RAZ for all! Exploring the effects of a digital reading app in an EFL class

This paper describes a study examining the effects of the digital English language reading tool, RAZ Kids and its implementation in classroom instruction. The study took place during the 2021-2022 academic year among a small group of first year students in the Global Communication Department at a small private university in Hiroshima, Japan. A mixed methods analysis of qualitative data in the form of anonymous surveys as well as quantitative data of the participants' time spent within the app and incentives earned are examined in order to determine participants' English reading levels and participants' perceptions of their reading skill growth. The results indicate that utilizing the RAZ Kids reading app can be a beneficial learning tool for both language educators as well as students when engaging in an extensive reading program.