In quasi-experimental study, the researcher investigated and compared the effectiveness of two types of ELA instruction: (a) traditional ELA instruction methods such as flash cards practice, read aloud, dittos, and (b) instruction using iPod touch applications as a teaching resource. Two classes of heterogeneously grouped 5 [superscript th] grade students taught ELA by the same teacher for the same amount of time in a suburban district in New York State participated in the study. All of the participants were given a pre-test to determine level of proficiency for the instructional skill being presented each week of the study. The teacher used iPod applications touch as a means for delivering instruction to the students in the Experimental Group (n = 21) for a ten-week period during their 90 minute reading instructional block. The teacher provided students in the Comparison Group (n = 22) with the ELA material using similar methods used in past lessons and previous years. At the conclusion of the each week, all students were given a post-test to determine the progress of each class. As more and more 21st century tools are becoming available to educators it is important to study these resources to determine which of these tools are effective and worth the fiscal investment. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]