Horse Powered Reading®
Experiential learning which focuses on the learning process for the individual
What is Horse Powered Reading®?
Horse Powered Reading® is a science based, experiential learning program that integrates social-emotional learning with academics. Students interact with horses from the ground, while using toys and props to identify obstacles and learn five critical reading skills - phonemic awareness, decoding, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension.
Why horses?
Horses are natural teachers.
- Horses are sentient beings, and are a lot like us.
- Horses have distinct personalities and defined social roles within the herd, allowing students to identify and form connections with them.
- Horses help us reflect on how we approach relationships, learning, and challenges.
- Because they are prey animals, horses are extremely sensitive to their environment. They react to our body language and cues. That can give very good insight into what the student is experiencing emotionally during a session.
- Horses allow for movement in learning.
How do horses teach reading?
During a Horse Powered Reading® session, the horse becomes the reading material or “book” students need to connect with. Without finding and making some connection with the text, it is easy to drift away from or lose interest in a book. The horse becomes a metaphor for that connection.
Is Horse Powered Reading® effective?
Yes! Studies show that experiential learning increases motivation and engagement, using the student's natural curiosity and determination to help gain confidence and overcome reading challenges. Our research has discovered it only takes a few key reading skills combined with motivation, self-efficacy / confidence, and persistence, all of which are taught by the horses to create an exponential growth in learning.
