Building an online levelled and differentiated early grade Arabic literacy learning platform supported by after school literacy clubs for students.
Project Name
Qysas (Stories): An Arabic Levelled Digital Library for Every Classroom
Location Implemented
Jordan
Technology Used
Software/Apps
Competition Entered
Grant Competition 2014
Reading Skill Targeted
Foundational, Reading
Status
Winner
Collaborators/Partners
Integrated Services – Indigenous Solutions, Jordan Education Initiative and Abdul Hameed Shoman Foundation
The Challenge
In Jordan, textbooks overwhelmingly teach reading through whole words, instead of first introducing letter phonics and voweled variations. This approach to teaching Arabic has not yielded efficient results, and places complex demands on young children for literacy acquisition, as demonstrated by recent poor Early Grade Reading Assessment results (2012-13).
The Big Idea
Qysas interactive and animated Arabic early grade literacy app, features more than 125 eBooks, introduces reading through a leveled reading platform and provides automated feedback and recommendations for a child-centered and differentiated approach to learning. Qysas is accessible through an online and offline platform and mobile application. To complement the platform, after school literacy clubs, for participating students, were held twice a week for a full academic year.
Results
The project enabled students to read on average 125 books in one academic year, as compared to the regional statistic of one book per year. In increasing reading frequency, literacy results improved tremendously, compared to students not using the program. In 2018, Qysas was transformed into a digital leveled library called Let’s Live in Harmony—adding 120 digital books co-created with the Jordanian Ministry of Education—serving 20,000+ Syrian refugee and Jordanian students in grades K-3.
Featured Innovation
Qysas
A digital library offering leveled children's stories in Arabic.
Blogs and Media
News Byte // December 20, 2022ACR GCD featured in Global Book Alliance’s Partner Spotlight Series
- Blog // September 2, 2022
Transforming literacy learning spaces with EdTech to improve reading outcomes
Research and Resources
ACR GCD Alumni featured in USAID Meta Evaluation of Grand Challenges Knowledge Product on Delivering MEL
ACR GCD Alumni, eKitabu & Little Thinking Minds, are featured in this USAID Meta Evaluation of Grand Challenges Knowledge Product on how GCs measured impact and resultsACR GCD Alumni, Little Thinking Minds, featured in USAID Meta Evaluation of Grand Challenges Case Study
ACR GCD Alumni, Little Thinking Minds' grantee journey is one of four detailed Case Studies that demonstrates key learning about thematic priorities for the USAID Meta Evaluation of Grand ChallengesLittle Thinking Minds Evaluation Report
An evaluation report on the results of the ACR GCD-funded "Qysas (Stories)" project, implemented by Little Thinking Minds in Jordan.The Challenge and Potential of Ed Tech
ACR GCD grantee Little Thinking Minds in Jordan spotlights the potential for EdTech to transform child literacy in the MENA region.Little Thinking Minds / Rama Kayyali Jardaneh
ACR GCD-funded innovator Little Thinking Minds shares their innovation to build an online early grade Arabic literacy learning platform supported by after school literacy clubs in Jordan.
