Computer Assisted Instruction and Elementary ESL Students in Sight Word Recognition
Susan Beechler, Sherie Williams

Abstract
Legislation regarding student performance on state and national tests has raised the stakes for school districts throughout the nation. The mandate for all students to be reading at grade level before leaving the third grade holds school districts more accountable for their students’ progress. Currently, there are more English language learners (ELL) in America’s schools than ever before. Statistics show that ELLs perform forty to fifty points below their native English speaking peers on national achievement tests. Low achieving students often have not acquired basic literacy skills, which negatively impacts their entire school performance. Research shows that building sight word recognition could help them read more fluently, which in turn helps comprehension. Many studies have been conducted in the last two decades using computer-assisted instruction (CAI) in an attempt to increase English language proficiency in ELLs. Findings regarding the effectiveness of CAI with ELLs have been mixed or inconclusive. Further, very few studies have been carried out with elementary level ELLs. This study measures the results of using computer-assisted instruction with early elementary students when developing their knowledge of sight words.

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