Until recently, computers did not have all (or even most) of the capabilities that were needed to implement a complete program of reading instruction. A primary lack among these capabilities was the inability to comprehend oral reading and judge its accuracy. Another lack was the inability of computers to accept free-form responses to comprehension questions, leading to reliance solely on recognition tests such as multiple-choice formats. The situation is currently very different, with most new computers capable of speech recognition, as well as a host of multimedia presentation capabilities. Artificial intelligence is beginning to make inroads into software for instruction, and systems for text comprehension are fairly sophisticated, even on home computers.

The development of the Internet and the linking of schools and school computers to it have combined to provide a new interest in computer usage. The kinds of information resources available have provided a stimulus for renewed efforts to deliver instruction of all sorts, including reading, by computer. Coupled with the facts that computers have become much more capable and software has become much more advanced, interest in using the Internet has led to a dramatic new wave of interest in using computers in reading instruction.(pp. 6-1 - 6-2)