Five classmates share a red blanket on the floor next to their desks. In the middle of their small pack sits Zoe, calm, comfortable and very furry.

Ten small hands stroke Zoe's back and boxy head as the first-graders listen raptly to Wendy Kweller as she reads the book "Listen Buddy." Kweller, of Coto de Caza, and her chocolate Labrador are part of the program called "Reading Education Assistance Dogs" or R.E.A.D.

The program – in which children read to therapy animals – celebrates its 10th anniversary this month. The Prentice School, a private, nonprofit facility in Santa Ana for children with "language learning differences" has included R.E.A.D in its curriculum for a year.

Carol Clark, the school's executive director, explains that many of Prentice's pupils have difficulty "breaking the code" that connects language fluency and comprehension. The act of reading, she says, often makes no sense to the students.

Add a dog to the environment and students often will overlook their social inhibitions and embarrassment at stumbling over words.

Kweller's 7-year-old son, Benjamin, is a pupil at Prentice. It was Kweller's suggestion the school welcome Zoe and R.E.A.D. to help students improve their reading skills.

She and Zoe visit the school twice a week and spend four hours reading with children. With Zoe at their side, she says, "The kids are not really aware that they're reading anymore."

Maryanne Dell, a pets writer at The Register, also brings her therapy dog, Jitterbug, to R.E.A.D. sessions at Prentice. Dell has watched students go from shy to interactive with her and Jitterbug.

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