Effectiveness of Digital and Computer-Based Interventions for Children with Dyslexia: A Meta-Analysis

The current meta-analysis studies how digital and computer-based interventions are effective in enhancing literacy in children with dyslexia. The systematic review of the literature revealed the use of 38 eligible (N = 3,826) trials focused on the effect of assistive software, phonic-based applications and gamified reading programs published in 2015-2024. A random-effects meta-analytic model was used to indicate the overall pooled effect size estimation of Hedges' g = 0.61 (95% CI [0.47, 0.76]) meaning that the overall effect of digital interventions compared with conventional instruction or no instruction on reading fluency, decoding and comprehension have a moderate positive significant effect. The subgroup analyses demonstrated that phonics related applications had the highest effect (g = 0.72), then gamified reading tools (g = 0.57) and assistive software (g = 0.48). Moderator analyses showed that intervention duration (>10 weeks) and participant age (8-10 years) significantly influenced outcomes, highlighting the importance of early and sustained intervention. Quality appraisal with the JBI checklist had shown that overall high methodological rigor and low publication bias. It is evident that technology-mediated reading instruction should be used as a complement to the conventional phonics programs. Digital interventions build on multisensory learning, adaptive feedback, and game-based and engagement and use this to build strength to phonological processing and adult motivation in dyslexic learners. The paper highlights the possibility of AI-based and gamification of the educational technologies to democratize literacy teaching and foster inclusive and evidence-based learning conditions in alignment to the UN SDG 4 (Quality Education). Long-term follow-up and neurocognitive parallels and cross-linguistic vindication should be the future directions of research.