MEET the new teaching assistant. She’s bright-eyed and blonde, fluffy and friendly, always well groomed and loves having her ears rubbed. She also has four legs, a wet nose and would do anything for a biscuit!

Starr is a three-year-old Samoyed, one of four specially trained book buddies who are helping some pupils at St Michael’s Primary School in Bournemouth to improve their literacy skills.

It’s a pioneering new scheme called Be Bookwise, launched by local voluntary organisation Caring Canines – and it isn’t as barking as it sounds.

Latest research in America shows that children with poor literacy skills who read regularly to a dog improve more quickly than similar groups of children who read to a teacher or other adult.

“Many children find learning to read a chore but this makes it more fun and then they have the reward of being able to fuss the dog afterwards,” explains Sue Dennett, a voluntary worker for the Bournemouth-based group.

“Reading education assistant dogs have been used in America for years. Children feel more comfortable reading to a dog because it is non-judgmental. It will never laugh at a child’s attempts to pronounce a word or criticise their efforts to master reading, but will provide a friendly ear and gentle encouragement.”

As an added bonus, Starr can point to a page in a book with her nose and can even high-five the children with her front paw.

Seven-year-old pupil Lucia Dorado clearly loves her pooch pal, one of four dogs including a Labrador called Bessie, a Yorkshire Terrier called Romeo and a Sheltie called Biggles who have been visiting the school for a 30-minute reading session every Monday for the past three weeks.

“I like reading to Starr because it is more fun than reading to a teacher,” Lucia explains, patting the dog.

And fellow classmate Klaudia Glebocka from Poland is equally proud of her book buddy Romeo.

“I like reading to him because he always listens very well,” she explains. “I also get to groom him afterwards and give him a treat.”

Headteacher Bob Kennedy admits that when he first mentioned the idea of bringing reading dogs into school he did get some strange looks.

“The dogs are very well behaved and there is evidence to show that they do have a calming effect on children,” he said. “It can also help to motivate the reader and the emotional security a dog can give a child who is developing as a reader can bolster confidence.

“Although it is too early to say whether it has improved their literacy levels, we have already noticed an improvement in the children’s self-esteem and confidence.”

Mr Kennedy added that they have even taken on their own school dog – a one-year-old black Labrador called Inca.

“Children love the dogs – children in the other classes are already asking when is it their turn?”

  • Books for dogs

    1. Grapes of Ruff by John Steinbeck

    2. The Beagle has Landed by Jack Higgins

    3. Grrrrrrrreat Expectations by Charles Dickens

    4. The Dogs of War by Frederick Forsyth

    5. The Bonfire of the Vanities by Tom Wolfe.

    6. The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

    7. A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson

    8. Puppyllon by Henry Charriere

    9. Gnaw and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

    10. Anything by Virginia Woof