Fall 2011 Update
Hamilton is very excited about participating in the Goodwill Canine Reading Program! Hamilton partnered with Read 20 during the summer to provide community read-alouds at various local state parks, and now, Goodwill has started reading programs with Big Ridge and Nolan Elementary Schools. This special project involves having children read aloud to our specially-trained canines. The dogs provide a safe, nonjudgmental environment in which to practice. The dogs won’t make fun of or laugh at a child who stumbles over a sentence or mispronounces a word, but rather, dogs like Hamilton provide unconditional support. Our goal is to inspire children to discover the joy of reading, and research shows that these programs produce real results in the form of increased reading test scores, self-esteem, and classroom participation.
Hamilton hopes that this is a small way that he can give back to the school children of Hamilton County, who sponsored his care and training! Thank you HCDE for making Goodwill’s canine therapy services and assistance dog program possible!
Ramona Nichols
Goodwill Assistance Dog Academy
Program Director
3500 Dodds Avenue
Chattanooga, TN 37407
423) 629-2501 ext. 2590
http://goodwillchatt.org
ramona.nichols@goodwillchatt.org