If your child is in a Ras Al Khaimah private school, or about to start one, there is a name worth knowing: IQRA. From September 2026 this early Arabic reading programme rolls out across RAK private schools, for children from KG1 to Grade 1. It is the same programme an independent study found can move young readers ahead by the equivalent of an extra 25% of a school year.
This is the plain-English guide for parents. What IQRA actually is, what the research really showed, how it works inside a normal classroom, and what changes for your family when the new school year begins. We update this page as schools confirm details, so save it and check back.
Latest Updates
We keep a running log here as the rollout develops. Newest first.
- 31 May 2026: IQRA confirmed for a wider rollout across RAK private schools from September 2026, covering KG1 to Grade 1.
- 22 May 2026: Independent evaluation results published. IQRA classrooms gained the equivalent of 25% of an extra school year in Arabic reading progress.
So, What Exactly Is IQRA?
IQRA, the Arabic word for “read,” is an early-grade Arabic reading programme developed by the Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi Foundation for Policy Research. Think of it as Arabic reading lessons with less confusion and a lot more “ohhh, I get it now.”
One of the biggest challenges in Arabic education has always been the jump between the Arabic children speak at home and the Modern Standard Arabic used in textbooks. For a five-year-old, that is a bit like learning one language at home, then meeting its very formal cousin at school. Not the easiest introduction.
IQRA simplifies that journey by teaching reading step by step, with structured methods focused on phonics, decoding, fluency and confidence before children are asked to tackle deeper comprehension. Basically: crawl, walk, run. Not “here is a paragraph, good luck.”
The programme was developed alongside cognitive psychologist Helen Abadzi and is rooted in research on how children actually learn to read. It does not need fancy tech labs, expensive gadgets or marathon school hours. In most schools it was delivered during regular classroom time, with just a few days of teacher training.
What the Research Actually Found
This was not a small classroom experiment with three worksheets and optimistic vibes. The evaluation was a randomised controlled trial run by J-PAL MENA, the regional office of the globally recognised Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab, during the 2024 to 2025 academic year. It is one of the largest studies of its kind for Arabic early literacy in the UAE.
The study covered 83 classrooms across 26 schools in Ras Al Khaimah. Researchers randomly assigned 41 classrooms to use IQRA and 42 to continue with standard Arabic instruction, then compared the results. Children in IQRA classrooms showed stronger:
- Letter recognition
- Word reading
- Reading fluency
- Non-word decoding
Word reading showed the biggest leap, with the median student moving from the 50th to the 58th percentile in that skill alone. Overall literacy improved too, lifting the median student from the 50th to the 54th percentile. That can sound modest on paper, until you remember these are the foundational years where small early gains shape years of reading confidence. The gains showed up for native Arabic speakers and non-native speakers alike.
How IQRA Is Taught in the Classroom
Part of why educators are excited is that IQRA works in real school conditions. Busy schedules, mixed ability levels, tired teachers, energetic five-year-olds and the occasional bit of chaos. The programme leans on simple, proven techniques:
- Large-font workbooks
- Sequenced, step by step instruction
- Echo reading
- Paired reading
- Choral reading
The goal is reading automaticity and confidence without overwhelming children. And schools did not need to rebuild their timetables to fit it in. In 21 of the 26 participating schools, IQRA ran entirely within normal classroom hours. No extra burden, no complicated overhaul, no “please add another hour to the school day” panic.
What This Means for RAK Parents
If you have a child entering KG1, KG2 or Grade 1 at a RAK private school this September, there is a good chance Arabic reading will be taught differently from how older siblings learned it. The practical upshot for most families is positive: stronger Arabic reading foundations, built during the school day, at no extra cost to you.
It is also a useful question to raise at your next parent meeting or when comparing schools. If you are weighing options, our roundup of the best schools in Ras Al Khaimah is a good starting point, and asking how each school approaches early Arabic literacy is now a smart thing to add to your list.
WOW-RAK Expert Tip: At your next parent-teacher meeting, ask two simple questions: is the school using IQRA from September, and which year groups does it cover this year? Schools are rolling it out in stages, so the answer tells you exactly what to expect for your child’s class.
Will It Come to My Child’s School?
The September 2026 rollout is aimed at RAK private schools, starting with the youngest year groups, KG1 through Grade 1. Exactly which classes start first can vary school by school, since the programme is designed to scale in stages rather than land everywhere at once. Your school is the best source for its own timeline, so watch for newsletters and parent briefings as the term approaches. We will add confirmed school details to the Latest Updates section above as they come in.
How Parents Can Help at Home
IQRA does the heavy lifting in class, but a little support at home goes a long way. Read aloud together in Arabic, even for ten minutes a day. Let your child point at letters and sound them out without rushing to correct every slip. Confidence is half the battle at this age, and the programme is built around exactly that idea.
WOW-RAK Expert Tip: Summer is the perfect runway. A few weeks of relaxed, daily Arabic reading before September helps your child walk into class already comfortable with letters and sounds. Keep it short, playful and pressure-free.
And reading time does not have to compete with summer fun. Balance it with plenty of off-page activity from our guides to the best summer camps in Ras Al Khaimah and family things to do in RAK with kids.
Bigger Than Ras Al Khaimah
What is happening in RAK could shape Arabic literacy teaching well beyond the emirate. IQRA has already been tested in classrooms in Morocco, Egypt and Jordan, with early signs it may also help older students who struggle with reading. For a programme born out of a local foundation, that is a serious regional footprint, and it positions Ras Al Khaimah as a growing hub for evidence-based education.
As Natasha Ridge of the Al Qasimi Foundation has put it, weak Arabic reading results were often blamed on the language itself, when the real issue was how Arabic was being taught. When instruction reflects how children actually learn to read, progress can be rapid, measurable and achievable within existing school systems. Or, more simply, in the words of educator Hanadi Mohammed: “Arabic is not a difficult language if it is taught in the right way.”
IQRA: Parent FAQ
What is the IQRA programme?
IQRA is an early-grade Arabic reading programme developed by the Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi Foundation. It teaches young children to read Arabic through structured phonics, decoding and fluency practice before moving on to comprehension.
When does IQRA start in RAK schools?
The wider rollout across RAK private schools begins in September 2026, starting with children from KG1 to Grade 1.
Which year groups is it for?
The programme targets the early years, KG1 through Grade 1. Schools may introduce it to different classes in stages, so check your own school’s timeline.
Does IQRA actually work?
A randomised controlled trial across 83 classrooms in 26 RAK schools found children in IQRA classrooms made reading gains equal to an extra 25% of a school year, with the biggest improvement in word reading. The benefits showed up for both native and non-native Arabic speakers.
Does it cost parents extra?
No. IQRA is delivered within normal classroom hours and does not rely on extra school time or expensive technology, so there is no added cost or longer school day for families.
Have a question we have not answered, or news from your child’s school about IQRA? Tell us and we will keep this guide updated for other RAK parents.
