The Influence of Interactive Features in Storybook Apps on Children’s Reading Comprehension and Story Enjoyment

Abstract

This study investigates how interactive features embedded in the illustrations of storybook apps influenced young readers’ story enjoyment and comprehension. Kindergartners and second graders (N = 91) were randomly assigned to read storybook apps in an interactive or noninteractive condition. Findings showed that children’s self-reported enjoyment did not differ when storybook apps had interactive versus noninteractive illustrations. However, children in the interactive condition scored higher on comprehension items than children in the noninteractive condition, particularly when more story-related interactions were available. Further exploration found storybook apps with interactive illustrations explicitly related to the story promoted recall especially for younger readers, whereas those implicitly related to the story promoted inferences especially for readers with advanced skills. Results suggest that interactive illustrations in storybook apps can promote comprehension outcomes and that the nature of story-related interactive features embedded in storybook apps may uniquely support different comprehension outcomes (recall vs. inference).