Effects of using IPads or Tablets on Children’s Reading Comprehension

Chapter 1: Introduction

1.1 Background of the study

Reading is often difficult for high school students with special needs. Participation, motivation, and interest in independent reading are low. Reading is an important part of everyday life and is imperative to students’ success in school. Many high school students that struggle in reading do not enjoy it and even have negative associations with reading. Cultivating an interest in reading among grade school students is valuable. Providing students with a variety of options is one way to encourage independent reading. The ability to use technology as a means of reading is one way to provide a different option to students. Technology is an integral part of our lives and can contribute greatly to education. Many schools are beginning to use iPads/Tablets as a way to integrate technology into the curriculum. These devices can be used for a variety of purposes in educational settings. There are several tools that make reading on an iPad easier for struggling readers. Students can change the size of the text by zooming to show larger text which reduces the amount of text on the screen.
This can be valuable for students that are intimidated by the length of what they are being asked to read. Students can also easily access the definition of a word they don’t know through the interactive dictionary. This is extremely convenient for students that would not normally make the effort to look up an unfamiliar word in the dictionary. Another helpful feature is the ability to highlight and take notes on the iPad. Students can be guided as to what they should highlight as a comprehension strategy. Grade school students enjoy using technology and this can be a motivational factor.