Pick-a-Path: An Interactive English Storytelling Tool for Young Learners

This paper presents an interactive reading application prototype named Pick-a-Path where learners are turned into the main characters of their own story using facial recognition. This is an application focused on young learners aged 4 to 9 years old where they can snap a photograph of their face and watch it get animated through an interactive story where children get to choose their own unique customisable path. This application aligns with contemporary pedagogical approaches that emphasise personalised reading experience and digital engagement, particularly for early childhood education. Other than using Ai based recognition tools as the main key features, this application also includes interactivity where it aims to boost reading comprehension and vocabulary. Additionally, it also focuses on personalised avatars where it increases emotional engagement and fosters ownership among young learners. Aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goal 4 (Quality Education), Pick -a Path promotes equitable access to engaging learning tools. Its accessibility features, multilingual potential, and offline functionality increase its global relevance. From a commercial standpoint, Pick-a-Path has strong potential to be used in schools or offered as a subscription for home learning. With the growing demand for interactive and personalised learning tools, this application meets the need for engaging, tech-driven resources that support literacy and critical thinking in young learners.

Digital learning, application, vocabulary

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