How Animals Help Students Learn

Nancy R. Gee, PhD, is research manager for the Waltham research program in human-animal interaction. She is also a professor of psychology at the State University of New York, Fredonia. Aubrey H. Fine, EdD, is professor of education in the College of Education and Integrative Studies at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, and a licensed psychologist with more than 40 years of experience in animal assisted interventions. Peggy McCardle, PhD, MPH, is president of Peggy McCardle Consulting, LLC, and an affiliated research scientist at Haskins Laboratories.

Section I: The Issues

Chapter 1. How Animals Help Children Learn: Introducing a Roadmap for Action.

Chapter 2. Animals in Education Settings – Safety for All.

Chapter 3. Legal and Policy Issues for Classrooms with Animals.

Section II: The Evidence

Chapter 4. Does Animal Presence or Interaction Impact Social and Classroom Behaviors Conducive to Student Educational Success?

Chapter 5. Do animals in the Classroom Improve Learning, Attention, or Other Aspects of Cognition?

Chapter 6. School-based Animal-Assisted Interventions for Children with Deficits in Executive Function.

Chapter 7. The Impact of Animals in Classrooms Assisting Students with Autism and Other Developmental Disorders.

Chapter 8. Companion Animals as Moderators of Stress responses: Implications for Academic Performance, Testing, and Achievement.

Chapter 9. Does Reading to a Dog Affect Reading Skills?

Chapter 10. Children’s Play, Self-regulation, and Human-Animal Interaction in Early Childhood Learning.

Section III: The Methods and Approaches

Chapter 11. Methods for Bridging Human-Animal Interactions and Education Research.

Chapter 12. Recommendations for Measuring the Impact of Animals in Education Settings.

Chapter 13. Selecting Animals for Education Environments.

Chapter 14. Caring for Classroom Pets.

Chapter 15. Creating an Atmosphere of Acceptance for HAI in Education – Future Directions.