Siena Blog

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Siena Community Connections and Service

Wider community partnerships and intentional community outreach are key parts of The Siena School’s mission and commitment for all students to boost important literacy skills and social-emotional awareness.

A particularly valuable service and experiential learning opportunity for Siena Northern Virginia students was a recent elementary field trip to Oakton Library in Virginia for an event with Tail Wags & Book Bags, a DC-area nonprofit organization that connects assistance dogs with educators and schools to benefit LD and neurodiverse students.

Boosting Literacy Skills by Reading to Dogs 

Siena Northern Virginia elementary students recently took a special trip to the Oakton Library for a visit with Karma, a certified therapy dog, and her owner, Karin Hemphill — an educator and Executive Director of the DC-area nonprofit Tail Wags and Book Bags, which partners with schools to inspire young readers. 

During their time together, students took turns reading aloud to Karma, who listened patiently and attentively. Her calm, friendly presence helped Siena’s young readers feel comfortable and confident sharing their stories — as well as highlight their commitment to learning by doing and giving back.

Karma, a Yellow Labrador Retriever, was trained by Canine Assistants and ultimately became a therapy dog rather than a service dog. She can do other things (e.g., retrieve items and sign out books with her library card). 
Siena Northern Virginia is planning more visits with Karma in the future. Karma’s visit reminded everyone that encouragement can come in many forms, even a wagging tail and a gentle nudge. This experience not only supported literacy skills but also nurtured perseverance, empathy, and joy in learning.

Learning by doing and nurturing social-emotional growth are essential parts of every child’s journey at Siena. Experiences like reading with therapy dogs build self-esteem, strengthen communication, and show students that reading can be joyful, calming, and empowering.

Benefits of Reading to Dogs 

There’s a growing body of research showing that when children read aloud to dogs, there are real benefits for adolescents’ fine and gross motor skills, spatial awareness, anxiety, depression, and more (Source: Tail Wags & Book Bags). 

Here are some additional sources to help understand the layered benefits of reading to dogs — which Siena Northern Virginia students experienced firsthand:

• One study found that second-grade students who read aloud to dogs showed significantly improved attitudes toward academic reading (Source: Tufts Now)
• A Canadian study of 7- to 8-year-olds found that reading performance, social competence, and behavior, improved particularly after reading to a dog rather than to an adult alone (Source: PubMed)
• More generally, children reading to dogs report feeling less anxious, more relaxed and more confident about reading — because the dog offers a comforting, non-judgmental audience (Source: Family Education)
• The literacy organization Tails That Teach notes that having a domesticated animal present while reading can increase reading fluency by 12-30% in some settings (Source: Tails That Teach)

While the research is still evolving, there’s a clear takeaway: reading to a therapy dog can motivate young readers, reduce performance-pressure, build confidence and engagement — all important ingredients for the literacy growth and social-emotional awareness that is central to The Siena School’s mission.

Additional Siena Resources

See The Siena School blog for more posts of interest, including Mental Health Awareness Month 2025, Learning Differences and Student Confidence, and the benefits of Dyslexia-Friendly Book Editions.

The Siena School, a nationwide dyslexia education leader currently in its 20th year, serves bright, college-bound students with language-based learning differences on DC Metro area campuses in Silver Spring, MD (grades 3-4 and 5-12) and Oakton, VA (grades 3-12).