Enhancing Emergent Literacy Skills via Interactive Storytelling: Insights into Early Vocabulary Acquisition
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58418/ijeqqr.v5i1.234Keywords:
Emergent Literacy, Interactive Storytelling, Vocabulary Acquisition, PreschoolersAbstract
Traditional early literacy instruction often relies on decontextualized letter drilling, failing to foster integrated decoding and semantic comprehension. This study investigated the impact of a scaffolded interactive storytelling intervention on enhancing preschoolers' emergent literacy skills and early vocabulary acquisition. Grounded in a design-based practitioner inquiry framework, the intervention was implemented across two sequential phases with 13 preschoolers aged 5 to 6 years (M = 5.4, SD = 0.38). Data were gathered using a validated observation rubric (CVI = 0.92; k = 0.84) assessing grapheme-phoneme identification, word-picture association, and contextual word comprehension. Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Tests revealed a statistically significant improvement in overall emergent literacy performance from baseline (M = 1.92, SD = 0.81) to Phase II (M = 3.08, SD = 0.86; Z = -3.18, p < 0.001), yielding a large cumulative effect size (r = 0.88). Qualitative classroom observations confirmed a behavioral shift from passive memorization to active dialogic engagement, self-correction, and communicative confidence. Synthesizing Dual Coding Theory and Vygotsky’s Social Constructivism, these findings demonstrate that combining multimodal storybooks with dialogic questioning activates dual verbal and non-verbal cognitive channels, bridging orthographic decoding with semantic mapping. This study provides a theoretically sound, scalable model for reforming early childhood literacy curricula toward interactive, narrative-driven practices.
References
Bali, C., Matuz-Budai, T., Arato, N., Labadi, B., & Zsido, A. N. (2023). Executive attention modulates the facilitating effect of electronic storybooks on information encoding in preschoolers. Heliyon, 9(1), e12899. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e12899
Bellocchi, S., Priolo, D., & Bonifacci, P. (2025). The simple view of reading in monolingual and language‐minority bilingual children learning to read in French or Italian: Evidence from a direct cross‐linguistic comparison study. Journal of Research in Reading, 48(3), 259–277. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9817.70007
Bigozzi, L., Vettori, G., & Incognito, O. (2023). The role of preschoolers’ home literacy environment and emergent literacy skills on later reading and writing skills in primary school: A mediational model. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1113822. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1113822
Bleses, D., Dale, P. S., Justice, L., Højen, A., Vind, B. D., & Jiang, H. (2021). Sustained effects of an early childhood language and literacy intervention through second grade: Longitudinal findings of the SPELL trial in Denmark. PLOS ONE, 16(10), e0258287. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0258287
Bruner, L. (2024). Word Learning Opportunities in Preschool Storybook Apps. Reading Research Quarterly, 59(3), 487–498. https://doi.org/10.1002/rrq.556
Chalil, L. K., & Naomi, G. V. (2026). Applying dual coding theory to bridge the literacy transfer gap: Enhancing English sight word vocabulary in DHH students through bilingual-bimodal chaining. Deafness & Education International, 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1080/14643154.2026.2635251
Cole, A. M., Chan, E. S. M., Gaye, F., Spiegel, J. A., Soto, E. F., & Kofler, M. J. (2023). Evaluating the simple view of reading for children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Journal of Educational Psychology, 115(5), 700–714. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000806
Cusiter, J., Short, K., Webb, A., & Munro, N. (2025). Combined Language and Code Emergent Literacy Intervention for At-Risk Preschool Children: A Systematic Meta-Analytic Review. Child Development, 96(4), 1519–1545. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.14252
Dicataldo, R., Rowe, M. L., & Roch, M. (2022). “Let’s Read Together”: A Parent-Focused Intervention on Dialogic Book Reading to Improve Early Language and Literacy Skills in Preschool Children. Children, 9(8), 1149. https://doi.org/10.3390/children9081149
Diprossimo, L., & Cain, K. (2025). Individual differences in word learning from print and digital shared book reading. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 260, 106345. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2025.106345
Galea, C., Jones, A., Ko, K., Salins, A., Robidoux, S., Noble, C., & McArthur, G. (2025). Home-based shared book reading and developmental outcomes in young children: a systematic review with meta-analyses. Frontiers in Language Sciences, 4, 1540562. https://doi.org/10.3389/flang.2025.1540562
Gonzalez, J. E., Kim, H., Anderson, J., & Pollard-Durodola, S. (2024). The Effects of a Science and Social Studies Content Rich Shared Reading Intervention on the Vocabulary Learning of Preschool Dual Language Learners. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 66, 34–47. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2023.08.011
Hamilton, L. G., Hayiou‐Thomas, M. E., & Snowling, M. J. (2021). Shared storybook reading with children at family risk of dyslexia. Journal of Research in Reading, 44(4), 859–881. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9817.12375
Hodges, R., Baker, E., Munro, N., & Masso, S. (2024). The emergent literacy skills of 4- to 5-year-old children with and without a history of late talking. International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 26(1), 96–104. https://doi.org/10.1080/17549507.2022.2152866
Hoover, W. A. (2024). The simple view of reading and its broad types of reading difficulties. Reading and Writing, 37(9), 2277–2298. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11145-023-10471-x
Jago, L. S., Monaghan, P., Alcock, K., & Cain, K. (2025). The effect of preschool vocabulary and grammar on early reading comprehension and word reading: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Educational Research Review, 47, 100680. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2025.100680
Kalender, B. (2026). Enhancing letter recognition in first graders with embedded picture mnemonics: insights from cognitive load and dual coding theories. Frontiers in Psychology, 17. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1726843
Kwok, F. Y., Bull, R., & Muñez, D. (2021). Cross- and Within-Domain Associations of Early Reading and Mathematical Skills: Changes Across the Preschool Years. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 710470. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.710470
Lambright, K. (2024). The Effect of a Teacher’s Mindset on the Cascading Zones of Proximal Development: A Systematic Review. Technology, Knowledge and Learning, 29(3), 1313–1329. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10758-023-09696-0
Logan, J. A. R., Piasta, S. B., Purtell, K. M., Nichols, R., & Schachter, R. E. (2024). Early childhood language gains, kindergarten readiness, and Grade 3 reading achievement. Child Development, 95(2), 609–624. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.14019
Madsen, K. M., Peters-Sanders, L. A., Kelley, E. S., Barker, R. M., Seven, Y., Olsen, W. L., Soto-Boykin, X., & Goldstein, H. (2023). Optimizing Vocabulary Instruction for Preschool Children. Journal of Early Intervention, 45(3), 227–249. https://doi.org/10.1177/10538151221116596
Margolis, A. A. (2020). Zone of Proximal Development, Scaffolding and Teaching Practice. Cultural-Historical Psychology, 16(3), 15–26. https://doi.org/10.17759/chp.2020160303
McKenney, S., & Reeves, T. C. (2021). Educational design research: Portraying, conducting, and enhancing productive scholarship. Medical Education, 55(1), 82–92. https://doi.org/10.1111/medu.14280
Ness, I. J. (2022). Zone of Proximal Development. In V. P. Glăveanu (Ed.), The Palgrave Encyclopedia of the Possible (pp. 1781–1786). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-90913-0_60
Neugebauer, S., Sandilos, L., Ellis, E., & Walls, M. A. (2025). Teacher gestures bridge meaning: Unpacking teacher gesture in storybook read alouds to support vocabulary. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 70, 211–221. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2024.10.006
Neuman, S. B., & Kaefer, T. (2025). Knowledge-Building Through Categorization: Boosting Children’s Vocabulary and Content Knowledge in a Shared Book Reading Program. Early Education and Development, 36(7), 1634–1653. https://doi.org/10.1080/10409289.2025.2493016
Neuman, S. B., Krieger, L., Kaefer, T., & Gonzalez-Villisanti, H. (2025). Preschool Teachers’ Child-Directed Talk: Unlocking Opportunities for Language Learning and Knowledge-Building. Early Education and Development, 36(5), 1134–1155. https://doi.org/10.1080/10409289.2025.2503024
Nicolopoulou, A., Hale, E., Leech, K., Weinraub, M., & Maurer, G. (2024). Shared Picturebook Reading in a Preschool Class: Promoting Narrative Comprehension Through Inferential Talk and Text Difficulty. Early Childhood Education Journal, 52(7), 1707–1723. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-023-01497-5
Nordström, T., Fälth, L., & Danielsson, H. (2025). Evaluating the Simple View of Reading Model: Longitudinal Testing and Applicability to the Swedish Language. Education Sciences, 15(3), 260. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15030260
O’Brien, B. A., Seward, R., & Zhang, D. (2022). Multisensory Interactive Digital Text for English Phonics Instruction with Bilingual Beginning Readers. Education Sciences, 12(11), 750. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci12110750
Olszewski, A., & Hood, R. L. (2023). Parents’ vocabulary instruction with preschoolers during shared book reading. Child Language Teaching and Therapy, 39(1), 58–73. https://doi.org/10.1177/02656590231151662
Pan, D. J., Li, H., & Lin, D. (2022). The reciprocal relationship between vocabulary knowledge and word reading in Chinese primary-school children. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 60, 59–66. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2021.12.007
Richtsmeier, P. T., Gladfelter, A., & Moore, M. W. (2024). Contributions of Speaking, Listening, and Semantic Depth to Word Learning in Typical 3- and 4-Year-Olds. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 55(4), 1085–1098. https://doi.org/10.1044/2024_LSHSS-23-00105
Shen, Y., & Del Tufo, S. N. (2022). Parent-child shared book reading mediates the impact of socioeconomic status on heritage language learners’ emergent literacy. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 59, 254–264. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2021.12.003
Tang, M., Lau, K.-L., & Du, Y. (2026). Effects and moderators of dialogic reading on children’s reading literacy: A three-level meta-analysis on studies from 2000 to 2025. International Journal of Educational Research, 137, 102963. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2026.102963
Tapia Montesinos, M. M., Ripoll Salceda, J. C., Aguado Alonso, G., & Joshi, R. M. (2022). Simple view of reading in Spanish: A longitudinal study. Revista de Logopedia, Foniatría y Audiología, 42(4), 214–226. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rlfa.2021.09.002
Vaknin-Nusbaum, V., & Nevo, E. (2021). What can children learn from exposure to visual-graphical representations? Thinking Skills and Creativity, 40, 100830. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2021.100830
Van Elsen, J., Catrysse, L., & De Maeyer, S. (2024). The Effect of Interactive Picturebook Reading on Problem-Solving Skills in Preschool: A Quasi-Experiment. Early Childhood Education Journal, 52(7), 1471–1485. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-023-01542-3
Wang, H.-C., Nation, K., Gaskell, M. G., Robidoux, S., Weighall, A., & Castles, A. (2022). Nap effects on preschool children’s learning of letter-sound mappings. Child Development, 93(4), 1145–1153. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.13753
Wauters, L., & Dirks, E. (2024). Interactive storybook reading to enhance language, literacy, and social–emotional skills. Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, 29(2), 286–287. https://doi.org/10.1093/deafed/enae003
Weadman, T., Serry, T., & Snow, P. C. (2022). The development and psychometric properties of a shared book reading observational tool: The Emergent Literacy and Language Early Childhood Checklist for Teachers (ELLECCT). First Language, 42(4), 552–578. https://doi.org/10.1177/01427237211056735
Weadman, T., Serry, T., & Snow, P. C. (2023). Oral Language and Emergent Literacy Strategies Used by Australian Early Childhood Teachers During Shared Book Reading. Early Childhood Education Journal, 51(8), 1335–1348. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-022-01381-8
Werfel, K. L., Reynolds, G., & Fitton, L. (2023). A Longitudinal Investigation of Code-Related Emergent Literacy Skills in Children Who Are Deaf and Hard of Hearing Across the Preschool Years. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 32(2), 629–644. https://doi.org/10.1044/2022_AJSLP-22-00169
Wong, K. M., Flynn, R. M., & Neuman, S. B. (2021). L2 vocabulary learning from educational media: The influence of screen‐based scaffolds on the incidental–intentional continuum. TESOL Journal, 12(4), e641. https://doi.org/10.1002/tesj.641
Wu, Y., Chen, S., Wang, X., Qiao, P., & Jiang, Y. (2025). Teacher-child talk in Shared-book Reading with Preschoolers: Linkages between Teacher Questioning and Child Responsiveness. Early Childhood Education Journal, 53(8), 2871–2882. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-024-01830-6
Xing, L., Tang, Y., Liu, Q., Chen, H., Zeng, J., & Su, J. (2025). The effects of interactive reading on young children’s narrative abilities: a meta-analytic study. Frontiers in Psychology, 16, 1653511. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1653511
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 International Journal of Educational Qualitative Quantitative Research
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
