ABSTRACT
This study investigated the effectiveness of the interactive storytelling strategy in improving the oral language skills of Grade 2 learners at Lonoy Elementary School, Kananga I District, Leyte Division for the School Year 2025–2026. Recognizing the vital role of oral language development in early literacy and overall academic success, the study sought to address the challenges many young learners face in oral expression, vocabulary, and comprehension. Specifically, it aimed to determine (1) the performance of the Grade 2 learners in oral language skills before the integration of interactive storytelling, (2) their performance after the integration, (3) whether a significant difference existed between the two performances, and (4) to propose an improvement plan based on the study’s findings. The study utilized a quasi-experimental research design employing a pre-test and post-test to measure learners’ progress. Thirty-five (35) Grade 2 learners participated in the study, using the Comprehensive Rapid Literacy Assessment (CRLA) as the main tool for evaluating oral language proficiency. The intervention was conducted over four weeks, integrating interactive storytelling activities into reading lessons. Data were analyzed using Simple Percentage, Weighted Mean, and t-Test of Mean Difference to determine the effectiveness of the strategy. Results revealed that before the intervention, learners performed at a fair level (weighted mean = 7.10), with most scoring low in oral language skills. After the integration of the interactive storytelling strategy, their performance improved to a good level (weighted mean = 18.05). Statistical analysis indicated a significant difference between pre-test and post-test results (computed t = 12.62 > critical t = 2.09), confirming that interactive storytelling had a positive and substantial effect on learners’ oral communication skills. The study concluded that interactive storytelling is an effective and engaging instructional approach that enhances oral fluency, comprehension, and confidence among young learners. It is recommended that teachers integrate this strategy into regular language instruction, receive continuous training in storytelling techniques, and collaborate through Learning Action Cells (LACs) to share best practices. School leaders and curriculum planners are also encouraged to support creative, learner-centered approaches that promote meaningful language development in the primary grades.
Keywords: Improving Oral Language Skills, Interactive Storytelling, Grade 2 Learners
INTRODUCTION
Oral language development is a foundational skill essential for early literacy and overall academic achievement. It includes the ability to listen, speak, express ideas, and understand others—skills that are especially critical during the early years of schooling. In Grade 2, learners are expected to articulate their thoughts clearly, participate in conversations, and comprehend increasingly complex texts. However, many young learners still struggle with oral expression, vocabulary, and listening comprehension, which negatively affect their reading fluency and classroom participation.
One promising approach to enhance oral language skills is interactive storytelling—an instructional technique where learners actively participate in storytelling through role-play, retelling, predicting outcomes, and engaging in dialogue. Unlike passive listening, interactive storytelling promotes two-way communication, develops vocabulary in context, and encourages learners to use language in meaningful ways.
According to Hassinger-Das, Toub, Hirsh-Pasek, & Golinkoff (2017), interactive storytelling activities support children’s expressive and receptive language by embedding language use in engaging, social, and playful contexts. This is reinforced by Isbell, Sobol, Lindauer, and Lowrance (2004), who found that preschool children exposed to frequent storytelling showed significantly higher gains in vocabulary and oral language development than those in traditional story-reading sessions.
Based on Jean Piaget’s theory of cognitive development (Tracey & Morrow, 2017), a child’s brain development progresses so quickly during this age and the amount of information they take in and begin to understand is mesmerizing. At this age, children are beginning to decode sounds and produce words based on phonemic awareness and metacognition within connections to stories and their underlying meaning (Tracey & Morrow, 2017). Based on what children begin to understand at this age from literacy development and instruction, technology plays a role in how students comprehend as well as communicate their language skills.
Storytelling is a tradition as old as time and generations have reaped the benefits as it was one of the few communicative structures of the beginning. Today, storytelling in education promotes a wide variety of benefits that encourage cultural understanding, increased curiosity, and development of focus and social skills. As 21st-century learning suggests, educators want to build digital citizens that are equipped with skills that help them succeed in a world of technology circumstances and opportunities (Watanabe-Crockett, 2016). Digital storytelling presents a new kind of discovery within itself. The idea of this technique is a “combination of old storytelling tradition with new technology” (Saponaro, 2017).
Moreover, Niemi, Multisilta, and Lipponen (2022) emphasize that storytelling, when made interactive, can foster not only oral fluency and narrative skills but also learners’ confidence and motivation to communicate. Their study highlights that children become more involved in the learning process when they are allowed to co-construct stories, take on characters, and express their interpretations.
Despite these findings, many classrooms still rely on teacher-centered approaches that limit student interaction, especially in language instruction. This research aims to address that gap by investigating the effectiveness of interactive storytelling as a strategy to improve the oral language skills of Grade 2 learners. By integrating storytelling into daily literacy activities, this study hopes to offer practical insights into how teachers can make language learning more engaging and effective.
In summary, this study is anchored on the belief that oral language development can be significantly improved using interactive storytelling, an approach supported by both theory and practice. It contributes to the growing body of research on child-centered learning and seeks to inform teaching strategies that enhance communication skills during a critical stage of literacy development. Thus, this study is formulated to evaluate the effectiveness of interactive storytelling strategy in improving the oral language skills of grade 2 learners. A proposed improvement plan will be formulated based on the findings of the study.
This study evaluates the effectiveness of interactive storytelling in improving the oral language skills of grade 2learners of Lonoy Elementary School, Kananga 1 District, Leyte Division. The findings of the study were the basis for the proposed improvement plan.
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