Storytelling in Elementary Education: A Systematic Literature Review on Literacy Development
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26877/eternal.v17i2.3860Keywords:
elementary education, literacy development, storytelling, vocabulary acquisitionAbstract
This study presents a systematic literature review on the role of storytelling in elementary education, with a particular focus on its impact on literacy development and vocabulary acquisition in Indonesian EFL context. Drawing on 75 articles published in Scopus, Eric and Sinta database from 2020 to 2025 between synthesized findings across diverse methodologies, and mixed method design. Results consistently enhance vocabulary mastery, learner engagement, and early literacy skills by providing contextualized language input, repeated word exposure, and opportunities for meaningful communication. Storytelling activities were also found to foster motivation, cultural identity, and multimodal literacy awareness, making them developmentally appropriate and pedagogically effective for young learners. The review concludes that storytelling is not merely a complementary classroom activity but a powerful instructional strategy that supports holistic literacy development and strengthens vocabulary acquisition in Indonesian elementary education.
References
Alterio, M. (2003). Using storytelling to enhance student learning.
Br Sembiring, D. L., & Simanjuntak, D. C. (2023). Digital storytelling as an alternative teaching technique to develop vocabulary knowledge of EFL learners. JOLLT Journal of Languages and Language Teaching Https://E-Journal.Undikma.Ac.Id/, 11(2), 211–224. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.33394/jollt.v%vi%i.7523.
Bunayyah, S., Setyowati, S., Malaikosa, Y. M. L., Adhe, K. R., Fitri, R., & Kristanto, A. (2025). Exploring the influence of storytelling activities on early literacy development. Journal of Innovation and Research in Primatry Education, 4(3), 1333–1342. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.56916/jirpe.v4i3.1721.
Gao, Y., Wang, F., & Lee, S. (2020). The effects of three different storytelling approaches on the vocabulary acquisition and response patterns of young EFL students. Language Teaching Research. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168820971789.
Hallinger, P., & Bryant, D. (2013). Mapping the terrain of educational leadership and management in East Asia. Journal of Educational Administration, 51(5), 618–637. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1108/JEA-05-2012-0066.
Kristiawan, D., Ferdiansyah, S., & Picard, M. (2022). Promoting vocabulary building, learning motivation, and cultural identity representation through digital storytelling for young Indonesian learners of English as a foreign language. Iranian Journal of Language Teaching Research, 10(May 2021), 19–36. https://doi.org/10.30466/ijltr.2022.121120.
Maya, L., & Halim, M. L. Al. (2021). The effectiveness of digital storytelling for young learners’s vocabulary mastery. KARANGAN: Jurnal Kependidikan, Pembelajaran, Dan Pengembangan, 03(02), 67–72. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.55273/karangan.v3i2.93.
Maya, L., Sumarni, S., & Suseno, M. (2022). Digital storytelling to support young learners’s English vocabulary development: A case study. Jurnal Bahasa Lingua Scientia, 14(1), 145–163. https://doi.org/dx.doi.org/10.21274/Is.2022.14.1.
Medina, J. B., & Goddard, M. B. (2024). The effect of digital storytelling on English vocabulary learning in inclusive and diverse education. International Journal of English Language Studies, 110–118. https://doi.org/10.32996/ijels.2024.6.1.11.
Miller, S., & Pennycuff, L. (2008). The Power of Story: Using Storytelling to Improve Literacy Learning. 1(1), 36–43.
Mujahidah, N., Afiif, A., & Damayanti, E. (2021). The role of storytelling methods using hand puppets in Children’s language development. Child Education Journal, 3(2), 78–91. https://doi.org/10.33086/cej.v3i2.2129.
Mulyono, N., Herniawati, A., & Hidayat, Y. (2023). Bedtime storytelling: A Method to enhance early childhoods’ language development. Jurnal Pendidikan Anak Usia Dini Undiksha, 11(137), 402–410. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.23887/paud.v11i3.68552.
Otoluwa, M. H., Talib, R. R., Tanaiyo, R., & Usman, H. (2022). Enhancing children’s vocabulary mastery through storytelling. Jurnal Pendidikan Usia Dini, 16(2). https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.21009/JPUD.162.05.
Piasta, S. B., Purpura, D. J., & Wagner, R. K. (2011). Fostering alphabet knowledge development: A comparison of two instructional approaches. Reading and Writing, 23(6), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11145-009-9174-x.Fostering.
Rahmawati, N. M. (2020). The Implementation of short stories in enhancing students ’vocabulary. Wanastra : Jurnal Bahasa Dan Sastra, 12(2), 236–241. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.31294/w.v12i1.
Rohde, L. (2015). The comprehensive emergent literacy model: Early literacy in context. SAGE Open, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244015577664.
Roig, A. (2018). Future story chasers: an experience with co-creation of fiction in the classroom through a collaborative storytelling game. Catalan Journal of Communication & Cultural Studies, 10, 279–289. https://doi.org/10.1386/cjcs.10.2.281.
Stevenson, R. B., Brody, M., Dillon, J., & Wals, A. E. J. (2013). International handbook of research on environmental education. Routledge.
Zettler-greeley, C. M., Bailet, L. L., Murphy, S., Delucca, T., & Branum-Martin, L. (2018). Efficacy of the nemours brightStart! Early literacy program: Treatment outcomes from a randomized trial with at-risk prekindergarteners. Early Education and Development, 29(6), 873–892. https://doi.org/10.1080/10409289.2018.1475202.
