Students improve skills by reading to rescued cats

Students from a Guernsey secondary school are practising their literacy skills by reading to cats at the island's animal shelter.

Les Beaucamps pupils read to the cat Mr B, who was found as a stray with high blood pressure which led to him losing his sight.

Student Neva said: "It's been wonderful, he's been very calm and he's been purring."

Lisa Harvey, inclusivity manager at Beaucamps, said: "The reading out loud really helps with their fluency, it also really helps with their social communication and interaction skills."

Anna Paint, head of the cattery at the GSPCA said there are benefits for the cats as well as the students.

"The cats tend to quite enjoy it, they normally all come to the front of the pens and they sit quite quietly," she said.

"So, Mr B, even though he is blind he can still hear so he enjoys having socials with the children.

"And its the tone of voice as well, so when they're reading the tone is sort of quite quiet and very relaxing and peaceful."

Harvey said the idea came from another type of animal therapy the school uses.

"We have a wag therapy dog that comes throughout the week and that was really successful so we've kind of expanded on that and then they come and read with the cats which has proven really successful."

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