Reading Activities on Tablets for Improving Fluency and Comprehension in Primary Education
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14712/25337890.5214Klíčová slova:
reading fluency, reading comprehension, mobile technologies, mobile learning, primary educationAbstrakt
Reading literacy is a central focus of primary education and a prerequisite for engagement in the broader educational context. Since modern society is being impacted by technologies, more efficient learning approaches are needed for core skills like reading. While mobile learning is a rapidly growing field in education, the question remains: can it be effectively integrated into classroom settings? The study examines the progress of sixteen first graders over a four-month period using tablets at a bilingual school in the Czech Republic, focusing on the following sections; reading fluency and comprehension. More specifically, design-based research was applied to provide a broader and more complete view of the innovative, pedagogical design within handheld devices and analyze their impact in depth. Results show significant improvements in post-test scores, with students reading faster, making fewer errors, and showing a better understanding of the texts. Furthermore, the use of various gamified applications also increased students’ engagement and enthusiasm for reading. The findings emphasize the value of using mobile learning technologies in reading literacy instruction as a key tool to improve the performance of young readers.
Reference
Ahmed, M. F. A., & Noor, S. S. Bin M. (2022). Effectiveness of Tablets in Improving Reading Fluency. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences. 12(7), 195 – 213
AlNatour, A. S., & Hijazi, D. (2018). The impact of using electronic games on teaching English vocabulary for kindergarten students. US-China Foreign Language, 16(4), 193-205.
Al-Omari, D., & AbuSeileek, A. F. (2023). The Effect of Using Tablets on EFL Learners' Vocabulary Acquisition and their Attitudes toward Them. Journal of Applied Linguistics and Language Research, 10(1), 87-114
Anderson, T., & Shattuck, J. (2012). Design-based research: A decade of progress in education research?. Educational researcher, 41(1), 16-25.
Basilaia, G., & Kvavadze, D. (2020). Transition to Online Education in Schools during a SARS-CoV-2 Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic in Georgia. Pedagogical Research, 5(4), em0060. https://doi.org/10.29333/pr/7937
Behbahani, H. K., Karimpour, S. (2025). Exploring the role of mobile-mediated dynamic assessment in L2 learners' reading comprehension and reading fluency. Educ Inf Technol 30, 6237–6260. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-024-12994-4
Brom, C., Lukavský, J., Greger, D., Hannemann, T., Straková, J., & Švaříček, R. (2020). Mandatory Home Education During the COVID-19 Lockdown in the Czech Republic: A Rapid Survey of 1st-9th Graders’ Parents. Frontiers in Education, 5. doi:10.3389/feduc.2020.00103
Brown, A.L. (1992). Design experiments: Theoretical and methodological challenges in creating complex interventions. Journal of the Learning Sciences, 2(2), 141-178.
Brown, M., Castellano, J., Hughes, E. H., & Worth, A. (2012). Integration of iPads into a Japanese university English language curriculum. The jalt call Journal, 8(3), 197-209.
Collins, A. (1992). Towards a design science of education. In E. Scanlon& T.O'Shea (Eds.), New Directions in Educational Technology (pp. 15-22). Berlin: Springer-Verlag.
Cordero, K., Nussbaum, M., Ibaseta, V., Otaíza, M. J., & Chiuminatto, P. (2018). Read, write, touch: Co-construction and multiliteracies in a third-grade digital writing exercise. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 34(2), 162–173. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcal.12224
Davis, M. (2006). Reading instruction: the two keys. Core Knowledge Foundation.
Delacruz, S. (2014). Using Nearpod in elementary guided reading groups. TechTrends, 58, 62-69.
Delgado, P., Vargas, C., Ackerman, R., & Salmerón, L. (2018). Don't throw away your printed books: A meta-analysis on the effects of reading media on reading comprehension. Educational research review, 25, 23-38.
Design-Based Research Collective. (2003). Design-based research: An emerging paradigm for educational inquiry. Educational Researcher, 32(1), 5–8.
Henderson, S., & Yeow, J. (2012, January). iPad in education: A case study of iPad adoption and use in a primary school. In 2012 45th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (pp. 78-87). IEEE.
Hsiao, K.-L., & Chen, C.-C. (2015). How do we inspire children to learn with e-readers? Library Hi Tech, 33(4), 584–596. doi:10.1108/lht-04-2015-0038
Hwang, G. J., & Tsai, C. C. (2011). Research trends in mobile and ubiquitous learning: A review of publications in selected journals from 2001 to 2010. British Journal of Educational Technology, 42(4), E65-E70.
Isik, A. D. (2023). Reading environment and fluent reading skills. Pedagogical Research, 8(1), em0148. https://doi.org/10.29333/pr/12723
Kaman, S., & Ertem, I. S. (2018). The effect of digital texts on primary students' comprehension, fluency, and attitude. Eurasian Journal of Educational Research, 18(76), 147-164.
Kukulska-Hulme, A. (2007). Mobile Usability in Educational Contexts: What have we learnt? The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 8(2). doi:10.19173/irrodl.v8i2.356
Lehner, F. & Nosekabel, H. (2002). The role of mobile devices in E-Learning first experiences with a wireless E-Learning environment. Proceedings. IEEE International Workshop on Wireless and Mobile Technologies in Education. doi:10.1109/wmte.2002.1039229
Liu, C., Sands-Meyer, S. & Audran, J. (2019). The effectiveness of the student response system (SRS) in English grammar learning in a flipped English as a foreign language (EFL) class. Interactive Learning Environments, vol. 27, no. 8, pp. 1178–1191. doi: 10.1080/10494820.2018.1528283
Liu, M., Scordino, R., Geurtz, R., Navarrete, C., Ko, Y., & Lim, M. (2014). A look at research on mobile learning in K-12 education from 2007 to the present. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 46(4), 325-372. doi: 10.1080/15391523.2014.925681
McKenney, S., & Reeves, T. C. (2013). Systematic review of design-based research progress: Is a little knowledge a dangerous thing?. Educational researcher, 42(2), 97-100.
Mehdipour, Y. & Zerehkafi, H. (2013). Mobile Learning for Education: Benefits and Challenges. International Journal of Computational Engineering Research, 3(6), 93-101.
Moon, A. L., Wold, C. M., & Francom, G. M. (2017). Enhancing reading comprehension with student-centered iPad applications. TechTrends, 61, 187-194.
Moon, A. L., Francom, G. M., & Wold, C. M. (2021). Learning from versus learning with technology: Supporting constructionist reading comprehension learning with iPad applications. TechTrends, 65(1), 79-89.
Mullis, I. V., Kennedy, A. M., Martin, M. O., & Sainsbury, M. (2004). PIRLS 2006 Assessment Framework and Specifications: Progress in International Reading Literacy Study. TIMSS & PIRLS, International Study Center, Lynch School of Education, Manressa House, Boston College, 140 Commonwealth Street, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467.
OCDE. (2001). Knowledge and skills for life: First results from PISA 2000.
O'Toole, K. J., & Kannass, K. N. (2018). Emergent literacy in print and electronic contexts: The influence of book type, narration source, and attention. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 173, 100-115.
Picton, I. (2014). The Impact of eBooks on the Reading Motivation and Reading Skills of Children and Young People: A Rapid Literature Review. National Literacy Trust.
Prados Sánchez, G., Cózar-Gutiérrez, R., del Olmo-Muñoz, J., & González-Calero, J. A. (2023). Impact of a gamified platform in the promotion of reading comprehension and attitudes towards reading in primary education. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 36(4), 669-693.
Potier Watkins, C., & Dehaene, S. (2024) Can a Tablet Game That Boosts Kindergarten Phonics Advance 1st Grade Reading?, The Journal of Experimental Education, 92:1, 32-55, DOI: 10.1080/00220973.2023.2173129
Potier Watkins, C., Caporal, J., Merville, C., Kouider, S., & Dehaene, S. (2020). Accelerating reading acquisition and boosting comprehension with a cognitive science-based tablet training. Journal of Computers in Education, 7(2), 183-212.
Redcay, J. D., & Preston, S. M. (2016). Improving second grade student’s reading fluency and comprehension using teacher-guided iPad® app instruction. Interactive Technology and Smart Education, 13(3), 218-228.
Reich, S. M., Yaw, J. C., & Warschauer, M. (2016). Tablet-based ebooks for young children: What does the research say? Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics, 37, 585–591. https://doi.org/10.1097/DBP.0000000000000335
Reich, S. M., Yau, J. C., Xu, Y., Muskat, T., Uvalle, J., & Cannata, D. (2019). Digital or print? a comparison of preschoolers’ comprehension, vocabulary, and engagement from a print book and an e-book. AERA open, 5(3), 2332858419878389.
Richter, A., & Courage, M. L. (2017). Comparing electronic and paper storybooks for preschoolers: Attention, engagement, and recall. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 48, 92–102. doi:10.1016/j.appdev.2017.01.002
Saikat, S., Dhillon, J. S., Wan Ahmad, W. F., & Jamaluddin, R. A. (2021). A Systematic Review of the Benefits and Challenges of Mobile Learning during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Education Sciences, 11(9):459. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11090459
Toquero, C. M. (2020). Challenges and opportunities for higher education amid the COVID-19 pandemic: The Philippine context. Pedagogical Research, 5(4). https://doi.org/10.29333/pr/7947
Wang, A. I. (2015). The wear out effect of a game-based student response system. Computers & Education, 82, 217-227.
Wang, F, & Hannafin, MJ. (2005). Design-based research and technology-enhanced learning environments. Educational Technology Research and Development, 53(4), 5–23.
Wang, S., Jiao, H., Young, M. J., Brooks, T., & Olson, J. (2008). Comparability of computer-based and paper-and-pencil testing in K–12 reading assessments: A meta-analysis of testing mode effects. Educational and psychological measurement, 68(1), 5-24.
Wildová, R. (2014). Initial Reading Literacy Development in Current Primary School Practice. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 159, 334–339. doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.12.383
Wildová, R., & Kropáčková, J. (2015). Early Childhood Pre-reading Literacy Development. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 191, 878–883. doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.04.418
Zahran, F. (2025). The Effect of Utilizing Nearpod With Guided Reading Strategy on EFL Primary Pupils' Reading Comprehension Skills and Motivation. Journal of Educational Research and Practice, 15(1), 1.
Zheng, L. (2015). A systematic literature review of design-based research from 2004 to 2013. Journal of Computers in Education, 2, 399-420.
