What is it about?
This article reviews 25 empirical studies to examine how reading comprehension is addressed within digital game-based learning (DGBL) environments. Using Chall’s (1983) Stages of Reading Development, the authors categorize each study based on whether it targets foundational reading skills (“learning to read”) or higher-order comprehension processes (“reading to learn”). The review offers a critical examination of how literacy development is conceptualized and supported in educational games.
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Why is it important?
As educational games become more widespread, there is growing interest in how they influence literacy outcomes. This review highlights significant gaps and opportunities in aligning game-based environments with deeper learning goals. It underscores the need for better theoretical frameworks, valid assessments, and instructional design strategies to fully support students’ transition from basic reading skills to complex comprehension.
Perspectives
As someone deeply invested in equitable education and inclusive design, I see this work as part of a broader effort to question what counts as “literacy” and how we support it in digital spaces. Educational games are often celebrated for their engagement, but we need to move beyond surface-level motivation and ask harder questions about what kinds of reading and thinking these tools actually promote. I’m especially interested in how we can design game-based learning environments that are not only engaging but also meaningfully scaffold students’ progression from foundational decoding skills to deeper, more critical reading. Literacy should be a gateway, not a gatekeeper, and this paper is one small step toward ensuring that gateway is open, thoughtful, and well-supported for all learners.
Dr Sam Leif
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Learning to Read or Reading to Learn: A Narrative Literature Review of Literacy within Digital Game-Based Learning Environments, Technology Knowledge and Learning, May 2025, Springer Science + Business Media,
DOI: 10.1007/s10758-025-09851-9.
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