Abstract

Computers have become instructional tools for teaching reading. Software programs are available that promise to improve reading comprehension skills and motivate students to read. There are a few quantitative studies that investigate the use of computers in the classroom, but there is not an abundance of qualitative studies that report the theoretical, instructional, and assessment links between using technology to teach reading comprehension. Likewise, studies about how the students themselves relate to the use of computers are scarce. The purpose of this study is to investigate factors that promote and hinder the success of adolescent struggling readers who were taught reading through computer use. This study is one in the midst of few multifaceted, comprehensive, qualitative studies designed to improve the reading comprehension of adolescent students who read at least two grade levels behind their peers who have not been labeled “struggling readers.”