Practice makes perfect when it comes to learning to read, but for many children, reading aloud can produce anxiety. Having a friendly listener can help, especially when that friend is covered in fur.

Sasha, a female 9-year-old yellow Labrador retriever, will lend a paw (and probably a few reassuring tail wags) to young readers at the Milanof-Schock Library on Thursday evenings.

"Our program targets struggling readers," said Jan Betty, the library's director of children and youth who is affectionately known as "Miss Jan." "Research shows that reading out loud for 15 minutes each week to an animal improves confidence and comprehension as well as fluency."

Miss Jan noted that the library has hosted canine reading buddies in the past, beginning with Rosie the Rottweiler in the 2000s, but there were none currently working with the library when Sasha's owner brought up the idea.

"Sasha's mom approached me in late July and told me how the place where Sasha had been working closed, and Sasha was bored," recalled Miss Jan of her conversation with Sara Prescott. "All of our animals are KPETS certified therapy animals. Sara ... has had some of her dogs here to read with children in the past. She is such an excellent owner/handler, something which is just as important as the animal."

Children will register in advance for 15-minute reading spots on Thursdays from 6 to 8 p.m. "The child brings a book with them and shares that book by reading it out loud to the animal," Miss Jan said. "While this is a time commitment of 15 minutes every Thursday, the results are impressive. A child does need to come every week in order to achieve great results."

Miss Jan emphasized that readers will reap many benefits from the program, including increased motivation to read independently, increased self-esteem, reduction of stress and anxiety, a sense of pride in their accomplishments and a gentler, more respectful interaction with animals. In the long term, program participants are more likely to check out books from the library and ask the librarian about books.

Although the goal of the program is to build confident readers, it's also just a fun way to unwind, Miss Jan said. "This dog is so cool!" she enthused. "You will love reading to Sasha."

The Milanof-Schock Library is located at 1184 Anderson Ferry Road, Mount Joy. To register to read with Sasha, visit https://mslibrary.org.