Zerodale Academic Press, an Imprint of Zerodale Inc., Toronto, Canada Journal of Edulingual Studies (JES) 1 1 2026 05 01 Improving Reading Knowledge of Iranian Beginner EFL Students: A Comparison Between Gamification and Pen-and-Paper Training 31 43 244740 10.22034/jes.2026.244740 EN Shima Ghobadi Department of English Languages,Shah.C., Islamic Azad University, Shahreza, Iran 0000-0002-2854-1875 Zahra Mardani Department of English Languages, Islamic Azad University, Shah. C., Shahreza, Iran Reyhaneh Sadeghi Department of English Languages, Islamic Azad University, Shah. C., Shahreza, Iran Journal Article 2026 05 20 Innovation in educational media is crucial. The study investigates the best game elements for improving EFL students' reading comprehension, the best educational stages to use gamification strategies, and how gamification affects student engagement and motivation in 8–11-year-olds. Gamified applications and pen-and-paper assignments are compared using standardized reading evaluations. The sample of 70 normally developing children is evenly divided into two groups for 12 hours of school instruction. All groups improved their reading speed and accuracy, with the experimental gamified training group showing a slightly larger impact, although this difference was not statistically significant. Gamification's effects on control and experimental groups were examined using mixed techniques. The pre-test, post-test, pre-survey, and post-survey quantitative results showed that gamification improved reading comprehension and engagement in the experimental group compared to the control group that used traditional study methods. Gamification was also liked by experimental group members for its capacity to improve reading engagement and learning environment. Gamification is proposed as a creative way to shift a reading lesson from teacher-centered to student-centered. This research gives educators evidence-based tips for designing and implementing gamified reading comprehension exercises that improve learning. Gamification helps EFL teachers create engaging and fun learning environments that boost reading comprehension and active student involvement. Gamification is a new English teaching method. These findings emphasize the need of complete training and encourage more research on how gamified technology affect real-world skills and motivators. Gamification's pros and cons must be understood to be effectively integrated into educational programs. https://www.jesjournal.com/article_244740_6b4dbf8f7c27575724535e2dd6d76c7c.pdf