The aim of this study is to examine the influence of design and presentation characteristics of digital stories in the engagement of toddlers in digital aloud reading. The sample was comprised of 26 children of kindergarten and pre-kindergarten age, who, after having been separated in three groups, were presented with the same digital aloud reading, but different variations for each group: interactive presentation, cartoons, static images and oral storytelling. Multi-sensory behaviors and the communication behavior were videotaped during the digital read aloud. The data were aggregated per child in one-minute intervals, examining their simultaneous behavior and they were then consolidated in order to determine the frequency measures of individual toddler behavior per digital read aloud variation/type. The results show that the type influences an array of engagement behaviors in digital read aloud. Looking, touching, moving and gesturing were all significantly different depending on the presentation type of the digital story, whereas no major differences were observed as regards communication behavior.
Keywords: Digital Read Aloud, Engagement, Characteristics in The Design and Presentation Of Digital Stories.