Towards Increase Reading Habit For Preschool Children Through Interactive Augmented Reality Storybook

Abstract

The reading habit is crucial in children for developing their cognitive, communication and understanding. Generally, children learn to read and write as early as three years old and can read by their own at the age of eight years old. However, the reading habit in children becoming less attractive to the kids as apart from their lack of interest, the technology has replaced the reading activity in children. Instead of reading, the kids spend more time playing digital game, watch video online or view the updates in social media. In Malaysia particularly, the reading habit in children to read English storybook became an issue. Due to lack of understanding the written story, lack of engagement in reading the story and less motivation to sustain reading the story are among the main factors of it. This research aims to increase the reading habit for preschool children through interactive augmented reality storybook. With the AR technology, the story can be presented in attractive environment and children able to interact with the story. The interaction used in the AR English storybook is slightly different from a normal AR interaction that based on click, touch, drag or slide. It’s required to user to play against the main character in the storybook. The finding shows that children show positive feedback with such approach in reading the English storybook. Substantially, it instills the good reading habit in children.