Iqrali اقرأ لي ("Read to Me") is an innovative, long-term social behavior change program designed to empower parents in Jordan to become active participants in their children’s early literacy journey. By encouraging reading to children from birth, Iqrali harnesses the profound influence of parental engagement on children’s development.

In a context where the majority of children in Jordan do not attend preschool, Iqrali addresses a critical gap: ensuring that children are developmentally prepared for literacy learning by the time they start primary school. 

However, challenges like lack of knowledge about the importance of reading to children in the early years, lack of children’s books in homes, and structural barriers often hinder parents from adopting reading practices. Iqrali bridges this gap, equipping parents with the tools, knowledge, and motivation to engage their children in enriching early literacy activities.

How Iqrali Works

Iqrali is built on a foundation of behavioral science, evidence-based research, and strategic interventions to support families and overcome barriers to reading to children from birth. The program features three core components:

Social Behavior Change Communication (SBCC): Through targeted and research-driven messaging, Iqrali improves parents' knowledge of why, how and what to read to their children. 

Integrated Interventions and Book Gifting: Scalable initiatives like book gifting at vaccination centers, and community-based sessions help embed reading into family routines. These efforts make reading accessible and actionable for families across Jordan.

Parenting Platform (iqrali.jo): The Iqrali Platform is a free, easy-to-access tool that supports parents in nurturing a love of reading at home. Available as a mobile app and via web browsers, it provides access to children’s books, reading activities, educational videos, and practical resources designed to help families build daily reading habits.

Visit Iqrali.jo & Download the Iqrali App

Inspiring parents to embrace early literacy practices as a cornerstone of their children’s future success.

2025 Achievements

In 2025, Iqrali continued to strengthen its position as one of Jordan’s leading early literacy interventions, supporting parents to become active partners in their children’s learning from birth. Designed as a national behavior change program, Iqrali promotes simple yet powerful daily practices—such as reading, talking, and storytelling—that lay the foundation for children’s long-term development.

A major milestone this year was the first full-scale governorate rollout of the program in Aqaba. Following a successful pilot in five health centers, Iqrali was integrated into routine vaccination visits, embedding literacy messaging and book distribution at critical touch points in a child’s early life. This innovative model brings learning into everyday parenting moments and provides a strong foundation for national scale-up in the coming year.

Iqrali’s reach also expanded through strategic national partnerships. A new collaboration with UNICEF enabled the integration of Iqrali into Makani, a well-established national parenting platform. This partnership allows the program to reach thousands of additional families across the Kingdom with consistent, evidence-based guidance on early literacy and positive parenting practices.

In 2025 alone, Iqrali reached over 12,700 parents and distributed more than 31,588 children’s books, reinforcing its growth as a national movement that strengthens home learning environments across Jordan. With 26,000+ stories read on the Iqrali platform.

• Vaccination Centers Intervention: In partnership with the Ministry of Health, Iqrali reached over 11,000 parents during vaccination visits at eight health centers across Balqa, Irbid, and Aqaba. Families received age-appropriate children’s books and were enrolled in a WhatsApp chatbot that provides tailored literacy tips and reminders aligned with their child’s age. A feasibility study showed encouraging results, with one in three parents reporting that they read with their child as a result of the intervention.

• Community-Based Interventions: Working with Zaha Cultural Centers in Irbid and Balqa, and the JOHUD Center in Aqaba, Iqrali engaged 650 caregivers through literacy awareness sessions, book distribution, and chatbot nudging. These sessions provided practical, age-appropriate reading strategies for children under six, supporting the development of sustainable reading habits at home.

• First Steps, Big Step Parenting Program: Through a collaboration with the Royal Health Awareness Society, Iqrali delivered structured literacy training to more than 1,000 parents. The program led to a 26% increase in parental reading behavior and a 16% increase in literacy-related knowledge, highlighting the impact of combining skills-based training with behavior change strategies.

Iqrali Wins WISE Prize for Innovation in Education

The Queen Rania Foundation won second place at the 2025 WISE Prize for Education for the Iqrali App, its innovative early literacy solution supporting parents to read with their children from birth to age six.

The Iqrali App is a behavior change platform offering free Arabic children’s books, practical reading tips, and an AI-powered assistant. The AI creates personalized stories using each child’s name, age, and interests, helping children build an emotional connection to reading while guiding parents with simple, effective literacy practices.

The impact is clear: 52% of participating parents began reading with their children after using the Iqrali App, demonstrating its ability to transform home learning environments.

This recognition by WISE, a leading global education innovation platform, highlights the Iqrali App’s impact, scalability, and global relevance. At the 12th WISE Summit in Doha (November 2025), QRF joined education leaders in championing a shared vision: ensuring every child grows up with the joy and power of reading.

Watch Promo for WISE (Iqrali) Click here

Looking Ahead: Scaling for Impact

As a long-term initiative spanning 5–8 years, Iqrali is focused on expanding its reach, strengthening partnerships with national institutions, and embedding sustainable practices that promote literacy across Jordan. The progress achieved in 2025 highlights the program’s strong potential to positively influence children’s early literacy by empowering parents to read with their children from the very beginning.

Together with our partners, Iqrali is not just increasing parental reading—it is shaping a future where early learning is a shared and celebrated priority for every family in Jordan.

"As a father, this was the first time I realized the incredible impact of reading to my baby during her earliest days and months. Watching her engage with books at such a young age was a transformative experience for both of us. I never imagined my child could interact with reading at such an early stage. During reading sessions, she started mimicking sounds, trying to imitate me, and attempting to communicate. The Iqrali program opened my eyes to the profound benefits of reading from the very beginning. With my second child, I plan to start reading from day one."

— Khaled, father of a two-year-old

"Introducing the habit of reading into our home transformed our chaotic moments into truly special quality time. It created a sense of connection and closeness among us as a family that I never imagined reading could achieve. Through it, we’ve laughed, shared emotions, and built bonds with our children. Bedtime has become a calm, peaceful experience filled with stories. Reading is not just a hobby—it’s the simplest and most beautiful activity. I encourage every parent to start today; it will quickly become part of your daily routine."

— Huda, mother of three-year-old twins