Tender Little Hearts Mini Tales

There is an essential need for literacy promotion and reading encouragement programs in Arizona.  We are facing a literacy crisis and it begins in early childhood. Today the literacy skills demanded by 21st century work and learning environments are increasingly more, complex. We are unsuccessfully preparing our children to meet that demand.

Mission: The mission of TLH is to build productive relationships and make a positive impact in the lives of others, by inspiring hope and transformation through interactions with our equines. TLH is driven to do our part in making the world a better place.

We are 100% volunteer supported and 100% of all funding received are directed to our programs. TLH has provided over 100,000 hours of volunteer service, providing 3-4 program visits each week, to enrich the lives of 10s of 1000s of children in Arizona since its inception. Our miniature equines are transported in a cargo van, bringing inspiration, hope and laughter to children of all abilities. It is our greatest honor to serve to promote literacy and encourage reading to the youth of our community.

The outcome of our programs is to promote personal development and positive life choices. By providing our literacy promotion program, we meet children where they are in their reading journey and encourage them to become a confident reader through reading to the mini equines. The child builds confidence with an understanding listener, one who doesn't criticize, one who encourages the child to continue to read with the outcome goal of improving their reading level. Our programs increase a child's vocabulary, helps instill moral values and lessons and can improve their conversations with others. These are just some of the wonders of children reading aloud as well as being read to. 

Often a family will participate as a group, with the parent reading to, or with, the children. These sessions can help bring a family together and can foster a strong family bond, one which associate reading with love and comfort. Tender Little Hearts has donated 1000s of books to provide a mini library at child advocacy centers, we manage and stock 5 Little Free Libraries in and around our community. We have donated many more children's books at Pop Up libraries special events to help support and encourage families to continue to read together.

Even in a world dominated by electronic devices, the timeless tradition of reading remains a cornerstone of children and youth's intellectual and emotional development. Reading is not just an educational tool; it's a gateway to vast worlds, ideas, and possibilities.

Encouraging a child to read independently boosts brain development and cognitive skills. It enhances memory, attention span, and problem-solving abilities. It also fosters imagination and creativity by introducing young minds to different worlds, characters, and ideas beyond their immediate environment.

Children who are not at grade level with their peers in literacy and reading skills often have a tough time catching up as early literacy skills have been shown to predict reading ability throughout school, likelihood to graduate high school and attend college, and future career opportunities. Additionally, reading and literacy challenges often co-occur with behavioral challenges. Possessing the language skills to describe how you are feeling is a key aspect of social-emotional adjustment. As such, encouraging literacy skills early can also promote positive social-emotional development and minimize behavioral challenges.

Currently, most facility visits are made with dogs. The uniqueness of partnering with miniature equines allows for fostering greater engagement, joy, and comfort for those in need of this service. Those researching the benefits of reading to dogs, and other animals, support a strong indicator of the success or our literacy programs. Our unique and innovative outreach is the only equine-based nonprofit offering an onsite reading program to schools, libraries, child advocacy and special needs facilities in Arizona and we are the only equine facility offering Horse Powered Reading.   

TLH is seeking support to continue its literacy promotion services and to expand its programs throughout 2024 and beyond. Accordingly, TLH is requesting funding to:  We have introduced a Horse Powered Reading® program which gives hope to struggling readers through our new equine assisted learning services. Horse Powered Reading® breaks through learning challenges giving students a chance to learn or reinforce reading and other academic skills in the moment. Children 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. Session goals vary depending upon the needs of the child or group.