Reinforcing Second Grade Literacy Skills with CAI Program

This study is a technical report investigating the impact of a computer-adaptive reading program on the literacy skills of second-grade students. The research involved 1,562 students from a public school district in Maryland during the 2017-2018 school year. The experimental group, consisting of 778 students, used the Waterford Early Learning program for over 2,000 minutes, while the control group of 784 students used it for less than 300 minutes. The study aimed to determine whether the use of the computer-assisted instruction (CAI) program would result in higher literacy scores on a standardized assessment. Results indicated that students in the experimental group achieved significantly higher end-of-year scores across various literacy measures compared to the control group. The findings support the effectiveness of CAI in enhancing literacy skills when implemented with fidelity, although the report also notes concerns regarding the accessibility and engagement of such programs for all students.