Read to a Dog

Read to a Dog is back at the Waldo Branch on Saturday, October 10, from 10:00 to 11:30 AM. It's part of the Reading Education Assistance Dogs (R.E.A.D.) literacy program, which pairs children with therapy dogs to help them work on their reading and communication skills. The session runs in ten-minute slots, so your child gets their own dedicated time with a dog rather than reading in a big group. One thing to keep in mind: parents have to sign a release form before their child can read with a dog, so you'll want to handle that paperwork before the reading starts.

If you're not familiar with the Waldo Branch, it's one of the most popular spots in the Kansas City Public Library system. It's located at 201 East 75th Street, and it's a neighborhood hub with a Kids Café, notary services by appointment, voter registration, and a meeting room. The building itself has a bit of history: it opened as the South Branch in December 1988, and back then it featured an electronic center with IBM PC and Apple IIE computers, electric typewriters, and printers. Before that, the branch existed as the Southwest Branch, a small outpost at the old Southwest High School on Wornall Road.

This isn't a one-off, either. Read to a Dog happens in person at the Waldo Branch on the second Saturday of each month from February through November, with August as the only month it takes a break. If you miss this one, there's another chance coming up soon. The October session runs from 10:00 to 11:30 AM.