Two hundred kindergarten and first grade students participated in a program to develop early literacy skills through horse interaction. The program uses a series of three-horse interaction experiences to increase motivation to read. During the introduction to the horse, students are provided with a copy of the book they will read over the next six weeks. The students participate in horse-focused activities over the next six weeks during regular classroom instruction along with practice time reading the book. At the end of the program, students attend a field trip to a farm where they are invited to read aloud and engage in further interaction with horses as a reward for their work. Early literacy skills and literacy success indicators were measured through a pre-/post-test as well as qualitative data collected from teachers and parents. Results show statistically significant increases in literacy indicators. Students also demonstrated an increase in horse knowledge.
English
Русский
Język Polski