SANDPOINT — A strobe light sent colorful circles around the room as "Who Let the Dogs Out" began to blare from the speakers in the common area at Farmin-Stidwell Elementary.

This was followed by squeals of delight by first-graders who were beyond excited to catch a furry friend as stuffed puppies were thrown into the air by Sandpoint High School Bulldog mascots, Sparkles and Spike.

And who doesn't need a furry friend to cuddle up with in the evening while enjoying a good book? For now, however, the puppies will remain in their classrooms for the year. 

"The purpose is to motivate the kids to read at home," said Leana Nitcy, a first-grade teacher at Farmin-Stidwell. "They are very motivated by all the little things they can earn for their puppy.

Nitcy said the more the students read, the more rewards they get to outfit their puppies with items such as collars, charms, leashes, a blanket and more. They also get an official adoption certificate for their puppy.

Throughout the year, the students keep track of how many points they get for their puppy using a reading log to keep track of the minutes they read.

"Some of them will even double their reading time at home, knowing they can get double stickers," Nitcy said. "Once they see one kid doing that, then the competition is on."

Nitcy said they want the kids to read 20 minutes each night, so 40 minutes a night gives them two "paw" stickers in their puppy book.

At the end of the year the students will be allowed to take the puppies home. On Friday, Nitcy said she saw a second-grader packing their pup from the previous year around the school.

"I think they hold onto them for a long time," she said.

The reading puppy program is district-wide for first-graders and is paid for through a grant from Panhandle Alliance for Education, a nonprofit organization that supports students, parents, teachers and staff of the Lake Pend Oreille School District.

Mary Malone can be reached by email at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter @MaryDailyBee.