Games as Didactic Strategies to Strengthen Literacy Skills in Seventh-Grade Children

Literacy is a fundamental pillar in the academic and personal development of children throughout basic education. This study evaluated the impact of digital games as didactic strategies to strengthen literacy skills in seventh-grade students of General Basic Education. A mixed-methods approach with a pre-experimental pretest–posttest design was applied to a sample of 27 students and 17 teachers, using surveys, observation sheets, and initial and final literacy tests. The results showed a significant improvement in performance: the initial mean score was 6.34 and the final mean increased to 8.12, with a reduced standard deviation of 0.703. The Student’s t-test (t = -17.9, df = 26, p < .001) confirmed statistically significant differences, and the reliability of the instruments was supported by a Cronbach’s Alpha of 0.874. Qualitatively, 41.2% of teachers reported always using digital resources, and 47.1% perceived a high impact on student attention, as reflected in observations of high motivation and participation. It is concluded that digital games are effective tools for improving literacy, fostering motivation, continuous feedback, and an inclusive, meaningful learning experience.