From Miniature Horse World: "A Read-aloud Literacy Program for Children and Mini Horses"

A Read-aloud Literacy Program for Children and Mini Horses

Liz Delfs, founder of My Little Horse Listener, has created a clever way to incorporate literacy, positive reinforcement and Miniature horses into a successful program that helps children with reading difficulties. This program utilizes Miniature horses as “listeners” for children who are not comfortable and confident when reading aloud in the presence of others whom they perceive to be judging their reading skills. It is indisputable that reading aloud creates stronger readers and is an important step in a child’s literacy development. Increased fluency and comprehension, grammar, focused attention — all of these skills and more can result from reading aloud.

Miniature horses seem especially intuitive when children open a book, and start reading to a new friend. The horses seem to be very much “in the moment” and listen intently. The two horses that are used in this program were carefully selected for their small size, gentle spirit and intelligence. There is no charge for their services, but Little Horse Listener does accept donations for The Horse Shelter, a rescue facility in Santa Fe for abused, abandoned and neglected horses.