This project is one of the 2024-2025 WISE Prize for Education finalists.
Iqrali.jo is a unique and comprehensive parental platform that supports parents in guiding their children’s journey toward foundational Arabic literacy.
Organization Background
The Queen Rania Foundation for Education and Development (QRF) has identified a critical gap in early childhood education in Jordan and the wider Arab world. Through extensive research, QRF has revealed alarming statistics that underscore the urgent need for early literacy interventions.
In Jordan, while 9 in 10 children under the age of six spend most of their day with their mothers, fewer than 1% of parents read to their children on a typical day. The scarcity of age-appropriate books at home, combined with the lack of parental reading habits, has contributed to a situation where 6 in 10 children are not developmentally on track in literacy skills.
These findings have driven QRF to develop innovative solutions to address the literacy crisis. The foundation has a strong track record of successful educational initiatives, including:
- Edraak.org, launched in 2014, which now reaches over 9 million users across the Arab World
- Karim and Jana (K&J), an educational mobile app series, with over 2.5 million downloads across its first five apps
- The Parental Education Program (PEP), which has reached 17,000 parents since 2017 and built a regional community of over 500,000 active parents on social media
- The School Library Program, which has developed 63 libraries since 2022 and is expected to establish over 370 classroom libraries by the end of 2024, with around 100,000 books already checked out by children
The MVP: Design and Impact
Iqrali.jo is designed to be a vital resource in a collective effort to systematically transform the reality of early childhood literacy in Jordan and the wider Arab world. The platform offers comprehensive parental support to strengthen children’s Arabic literacy development.
Key features include:
- Evidence-based resources and tools curated from across the MENA region
- Free access for parents across all socio-economic levels
- Tailored content that addresses the diverse needs of parents
- Integration with a broader national program focused on changing parental behaviors
- Potential for interactive community engagement and chatbot technology
What distinguishes Iqrali.jo is its holistic approach to empowering parents throughout their children’s literacy journey. The platform is not a standalone solution; it serves as a cornerstone supporting a broader network of national and global partners working collectively toward systemic change in Jordan.
Future Prospects
QRF has set goals for Iqrali.jo’s future, which include:
- Developing a personalized experience for parents, ensuring access to the right tools and evidence-based resources to support children’s foundational literacy
- Building an interactive community and leveraging technologies such as chatbots to enhance usability and maximize impact
- Integrating the platform within a broader national program dedicated to supporting parents
- Exploring opportunities to replicate and adapt the platform for other countries across the Arabic-speaking world
The platform represents a key pillar in addressing the early childhood literacy crisis, aiming to drive systematic and sustainable change in foundational Arabic literacy across Jordan and the wider Arab world.
Addressing WISE Prize for Education Challenges
Iqrali.jo addresses the following WISE Prize challenges:
- Artificial Intelligence in Education ☑️
- Teaching of Arabic Language ☑️
- Foundational Literacies ☑️
The solution directly addresses these challenges by leveraging technology to support Arabic language literacy, focusing on foundational skills, and incorporating AI-driven personalization for parents.
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