Evaluating an Interactive Storytelling Approach for Elementary Learners: The Interactive Story LitKit Lesson Guide

This study investigated the effectiveness of an Interactive Storytelling intervention on the literacy skills of elementary pupils in Kamanggahan Elementary School. Using a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design, data were gathered from 48 pupils across Grades 5 and 6, with demographic variables (age, sex, grade level, and parents' highest educational attainment), perception levels toward the intervention considered as covariates, and the level of entry and exit literacy skills performance. Descriptive statistics revealed baseline literacy challenges, particularly in Vocabulary and Language Use and Critical Thinking and Inference, with most pupils falling within the Emerging and Developing categories. Post-intervention results demonstrated marked improvements across all six assessed literacy domains, with significant gains in Engagement and Response (85.5% Proficient and Outstanding) and Reading and Fluency (89.7% Proficient and Outstanding). Inferential analysis employed ANCOVA to control for covariate effects. The overall model was statistically significant, F(6, 41) = 14.562, p < .001, accounting for 66.6% of variance in exit literacy performance (R² = .666). Pre-test scores (p < .001), grade level (p = .015), parents' educational attainment (p = .036), and perception of the intervention (p = .004) emerged as significant predictors of post-test outcomes. In contrast, age (p = .078) and sex (p = .142) did not significantly predict literacy gains, echoing the mixed evidence in existing literature. These findings reject the null hypotheses, underscoring the intervention's efficacy. The results provide robust empirical support for integrating culturally responsive, multimodal storytelling approaches in literacy instruction. They also highlight the importance of considering learner demographics and perceptions when implementing interventions. Based on these findings, the study developed the Interactive Story LitKit Lesson Guide to address the observed gaps and promote holistic literacy development. The study highlights the efficacy of interactive storytelling as an inclusive and constructivist pedagogy for early literacy instruction.