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Abstract
This study explores the interplay between cognitive abilities and eye movement patterns in shaping story-retelling proficiency among prereaders in digital storytelling. 42 children aged 5 to 6 years enrolled in a Mandarin-medium kindergarten participated in the study. During the experiment, children interacted with narrated stories accompanied by congruent illustrations and text displayed on a digital screen. Following a play activity to minimise short-term memory effects, they were tasked with retelling the story. Their storytelling performance was evaluated using standardised scoring methods while eye-tracking technology measured fixation duration and visual focus. Cognitive abilities, including visual attention, auditory attention, and verbal fluency, were assessed using standardised tools from the Neuropsychological Assessment Manual (NEPSY) by Korkman et al. (1998). The data were analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to investigate the relationships between cognitive abilities, fixation patterns, and storytelling outcomes in digital storytelling contexts. The results emphasise fixation duration as a critical predictor of storytelling performance, highlighting that prereaders who focused more on key story elements demonstrated enhanced narrative skills. Auditory attention emerged as a secondary but essential factor, underscoring the importance of active listening in narrative comprehension. These findings offer new insights into the cognitive mechanisms underlying early literacy development in digital environments, providing evidence-based recommendations for designing multimedia storytelling tools that support young children’s literacy skills.
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