Sumo Wrestlers And Dogs Encourage Oklahoma Students To Read

A couple of principals from Bixby's Central Elementary School went to the mat for their kids on Thursday. They got inside sumo wrestler costumes and got into a good-natured tussle in honor of their students reaching their reading goals.

Each year they try and raise the bar to get kids invested in reading.

Librarian, Vicky Heister, said, "Last year we taped our principals last year, and I thought, ‘oh what are we going to do to top that,' and I was just looking online and I saw something about sumo wrestling and decided that's what we should do."

The Tulsa City-County library tried a different approach, using therapy dogs to motivate children to read. Kids are invited to read their favorite book to a furry, four-pawed friend.

"At school, they're called on and feel like the need to perform in reading, and at home sometimes they feel like they need to perform to their parents. But when they're reading to a dog it's kind of a more relaxed atmosphere. The dog's not going to judge them," said Steven Hulford with Paws For Reading.

Who knew dogs could be such good listeners.