Garbo Hears It All
Garbo hears many different things when she visits Polk Elementary School each Friday afternoon. She might hear something funny or something scary. She might hear something that rhymes. No matter what she hears, she’s happy to listen. That’s her job!
Garbo is a standard poodle and certified therapy dog. Accompanied by her handler, Sara Tokheim, she visits the Polk third grade classroom each week to listen to students read. Garbo spends about 15 minutes with each student reader, often listening even while resting her head on the student’s lap. She generally listens to 6 readers each week.
“Reading aloud is one of the best ways to become a better reader, and Garbo listens without judgment while students read to her,” noted Diane McGraw, teacher. “She never corrects a word or gets impatient. One of the biggest benefits of Garbo’s visits is her calming influence.” Garbo has been visiting Polk for two months. She is comfortable and relaxed with the young learners and familiar to everyone in the school community. Her presence in the classroom is welcomed and motivating.
Students look forward to spending time with the four-legged volunteer. They also know that they will receive a free book to take home after reading with her for five weeks. At that milestone, a new group of students rotate into the weekly time slots.
“Everyone wants to read to Garbo,” added McGraw. “She seems to enjoy listening to fiction, non-fiction, humor, science, and ABC books – but her favorite books have dogs as the main character, of course!