Abstract: This paper proposes a Multi-Coding Theory as an extension of Pavio’s Dual-Coding Theory (1991) and Mayer’s Multimedia Principal (2000) to explain the potential of Multi-Touch Tablets and the newest generation of e-textbooks to scaffold struggling readers. E. O. Wilson’s Life on Earth: An Introduction (2012) serves as an inspiration and a frame for discussion. The new theory posits that the text, graphics, interactive elements, and audio represent four distinct encoding schemes that may provide additional scaffolds for learning for the struggling reader.