6 Pros for Having a Class Pet

Last school year, my 4^th grader ran up to the car on the Friday before the week-long Thanksgiving break and said, “Can we take Hoodie for the week?” Huh!?

Their class pet was a guinea pig. Over the years, the kids have had various class pets ranging from fish to turtles to warm-blooded critters like Hoodie. So what’s the upside of a class having a pet?

Dr. Alan M. Beck, director of the Center for the Human-Animal Bond at the Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine says classroom pets provide academic and social benefits. For example, “when a teacher asks his or her students to quiet down because the noise is scaring their pet, they instantly recognize the pet’s needs and respond,” says Dr. Beck.

They can also bring a shy kid out of his or her shell. “Many children struggle with reading aloud, but we’ve observed that those who practice by reading to their classroom pets eventually overcome their anxiety and do better in school,” says Dr. Beck.

Here are 6 other advantages of having a pet in the classroom:

• Mathematics – Students can count the amount of food and water the pet needs in a day, week, month or year. The class can also calculate the cost of feeding the pet by using pretend money to show how much each trip to the pet store costs when purchasing supplies.
• Reading – Students are encouraged to read aloud to the pet and find reading materials that feature your pet’s species.
• Writing – Students can write an adventure story about the classroom pet, then share a new story each week with their classmates.
• Art – Students can create art projects featuring the class pet.
• Science –The class can discuss the natural environment of the pet. The class can also discuss the difference between diurnal (animals active during the day) and nocturnal (animals active at night) animals. (I’d recommend a diurnal pet so the kids get to see more than just  sleeping pet).
• Computer Science – With the principal’s and the students’ parents permission, they can create a blog starring the classr pet. Students can contribute drawings, stories and a new entry each day or week.

PetSmart has a web page for teachers to help choose the right pet for their class. They can visit www.PetSmart.com/Teachers to help make the decision easier. Happy New School Year!

Marijo Tinlin is the Editor in Chief of Family First, one of the oldest family-oriented websites on the internet. She writes for Eagle Publishing’s Family Events, is the Managing Editor of www.myColoradoview.com and she runs a small business with her husband. She is also the author of a book about patriotism and teaching our children to love this country called “How to Raise an American Patriot, Making it Okay for Our Kids to Be Proud to Be American.”  It features 13 interviews with patriotic Americans including Ed Meese, Erick Erickson and Jackie Gingrich Cushman. It’s available at www.raisinganamericanpatriot.com.