Rama Kayyali

Updated April 2025

Nearly 20 years ago, Rama Kayyali and her co-founder Lamia Tabbaa were first-time moms searching for engaging Arabic-language audiovisual content to nurture their sons’ early language skills in their mother tongue. But they found almost nothing. Most content for young children was produced in the West or Asia, with little cultural relevance even when dubbed into Arabic.

With backgrounds in television production and documentary filmmaking, the two women took matters into their own hands. They created a short Arabic-language children’s film, “Animals Around Us,” expecting a modest turnout of 50-75 viewers for its local screening in Jordan. Instead, over 400 people showed up, and they had to screen the film four times. The overwhelming demand confirmed what they suspected — parents were hungry for engaging, high-quality Arabic literacy educational content.

Addressing learning poverty through Arabic edtech

They soon realized the problem runs much deeper. According to the World Bank, 70% of children in the Arab world suffer from learning poverty — meaning they cannot read or comprehend a simple text by the age of 10. One major reason? The Arabic spoken at home differs significantly from the formal Arabic taught in schools, making literacy an uphill battle. With limited access to engaging Arabic books, digital content, and learning tools, millions of children — especially those in overcrowded public schools and refugee settings — are being left behind.

This crisis drives Little Thinking Minds’ mission: to create immersive Arabic literacy platforms that transform how children learn. Its award-winning platforms are now used in over 800 public and private schools, as well as in remedial schooling for refugees, reaching 400,000 students, offering an interactive, gamified learning experience that keeps children engaged.

Not only has the reach been growing year on year, but its main literacy platform has been proven by independent studies to improve literacy, fluency and comprehension by 25%, proving that with the right tools, Arabic reading can be accessible, effective, and enjoyable, and can lead to improved learning outcomes.

A holistic approach: more than just language learning

Beyond literacy, Little Thinking Minds is committed to building global citizens. The content integrates themes of sustainability, gender equality, emotional intelligence, and climate awareness, aligning with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to ensure children not only learn to read but grow into informed, thoughtful individuals.

The team collaborates with award-winning publishers regionally as well as developing original Arabic education content that sparks curiosity, fosters inclusivity and celebrates diverse voices, filling a gap in children's literature and language learning that has long been overlooked.

“We need to foster children’s attachment to Arabic from a very young age,” says Rama. “It’s not just about learning a language—it’s about preserving identity, culture and a sense of belonging.”

With hundreds of thousands of children reached across 10 countries, Little Thinking Minds continues to bridge the learning gap, inspire a love for Arabic and create a future where every child — regardless of background — has the tools to read, learn and thrive.