Why did we get homeschool class pets?
In 2014, Pet Care Trust and American Humane Association formed a collaborative partnership to advance the state of research on pets in the classroom, and the conscientious use and care of animals to enhance learning, compassion, and pro-social behavior among students. The study reported the benefits and goals of having classroom pets goals include:
- To teach children responsibility and leadership via animal care
- To teach children compassion, empathy and respect for all living things, including animals, humans,
- nature, and the world we share
- To enhance and enrich a variety of traditional academic lessons, from science to language arts
- To provide an avenue for relaxation when children are stressed or when their behavior is unstable
- and/or challenging to manage (for both typically developing children and those with special needs)
- To help students feel comfortable and engaged in the classroom and with their peers, so that the school
- environment is more conducive to quality learning, growth, and social connections
Most teachers believe the top three benefits of classroom pets for children were to learn about:
1) animal care and compassion
2) responsibility
3) science and nature
Also, teachers reported benefits that included
- responsibility and leadership;
- decreased stress and anxiety;
- curiosity and enthusiasm about school;
- respect and kindness for others;
- classroom tranquility and cohesion;
- attention and focus on the task-at-hand;
- understanding of scientific concepts and the environment;
- helpfulness and teamwork;
- connections with home life; and language skills.