The children were having their class. Miss Wang was telling them what water was like. After that she asked her students, “What is water?” No one answered. Miss Wang asked them again, “Why don’t you answer my question?” “Didn’t I tell you what water was like?”

Just then a boy put up his hand and said, “Miss Wang, you told us that water has no color and no smell. But where shall we find this kind of water? The water in the river behind my house is always black. And it has a terrible smell.” Most of the students agreed with him.

“I’m sorry, children,” Miss Wang said. “Our water is becoming dirtier and dirtier. That is quite an important problem for us to solve.”

Knox is part of a special group of dogs. They go to Westport Academy every Tuesday. Westport is a primary and middle school in Baltimore, Maryland. Their students need help with reading. Their reading test scores have been low. The dogs have an important job there. They listen to students read. The program is run by a group called SPCA which works to protect animals.

Organizers at SPCA say reading to animals helps students. It makes them stronger readers. It also makes them more sure of themselves. Katie Flory works for the SPCA. She said when she was a kid, reading out loud was scary for her. “A lot of the kids here feel the same way,” she said. “But with the dogs, they don’t have to worry about that. The dogs do not care if students make a mistake.” Soon, similar programs are popping up across the country.

In 2010, scientists did a study. They studied students who read to dogs once a week for 10 weeks. The scientists found that the students got better at reading. They also felt better about reading aloud. At first, students said they did not like it. Reading out loud made them nervous. By the end, they described it as fun and cool. They said they felt more relaxed when reading to a dog.

The students do not only get to read to dogs. They also learn about how to care for pets. They go on field trips to an animal shelter (救助站). SPCA workers teach them about being kind to animals. Melody Locke is a teacher at Westport. She said she can already see changes because of the program. Her students are more interested in reading now. Also, they are kinder to each other after reading to dogs.

The SPCA hopes the program will continue to grow.