An attentive audience watched three children each pick out a favorite book and plop down on the carpeted floor to read aloud to their guests Thursday afternoon.

Sitting obediently on tiny plush beds, Pepper and Maya tilted their heads, perked their ears and sighed in content when the youngsters sounded out words during Tales for Tails, a monthly reading activity at the clubhouse of an independent enrichment program called Friends of the Children.

Giggles escape while children concentrate on improving their literacy skills, as the two canines from Go Team Therapy in Colorado Springs appear to enjoy the special time as much as the young readers.

“They like interacting with the kids,” Go Team Therapy volunteer handler Lori Schlonski said. “They’ll just lay and listen while they’re read to.”

The dogs — both poodle mixes — are patient and don’t mind when children stumble over a sentence.

And that makes a difference to this particular group of children, who already in their short lives have had several adverse childhood experiences and as a result may be behind in school. 

The trauma in their lives can lead to a lack of focus, inability to pay attention and trouble memorizing information, said Judy Cara, executive director of Friends of the Children.

Well-behaved dogs who have been specially trained to provide love and comfort can help.

“Dogs seem to understand when someone’s struggling,” Cara said.

“By having the dogs here and encouraging the kids to read, it really has a significant impact on their future since literacy is clearly very important in succeeding in life.”

The 31-year-old nonprofit Friends of the Children is headquartered in Portland, Ore, and has expanded to 32 chapters in the nation.

The organization works with disadvantaged children referred by agencies such as schools, court systems and social services to help them get through school and life.

The Colorado Springs chapter is the only network affiliate in Colorado. Launched in October 2021, the local chapter has enrolled 39 children with 11 on a waiting list.

Nine staff members have undergone extensive training as mentors to work with the children, who enter the program between 4 and 6 years old and can stay involved through elementary and secondary school.

Children are transported to the bright, cheery “clubhouse” — formerly a large storage area at a local middle school — and mentors also interact with children on the weekends, depending on families’ schedules.

“We’re getting phenomenal feedback from caregivers, teachers and principals, saying they’re noticing a difference with the children in our program regarding their attendance in school, their abilities in school, their manners and other improvements,” Cara said.

The organization enrolls children in its program under a memorandum of understanding with Colorado Springs School District 11, School District 49, Widefield School District 3, Harrison School District 2, Fountain-Fort Carson School District 8, Cheyenne Mountain School District 12, The Vanguard School, a charter school, and agencies such as El Paso County Department of Human Services and CPCD, which operates Head Start programs.

Studies conducted by research teams at the University of California, Davis, and Tufts University show that children who read aloud to therapy dogs on a regular basis demonstrate noticeable improvement in reading.

Among the positive outcomes researchers have noted, the task boosts confidence, cultivates motivation for learning, increases concentration, and expands vocabulary and language.

The once-a-month doggie reading event came about one year ago, after D-11 offered a permanent space for the organization’s clubhouse, where activities take place. It’s inside Jack Swigert Aerospace Academy, a middle school off Pikes Peak Avenue and South Academy Boulevard.

The school’s assistant principal had a therapy dog, who Cara said enjoyed meeting the younger students in the Friends of the Children program.

Cara linked her organization with Go Team Therapy, which takes certified dogs into schools, courtrooms, hospitals, military settings, nursing homes, disaster areas and the municipal airport.

Therapy dogs learn how they can provide affection and solace, and handlers obtain approval to enter programs or facilities.

Go Team Therapy started after two handlers took therapy dogs to hotels and evacuation centers to visit residents displaced in the 2012 Waldo Canyon fire in Colorado Springs.

On Thursday, 6-year-old “Alex,” a Friends of the Children participant whose identity is protected, read the book “Odd Dog Out” to Pepper and Maya. He said he likes the big colorful book because “all the dogs are different.”

The book teaches children they can be whoever they are, a Friends of the Children mentor explained.

Wearing red harnesses that say, “Please Pet Me,” Pepper and Maya seemed to be in their happy place. And so did the kids.