"Reading Educaiton Assistance Dogs® (R.E.A.D.) is a  program developed by Intermountain Therapy Animals (ITA).  ITA is an affiliate of the Delta Society.  The program aims to improve literacy skills through a unique twist on a classic concept: reading aloud to a dog," Rebecca Gerben, the author of KIDS + DOGS = Combination for Paw-rrific Reading Adventure, says in her feature article in the Interactions Publication.

The R.E.A.D Program employs registered therapy dogs, such as Delta Society Pet Partner® Teams, to present children with a successful, valuable, interactive, and encouraging way of improving reading skills and comprehension.
 
The R.E.A.D. Program helps children who have a difficult time reading due to nervousness and self-consciousness about making mistakes in front of people.  Within minutes of beginning to read to the dog, many children start to relax by petting the dog and forgetting about the many mistakes they could make or how hard it is to read.  In fact, most children begin to anticipate their next R.E.A.D. session!
 
Each child spends approximately 20 to 30 minutes with a Pet Partner R.E.A.D. Team and shares books and fun in a library or classroom setting.  Many dogs sit next to the children and "follow along" with the story while the handler asks questions for the dog, emphasising comprehension, reading skills and fluency.