ChatGPT enhances reading comprehension for children with dyslexia in Arabic language

PURPOSE: The study investigated the impact of ChatGPT, an AI language model, on enhancing reading comprehension skills among Arabic-speaking children with dyslexia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study population consisted of 60 Arabic-speaking children with dyslexia, aged 8 to 11 years, selected from public and private schools in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). A quasi-experimental design was adopted, with participants divided into control and experimental groups. The experimental group received ChatGPT-based reading instruction during regular school hours. Data was collected using the Sentence Reading Comprehension Test and the Reading Maze Test. The pre- and post-tests were administered to both groups, with equivalent reading difficulty but different texts. RESULTS: The findings of the study revealed a significant improvement in reading comprehension scores among the experimental group compared to the control group. Specifically, the post-test scores showed increased sentence comprehension accuracy and better contextual understanding of reading materials. CONCLUSIONS: Based on these findings, it is recommended that AI tools like ChatGPT be integrated into remedial reading programs for children with dyslexia. Educators should consider leveraging AI-assisted reading exercises to provide personalized learning experiences that can support and accelerate reading development in struggling learners.