A golden retriever named Abigail with the unique ability to read is inspiring challenged students in a school in St. Lucie County, Florida.
Her owner and trainer, art teacher Dan Galloway, has been taking Abigail with him to class for years. He says Abigail has a knack of reaching students better than any textbook. “Something magic is happening,” Galloway says.
Abigail and Dan work with special needs students to help them build confidence and perform simple tasks. Galloway has taught Abigail to “read” 8 different words, including sit, get, down and roll. What’s amazing is the canny canine can perform these tasks just by seeing the cue cards.
“It’s like sight reading,” Galloway says. “She’s memorizing the shape of the word. She’s already learned the behavior.” Galloway says the kids are motivated to learn because if a dog can read, they can too.