Horses Can Inspire Reading

K I S S I M M E E, Fla., March 31 -- You can lead kids to words, but can you make them read? It's an old question that two men in Florida are answering "Yes" to, especially if you've got a horse — a black stallion specifically.

The Black Stallion Literacy Project uses real horses to catch a child's interest — and then introduces them to the classic The Black Stallion children's books.

"I just see it benefiting the children so much," said Cathy Landry, a fourth-grade teacher at Reedy Creek Elementary School in Kissimmee, Fla.

Before the children read the books, they first meet the characters. The program brings a black pony ("Little Black") and chestnut horse ("Big Red") to their elementary school campus.

One at a time, the children approach the large animal and give it a pat. Before they head back in line, each first grader is given a hard cover copy of Little Black, A Pony, by Walter Farley. Each fourth grader receives a copy of the classic The Black Stallion.

Then, a deal is struck. The first graders are told that when they have learned to read the book, they will earn a trip to a horse farm. The incentive in place, they are motivated to read.

Once at the horse farm, they read favorite passages of Little Black, A Pony, to a horse handler, and then they receive a second Walter Farley book, Little Black Goes to the Circus to keep.

For the fourth graders, the goal is to get them to read a chapter book, increase their comprehension and encourage writing. Each fourth grader is told to read at least the first one-third of The Black Stallion, watch the Francis Ford Coppola film (which departs from the book), and complete a work book. The prize is a live performance of The Black Stallion at the Arabian Nights theater.

"It's exciting," said Teresa Quirindondo, 9, "because the little boy was saved by the horse and I've never seen a horse save a boy."

The Animals Capture Imagination

Teachers and principals report that virtually all of their first-grade students are motivated to read by this program and that the fourth graders are reading and writing more as a result.