Examining the Effects of School-Provided E-Readers on Middle School Students’ Reading Ability

Abstract

Nationwide, the increasing popularity of e-books is undeniable; sales of e-books increased an astounding 4,456% over a 5-year period. Researchers, Miranda, Johnson, and Rossi-Williams, determined that e-readers have a positive impact on students’ desire to read. This study attempted to determine if the use of institution issued e-readers would increase reading ability of students. The researcher used Lexile and Comprehensive Testing Program scores to determine if there was an increase in reading ability (comprehension, vocabulary, and reasoning) when students are given e-readers. Nook tablets were issued to sixth-grade students in a private school environment on a one-to-one basis. All assigned reading for the Language Arts class was accomplished using the e-readers. The scores of the treatment group were compared with scores of previous students who did not have school sponsored access to e-readers.