The effect of digital story on the early literacy skills of preschool children

In this study, it was determined that the early literacy skills assessment tool did not create a significant difference in print awareness and phonological awareness. A total of 28 children participated in the study, divided into an experimental group involved in the digital storytelling process and a control group, with the majority being in the 60-72 months age range. The gender distribution was equal in both groups, with 50% girls and 50% boys. In terms of the number of siblings, 64.3% of the children in the experimental group involved in the digital storytelling process had one sibling, while this ratio was 42.9% in the control group. Most of the participants had either no preschool education or only one year of preschool education. The educational level and age ranges of the mothers of the participating children varied. In the experimental group involved in the digital storytelling process, 50% of the mothers were university graduates, while this ratio was 28.6% in the control group. The fathers' educational levels were similar in both groups, with 50% being university graduates and 35.7% being high school graduates. The differences between the pre-test and post-test results of phonological awareness and print awareness were not statistically significant. The average phonological awareness score for the experimental group involved in the digital storytelling process was 21.29, while it was 20.64 for the control group. In terms of print awareness skills, the difference between the pre-test and post-test scores was 19.07 for the experimental group involved in the digital storytelling process and 19.50 for the control group. These results suggest that early literacy skills can develop independently of specific educational interventions and may also be supported by natural processes. These findings are consistent with some studies in the literature while contradicting others. Keywords: Early literacy, print awareness, phonological awareness, digital storytelling.