a speed he didn't have three months earlier, and the best moment came when he closed that paperback with his proud mentors - human and canine, looking on!

"I can't believe I finished the book this time!" the little boy said. "I didn't read the whole book last time, and that's why I wanted to try it."