Importance of digital educational resources in the development of reading and communication skills in children aged 3-6 years A systematic literature review (2018-2024)

Abstract

This study presents a systematic literature review on the influence of digital educational resources (DERs) on the development of reading and communication skills in children aged 3 to 6 years during the period 2018–2024. The objective was to analyze the available evidence on the effectiveness, implementation, and perception of DERs in early childhood education. The review was conducted according to the PRISMA 2020 methodology, with a search of international and regional databases, and 35 empirical studies in Spanish and English were included. The synthesis of results shows moderate positive effects in five key domains: vocabulary, alphabet recognition, phonological awareness, concepts of print, and narrative skills, especially when the resources are integrated into structured pedagogical approaches. Gamification is identified as a motivational factor that facilitates learning, while adult mediation—by family members and teachers—emerges as a determining condition for effectiveness. A tension is evident between approaches based on technological determinism and perspectives oriented toward holistic development, highlighting the need to balance screen use with the promotion of socio-emotional connections. However, the literature exhibits significant methodological heterogeneity, a predominance of small samples, and a scarcity of longitudinal designs, which limits the generalizability of the findings. It is concluded that the impact of DERs depends on the quality of instructional design, cultural relevance, teacher training, and sensitive mediation, rather than on the resource itself. Finally, it is recommended that future qualitative and mixed-methods research be strengthened to understand short- and long-term effects in Latin American contexts.