Selected
Re-engaging Learners

I Read Arabic

I Read Arabic is a digital, leveled-reading, Arabic language library aimed at improving literacy outcomes.

Team Leader
Rama Kayyali
I Read Arabic is a digital levelled reading Arabic language library aimed at improving literacy outcomes

Solution Pitch

The Problem

By age 10, 50% of Middle East and North African (MENA) children cannot read or comprehend an age-appropriate text. This issue has been further exacerbated due to Covid-19. This is largely due to regional conflicts displacing millions and bringing the number of out-of-school children to 15 million, and the number of those at risk of dropping out to 10 million.

The Solution

I Read Arabic (IRA) is an Arabic, leveled platform that improves Arabic language literacy outcomes. The platform offers a self-paced, personalized learning journey for students in grades K-12. The platform offers 23 levels mapped to learning outcomes based on regional standards. IRA has been third party-tested by School to School Research using EGRA (Early Grade Reading Assessment Tool) and has proven to improve learning outcomes by 30% in three main subtasks: reading comprehension, syllable identification, and oral reading fluency when comparing treatment to control group. IRA has the most reach in the MENA region (which constitutes 18 countries and 250,000 students in private and public schools and refugee settings). IRA works closely with regional children's book publishers and creates content in-house, making sure all content is home grown and tackles STEM themes as well as gender equality, social emotional learning, and social cohesion.

Stats

  • Currently 235,000 students are using the platform.

  • In 2021, there were 230,000 students the solution’s platforms; of these, 100,000 students moved up a reading level (they read 25 books and answered 80% of the related quizzes which are tied to learning outcomes)

Market Opportunity

I Read Arabic has the potential to be used in schools in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, Iraq and the United States.

Organization Highlights

  • I Read Arabic currently partners with Integrated, an M&E partner in Jordan for all projects that are designed and implemented with the Ministry of Education in Jordan.

  • Partner with Vodafone Foundation in Egypt which has integrated the reading platform into their own platform and is currently offering it for free to their users.

  • Partner with 20+ Arabic children's publishers in the region.

  • Work with regional public libraries like the Qatar National Library and Shoman Foundation.

  • Partnered with 300 low cost private schools in Egypt through two NGOs.

Partnership Goals

I Read Arabic seeks:

  • Support/consultation and training on best practices regarding machine learning and AI when it comes to minimizing bias, accuracy of algorithm, etc.

  • Pricing for public school sector expansion

  • Expertise on user engagement and user experience for young students at school or at home

  • Review of pitch materials for fundraising from global investors

What is the name of your organization?
Little Thinking Minds
What is the name of your solution?
I Read Arabic
Provide a one-line summary or tagline for your solution.
I Read Arabic is a digital levelled reading Arabic language library aimed at improving literacy outcomes
In what city, town, or region is your solution team headquartered?
Amman
In what country is your solution team headquartered?
Jordan
What type of organization is your solution team?
For-Profit
Film your elevator pitch.
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What specific problem are you solving?
By age 10, 50% of Middle East and North African children cannot read or comprehend an age-appropriate text.. This is largely due to regional conflicts displacing millions and bringing the number of out-of-school children to 15 million, and the number of those at risk of dropping out to 10 million.
What is your solution?
I Read Arabic (IRA) is an Arabic, leveled platform that improves Arabic language literacy outcomes. The platform offers a self-paced, personalized learning journey for students in grades K-12. The platform offers 23 levels mapped to learning outcomes based on regional standards. IRA has been third party-tested by School to School Research using EGRA (Early Grade Reading Assessment Tool) and has proven to improve learning outcomes by 30% in three main subtasks: reading comprehension, syllable identification, and oral reading fluency when comparing treatment to control group. IRA has the most reach in the MENA region (which constitutes 18 countries and 250,000 students in private and public schools and refugee settings). IRA works closely with regional children's book publishers and creates content in-house, making sure all content is home grown and tackles STEM themes as well as gender equality, social emotional learning, and social cohesion.
Who does your solution serve, and in what ways will the solution impact their lives?
Our solution serves school aged children between 4- 18 who are either in formal schooling or not. The app provides a personalized journey where users embark on a journey where they read/ hear books, record their voice and answer questions aligned with learning outcomes. They can watch short animated educational videos aligned with regional curricula. As children progress through the levels they go through a series of tests (end of level tests and benchmark tests) to assess how they are progressing. Teachers can assign specific tasks for struggling readers through a remediation feature. Teachers have access to a rich library of hundreds of books, worksheets, videos, lessons plans and assessments which they can use in their classroom or assign as homework and access to detailed reports measuring achievement of learning outcomes and identifying struggling readers.The platform can also be accessed by Heads of Departments to monitor students and teacher's engagement

Organization Type: For-profit, including B-Corp or similar models

Headquarters: Amman, Jordan

Stage: Scale

Working In: Jordan

Current Employees: 55

Solution Website: www.littlethinkingminds.com

Solution Team:
Rama Kayyali
Rama Kayyali