KwentoKid: An Interactive Filipino Children's Story App - Notes
Introduction
KwentoKid is a mobile application designed to promote reading and language learning among young students.
It brings Filipino children's stories to life through an immersive experience, combining text and audio in Filipino and English.
Aims to bridge the gap between reading and comprehension by providing an interactive and enjoyable approach to learning.
The bilingual format helps children improve reading abilities and gain a deeper understanding of Filipino culture.
Project Context and Background
KwentoKid is designed to promote language learning and cultural appreciation.
It offers a fun and engaging way for children to enjoy traditional and modern Filipino stories.
Project Purpose and Description
The app aims to help young children learn the Filipino language in an enjoyable and interactive way.
It improves their language skills and introduces them to important aspects of Filipino culture using stories, sounds, and visuals.
It features colorful animations and voice narrations to make stories more enjoyable and easier to understand.
The app includes quizzes and activities to help children learn new words and phrases.
It also helps children develop an understanding of Filipino traditions and values.
KwentoKid is a tool for both children and adults, making it easier for parents and teachers to support the child's learning journey while having fun together.
Objectives
Develop an interactive and captivating learning environment that will improve the literacy abilities of Buting Elementary School teachers and students in Grades 1-6.
Enhance vocabulary and reading comprehension through dynamic, narrative-based materials and interactive elements.
Encourage creativity and storytelling skills.
Promote active engagement in education and build confidence in language abilities.
Specific Objectives
Improve vocabulary and reading comprehension with age-appropriate texts that progressively get more complex.
Provide guided questions to strengthen comprehension of the material in each story.
Incorporate colorful images, sound effects, and animations to bring Filipino stories to life.
Assess comprehension and make learning enjoyable through quizzes and challenges.
Modify story elements to foster critical and creative thinking, encouraging them to share their unique versions to boost self-expression and confidence in their language skills.
Gather feedback from educators and students to improve the application's functionality and user experience.
Scope and Limitations/Delimitations of the Project
Focuses on the development and implementation of KwentoKid, an offline, interactive Filipino children’s story application.
Designed to enhance language proficiency and cultural appreciation among Grade 1 to Grade 6 students.
Integrates Filipino storytelling, voice narration, animated visuals, and quizzes to improve literacy and spark interest in the Filipino language and culture.
Key Features
Offline Accessibility: All content is available without an internet connection.
Story Library: A collection of Filipino children’s stories that can be browsed through a user-friendly interface.
Reading Modes: Options for reading alone, listening to narrated stories, or engaging in interactive modes with animations and sounds.
Language Options: Users can switch between Filipino and English.
Quiz Feature: Quizzes are provided after each story to reinforce learning and check comprehension.
Bookmark Feature: Allows users to save stories and continue reading later.
Limitations
Agile methodology is followed.
Designed for Grade 1 to Grade 6 students.
Limitations of the Study
No Login Feature: No personal accounts or progress tracking.
Target Audience: Specifically designed for Grade 1 to Grade 6 students.
Offline Use: Updates and additional content require manual installations or transfer of new files.
Limited Content: Focuses only on Filipino children’s stories.
Device Compatibility: Optimized for mobile devices and tablets; no web or desktop version.
Theoretical Framework/Conceptual Framework
Input: KwentoKid aims to provide accessible, engaging Filipino children's literature by focusing on cultural representation and language.
Addressing challenges like limited culturally relevant materials and digital literacy.
Process: Development focuses on a child-friendly interface with interactive stories, audio, and customizable illustrations.
Working with writers, illustrators, and educators ensures engaging, age-appropriate content.
Usability testing and feedback will refine the app.
Output: The implementation of KwentoKid provides a platform that increases access to Filipino children's stories, promoting literacy and cultural pride.
The app aims to inspire a love for stories reflecting their identity, supporting educational growth and developing strong language skills and cultural awareness.
Definition of Terms
(Operational and technical terms used in the study will be defined here)
Review of Related Literature and Studies
This chapter discusses the review of related literature for both foreign and local, as well as the review of related studies for both foreign and local about Kwento Kid: An Interactive Filipino Children Story App.
It emphasizes the similarities and differences between the review of related literature and the review of related studies on the current study.
Foreign Literature
Digital Storytelling for Classrooms (Smeda, Dakich, & Sharda, 2014):
Digital storytelling fostered a constructivist learning environment.
Enhanced student motivation, creativity, and engagement.
Integrating digital storytelling into classroom instruction can enrich the learning experience and make it more meaningful & effective.
Digital Storybooks on Preschool Students (Zipke, 2016):
Digital storybooks equipped with read-aloud functions and interactive animations significantly enhanced word recognition skills compared to traditional print books.
Children using digital storybooks independently outperformed those guided by teachers.
Demonstrated the potential of technology to promote self-directed learning in early literacy.
How Digital Storybooks Affect Children’s Reading Comprehension (Son, Butcher, & Liang, 2020):
Both interactive and non-interactive versions were equally enjoyable.
Children using interactive storybooks showed higher comprehension scores, particularly when the interactive features were closely tied to the narrative.
Meaningful interactivity is important in improving story understanding.
Mobile App on Children’s Language and Literacy Development (Booton, Hodgkiss, & Murphy, 2021):
Built-in narration, real-time conversation prompts, and augmented reality elements positively influenced story comprehension and vocabulary acquisition.
These features facilitated adult-child interaction.
Thoughtful app design is important in supporting young learners' language skills.
Creating Digital Books for Lab School of UPI, Purwakarta Teachers (Pratama, 2021):
Community Service Program (PkM) sought to offer practical training in creating digital books for teachers.
The program was held offline with 9 participants.
Participants used Canva, Vocaroo, and Animaker to design book covers, make audio explanations, and produce motion graphics videos.
The outputs were merged using Sigil to generate an EPUB-formatted digital book.
Training followed an interactive methodology by combining theoretical exercises with practical work.
Acquired skills are hoped to improve the production of online learning materials.
Applying Interactive Digital Books Based on Project-Based Learning (Susanti, 2022):
Study aimed to increase student learning motivation by applying interactive digital books based on Project-Based Learning (PjBL).
Digital books can be used as a means to boost motivation and engagement of students in higher learning.
Findings show a high level of student learning motivation with the application of interactive digital books.
Investigating the Students’ Critical Thinking (Neswary, 2022):
Purpose of the study was to investigate the students' critical thinking skill profile and the application of Problem-Based Learning (PBL) models based on digital books in high school physics.
Results showed that the lowest levels of critical thinking skills were found in the analysis indicator.
Inclusion of digital book-supported PBL models can provide an effective tool for improving the critical thinking scores of students.
Short Story Writing is a Very Important Ability for Indonesian Students (Hastuti, 2023):
Being able to read a detailed reference source is a major element contributing to their achievement.
The research was intended to assist lecturers and students while writing short stories using digital books as study sources.
The research investigated how local wisdom-integrated digital books might improve the writing ability of students.
The findings indicated a significant enhancement in students' creativity when they used digital books as opposed to printed books.
Android Digital Book to Study Easier and More Effective in Indonesia (Wijaya, 2023):
Created an Android digital book to enable Fiqh Al-'Adah Muhakkamah study, easier and more effective legal education.
User Acceptance Test (UAT) exhibited an 87% positive reaction from the students.
Feasibility tests revealed an 88% acceptance rate for both media and content.
Results underscore the promise of digital technologies in enhancing accessibility and understanding of traditional Islamic law.
Effectiveness of Audio-Visual Media in Storytelling to Enhance the Language Skills of Children Aged 5 to 6 Years Old (Asifudin, Umaya, & Sudaryono, 2025):
Visuals and sounds in storytelling significantly improved children’s listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills.
Engaging and interactive media captured the children’s attention, maintained their motivation, and encouraged active participation.
Audio-visual media is a valuable approach for early childhood language development.
Local Literature
Mobile Application in Which Children Could Interact, Be Entertained and Educated (Mitschek et al., 2018):
Developed and evaluated a mobile application in which children could interact, be entertained, and be educated.
Kwentong Pambata is a children’s storybook application designed for Android devices that features Filipino legends, fables, parables, and short stories.
Portrays Filipino values, traditions, and character which contains moral lessons.
The application has 3 different language translations such as Filipino, English and Mandarin.
Examines the Development of “Kwentong Pambata: Interactive Storybook for Filipino Fables, Legends, Parables and Short Stories” (Villena & Santos, 2019):
This interactive storybook was designed to preserve Filipino cultural heritage while enhancing children’s learning experiences.
The project utilized an Android-based application incorporating multimedia elements such as animations, voice narrations, and interactive components.
Effectively improved engagement and comprehension among young learners.
A Bilingual Children’s Storybook Application Enhanced with Augmented Reality Technology (Desierto et al., 2020):
Introduced GoonAR, a bilingual children’s storybook application enhanced with Augmented Reality (AR) technology.
Aimed to engage young learners through 3D animations and interactive content.
Designed for Android devices, the app presented stories in both English and Filipino.
Helped children better understand story content while enjoying the reading experience.
Findings from the study revealed improved reading comprehension and increased motivation among Grade 1 students.
Investigated How Interactive Features Are Embedded in the Illustration of Storybook Apps (Son et al., 2020):
Findings showed that children’s self-reported enjoyment did not differ when storybook apps had interactive versus non-interactive illustrations.
Children in the interactive condition scored higher on comprehension items.
Storybook apps with interactive illustrations explicitly related to the story promoted inferences especially for readers with advanced skills.
Interactive Storytelling Application in Early Childhood (Dela Cruz et al., 2021):
The study assessed the impact of digital storybooks on reading comprehension and literacy skills among preschool learners.
Findings indicated that children who used interactive storybooks demonstrated improved vocabulary retention and comprehension compared to those using traditional print books.
Use of Digital Storybooks to Promote Character Education and Moral Values in Filipino Children (Santos & Abad, 2021):
Interactive storybooks containing Filipino folktales and moral lessons were effective tools for teaching character values such as honesty, respect, and responsibility.
Children who engaged with these storybooks showed improved social-emotional skills and demonstrated a better understanding of moral concepts.
Create a Child Friendly and Enjoyable Learning Format for Grade 1 Students (Alfonso et al., 2022):
The focus of the study is to create a child-friendly and enjoyable learning format for the Grade 1 students to address the reading comprehension problems the locale encounters right now.
The study used mixed methods to find out the entire methods and process to develop the stand-alone application suited for the Grade 1 students.
The Study Developed and Validated an Interactive E-Book in Physics for Grade 9 Students (Dominado, 2023):
Findings revealed that the crafted material was very satisfactory in all the criteria, which means that it was valid and ready for use by the students.
It inferred that the interactive e-book was acceptable and reliable for its intended users.
Review of Related Studies (Foreign)
Investigate the Impact of Digital Storytelling on Students’ Academic Achievement (Yang & Wu, 2012):
Incorporating DST into the curriculum significantly enhanced students' academic performance and critical thinking skills.
Observed that DST increased student's motivation to learn.
Exploring the Effects of Digital Storytelling into English as a Second Language in Malaysia ( Zakaria & Abdul Aziz, 2019):
Data indicated significant improvement in the experimental group's writing, particularly in content, grammar, and vocabulary.
A Study to Explore the Narrative Potential of Picture-Book Apps in Early Childhood (Müller-Brauers et al., 2020):
Picture-book apps offer rich narrative animations that could engage children in storytelling.
The study also suggested that reading duration and the quantity of adult utterances might influence children’s understanding, offering practical recommendations for more effective use of narrative animations.
A Study to Examine How a Tutor Support Young Learners (Eisazadeh & Rajendram, 2020):
The tutor played a crucial role in making the activity meaningful and engaging by integrating various modes of expression, facilitating technology use, and promoting self-reflection in narrative writing.
Digital Storytelling in Early Childhood in Jakarta, Indonesia (Rahiem, 2021):
Digital storytelling, though still rarely used in early education, offers numerous benefits, including making storytelling more engaging, theatrical, and communicative for young learners.
Investigated the Impact of Digital Storytelling on Young English as a Foreign Language (Alemi et al., 2022):
The results demonstrated significant improvements in the learners' writing skills, particularly in areas such as sentence construction, vocabulary usage, and grammatical accuracy.
Systematic Review to Evaluate the Effectiveness of Interactive Reading (Chuang & Jamiat, 2023):
Multimedia features such as background music, animated images, and dictionaries positively impact early literacy development.
Conducted a Systematic Review Analyzing Digital Storytelling (Ooi Ze Xu andHashim, 2023):
Found to boost learners' motivation and engagement in the language learning process.
Identified challenges such as time constraints and the need for adequate teacher training in implementing DST effectively.
Exploring the Language Development of Kindergarten Students In a study by Laurie and Pesco (2024), bilingual Filipino–English kindergarteners emphasizing the need for culturally responsive tools in evaluating and supporting language growth align with the goals of KwentoKid, which uses interactive Filipino stories to enhance children's language skills in an engaging and culturally rooted way.
Digital Storytelling on Early Childhood Literacy Development (Mustafa, Ahmed, AND Haider, 2024)
Review of Related Study (Local)
Animatede-storybooks (Roque, Teodoro, Cunanan, and Evangelista(2017),
Realistic animations depicting story actions facilitated comprehension, while attention-grabbing animations aided vocabulary developmentThe Effectiveness of Digital Storytelling on Language Loniza , Saad and Che Mustafa (2018)
higher scores in listening comprehensionDigital storytelling was applied in teaching the Filipino subject toGrade 7 students at San Guillermo National High school Abelon (2023), digital storytelling enhances student engagement and comprehension in Filipino language learningsImpact of visual media exposure on Filipino Grammar Proficiency Embornas, Merculio, Abuel, and Paglinawan (2024)
Findings revealed significant relationship between visual media exposure and grammar completeness indicates the visual media influence on student's
Visual media exposure on Filipino Grammar Proficiency
Synthesis
This section summarizes the gathered literature to show digital storytelling fosters a constructivist learning environment, which in turn enhanced student motivation, creativity, and engagement.