Since language is the oral manifestation of any culture, its direct influence on problem-solving cannot be diminished. ESL and minority students may encounter language difficulties when using computers in U.S. schools, since computers use English-language software. Physical issues may also need to be addressed, as the keyboard layout and functions use the English alphabet. A student who is not fluent in English may have trouble understanding the characters and will be at a distinct disadvantage.
Wealth and poverty levels can directly affect the education of ethnic groups in the United States. The availability of technology to a student's family may influence how well they will adapt to computers within a learning environment. African-American, Hispanic and other students from less privileged backgrounds may not have the opportunity to gain computer skills while in the home. Those students who are among the wealthiest demographic in the United States, in contrast, usually have more regular computer access.
Religious and cultural belief systems may contribute to issues in the use of computers in elementary schools. For example, family beliefs may shape certain attitudes toward technology. When a religious family strictly adheres to a traditional faith that limits a child's unsupervised access of the Internet, the child may be less likely to have prior knowledge about navigating the Web. Because a child's basic knowledge of technological tools has been diminished, he will be at a distinct disadvantage. Unless he can overcome these deficiencies, he may never adequately reach sufficient levels of computer competence.
Student readiness is affected by cultural barriers that may relate to task styles. Computer tasks usually require individual work and certain technical and analytical skill sets. The lack of these skill sets by some specific cultures may inhibit studying with the aid of a computer. For example, some cultures, such as Hispanic, Native American and those with ESL issues, may learn more quickly through group-based tasks due to language barriers. Computer-based tasks require independent work and thought, as well as the ability to focus on learning in that manner. Students who require more assistance may have less ability and less interest in participating in computer-based learning.