Article Author: Eleftheria Malisiova, Despoina Kompoti

This paper introduces The Journey to Nova Reef, a digital storytelling application created to identify gender stereotypes among preschool-aged children (4-6 years old). Although Genderalize remains the only existing DST platform aimed at detecting gender bias, its design caters to older children (9-12 years old) and is not tailored for early childhood contexts. To fill this significant gap, the current study modifies the fivelens framework developed by Rubegni et al. (2019)- consisting of Role, Embodiment, Personality, Agency, and Emotion- to suit a younger developmental stage. Drawing from cognitive and constructivist perspectives on gender development, the application invites young children to participate in simplified story-based tasks and decision-making prompts that reveal their implicit gender associations. Particular emphasis is given to the Embodiment lens, through which children assign actions, roles, and toys to gender-neutral characters, revealing ingrained social norms. Designed for use in preschool settings, the tool supports educators in observing children's interactions, interpreting them, and facilitating pedagogical discussions. While the application has yet to be pilot tested, it offers a new direction for early childhood education and research. Future work will focus on empirical validation and possible expansion of the lens-based approach. The Journey to Nova Reef provides a developmentally suitable and engaging platform to raise awareness and encourage early critical thinking about gender roles.

Keywords: Digital Storytelling; Gender Stereotypes; Preschool Education

Article Review Status: Published

Pages: 39- 48

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