Dogs are our friends. With them，we won't be alone. However，dogs can do us even more good than that. They can help children improve their reading skills.
A team of Canadian scientists did an experiment (实验) with 22 boys and 17 girls in grades one through three. They first tested their reading abilities(能力). Then they asked them to read books that were somewhat difficult for them. Each child read aloud. After they finished the first page，scientists asked the children if they would like to read more or just stop there. They found that children spent more time reading and showed more interest when a dog was in the room. Dogs can help children feel more confident, scientists said. Dogs are good listeners. They won't mind if children make mistakes. They won't stop children，either. They only stay quiet by the side of the children.
In recent years，therapy(治疗)dogs have taken part in reading activities in schools and libraries, This study helps us understand how dogs help children learn to read better.
