In a digital era where multimedia dominates learning, traditional literacy skills remain vital for academic

success and personal development. While conventional reading practices support vocabulary and

comprehension innovative strategies such as interactive storytelling can further strengthen these abilities,

particularly among younger readers. Starry Gaze explores how an instructional storytelling book can enhance

vocabulary acquisition and reading comprehension by merging narrative engagement with educational design.

Glossary terms, synonyms, and antonyms are embedded throughout the story to promote active language

increasing influence of digital media has reduced time spent on traditional reading, potentially affecting

vocabulary growth and analytical thinking (Neuman & Wright, 2014). This study aims to address this issue by

introducing Starry Gaze, an interactive storytelling book designed to help upper primary students improve

vocabulary and reading comprehension through immersive narrative experiences.

The book encourages readers to infer meaning, connect context, and discover new vocabulary, thus

transforming passive reading into an active learning process. The narrative follows a young protagonist’s

journey through a fantastical setting, integrating educational elements such as synonyms, antonyms, and

interactive and meaningful experiences.

1. To design a storytelling book that integrates vocabulary learning and comprehension skills.

2. To create scenarios that encourage language analysis and active reading participation.

Starry Gaze is an educational storybook designed for Standard 5–6 learners, combining narrative immersion

with vocabulary learning. Glossary items, synonyms, and antonyms are seamlessly embedded in the story,

allowing students to acquire new words naturally. The plot, illustrations, and color palette were tailored to

captivate young readers while aligning with the national English curriculum. The final printed version is

the story flow.

The story was written using age-appropriate language and themes. Educational elements such as definitions

and examples for glossary words were created and reviewed to ensure linguistic and pedagogical accuracy.

Illustrations were produced to complement the narrative, enhancing comprehension through visual support.

Content was formatted and printed using high-quality materials. Attention was given to readability, paper

finish, and color balance to sustain engagement.

A small group of 11 participants—including UiTM students and children—read the book and responded to a

appropriate, and beneficial for vocabulary development. The results suggest that Starry Gaze effectively

balances entertainment and education, supporting prior findings on the impact of reading motivation and

contextual learning (Guthrie & Wigfield, 2000; Neuman & Wright, 2014). The encouraging responses

demonstrate the potential for scaling up the product to reach a wider audience.

Starry Gaze possesses entrepreneurial potential through various marketing channels such as bookstores, e-

commerce platforms (Shopee, Lazada), and collaborations with schools for classroom adoption. The concept

can be expanded into a series for different age groups or adapted into digital formats, offering scalability and

sustainability.

The innovative strength of Starry Gaze lies in embedding language learning within a cohesive narrative rather

than isolating vocabulary from the reading experience (Beck et al., 2013; Sipe, 2008). By integrating

synonyms, antonyms, and glossary terms directly into the storyline, it promotes active learning and reinforces

word retention. This blend of instructional design and storytelling offers a creative alternative to conventional

larger, more diverse groups to validate findings. Further exploration of gamified learning elements and digital

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Mosenthal, P. D. Pearson, & R. Barr (Eds.), Handbook of reading research (Vol. 3, pp. 403–422).

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4. Kim, J. S., & Quinn, D. M. (2013). The effects of summer reading on low-income children's literacy

achievement: A meta-analysis. Reading Research Quarterly, 48(1), 5–38. https://doi.org/10.1002/rrq.35

5. Liu, M., & Chen, C. (2010). A taxonomy of interactive storytelling technologies and applications.

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