Abstract:

The goal of equine-assisted learning is to improve children’s academic skills by combining horses with learning experiences and hands-on educational activities around the farm. Reading is one of the most important academic skills for students to learn in primary school. In this paper, we present results of a mixed methods investigation of four students’ engagement in and willingness to read across a six-week after school equine-assisted reading program. Students typically enroll in this after school program due to difficulties with reading, as that is the program’s focus. Such difficulties may include Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, dyslexia, auditory processing disorder, anxiety, depression, learning English as a second language, and family trauma, among others. Many of these difficulties were true for this group of learners, who were in grades three through five. Pre-post surveys were implemented, and interviews were conducted with student participants before, during, and after the program to collect quantitative and qualitative data. In addition, participants’ parents completed a post-program survey. We present our findings through descriptions of individual cases and across cases. Qualitative results indicated that both reading confidence and motivation increased among learners when horses were involved. The students reported an increase in confidence while leading, grooming, and handling the horses, and when reading out loud to them. Participants appreciated the lack of judgment in the context of reading to horses. The study also found that students’ motivation to read increased in the presence of horses. The participants shared that they were motivated to work on their reading goals because they knew they would be able to ride a horse when they met their goals. In all the interviews, participants mentioned an increased enjoyment of reading at the farm and with the animals. They enjoyed the quiet and outdoor atmosphere the farm provided. They also enjoyed the connections they made with the animals, reading instructors, and peers. Parents reported their children were more motivated to read outside of the program after experiencing reading with the horses. For example, one parent said their child “carries a book with her whenever we go out in the car (she didn’t do this before).” Quantitative results supported the qualitative findings regarding confidence, with all participants reporting that they were “good readers” on the post-survey (compared to only 25% of students reporting so on the pre-survey); and all participants reporting that their confidence in reading “increased slightly” by the end of the program. Likewise for motivation, half of participating students responded that their motivation to read “slightly increased” and half responded that it “greatly increased” on the post survey. On surveys, parents similarly reported their children’s confidence in reading, motivation to read, and time spent reading had increased post-program. Details of program components and student responses will be presented, along with implications for future research and practice.

Keywords:

Reading motivation, reading confidence, reading self-efficacy, equine-assisted learning, after school program.