Two four-legged friends are teaching Bright Star Elementary students that reading can be even 
more fun when you have a furry audience.
Comet and Cosmo, two playful and gentle goats, join students from all grade levels in the media center each day, creating a warm environment that makes reading feel less like an assignment and more like an adventure.
The vision behind the reading goats is simple: when students feel relaxed and excited, they read more—and better, media specialist Elizabeth Shadix said.
"Reading aloud to Comet and Cosmo helps build confidence, improve fluency and strengthen comprehension skills, all while raising Lexile levels," Shadix said. "The goats never interrupt, never judge and always listen, which encourages even reluctant readers to try their best and keep turning the pages."
Bright Star introduced the reading goats about a month ago. Shadix cares for them with help from student volunteers who assist with feeding. The school also keeps chickens that roam the campus and occasionally peek through classroom windows, Shadix said.
The reading goats program removes the pressure some students feel when reading aloud, Shadix said.
"When a child realizes their audience is listening with curiosity rather than critique, the fear of making a mistake vanishes," she said.