Miqyas Al Dhad Set to Transform Arabic Reading Proficiency Among Students in Arab Nations

Arabic Scale, also known as 'Miqyas Al Dhad,' has reached a pivotal point in its mission to boost Arabic reading skills among native students.

The final phase of its extensive field survey has been completed, setting the stage for the official launch of the Arabic reading scale later this year. This initiative is backed by thorough research using advanced scientific methods.

The field survey involved over 110,000 students from 204 schools across nine Arab countries, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Oman, Jordan, Morocco, Libya, Lebanon, and Iraq.

This wide-ranging effort highlights the initiative's expansive reach. The survey was conducted digitally with strict proctoring to ensure secure administration.

The development of Miqyas Al Dhad utilised a triangulation scientific research approach that combines quantitative and qualitative analyses from multiple data sources.

One source was a large Arabic corpus with over 70 million structures and words from more than 8,000 curated texts. These texts reflect the language's cultural richness and diversity.

Another data source came from a pairwise comparative study involving over 450 Arabic language experts and educators from 18 Arab countries.

Participants compared two passages to determine which was more challenging. This data helped rank 2,000 passages in difficulty for Miqyas Al Dhad's machine learning algorithms.

In crafting the field survey items, various reading frameworks were reviewed. The sociocognitive framework for reading (Khalifa & Weir, 2009) was employed.

This framework is used by reputable examination boards like Cambridge and focuses on linguistic knowledge, cognitive processing, background knowledge, and metacognitive strategies.

A rigorous methodology ensured high-quality item creation for the survey. This included recruiting and training item writers while monitoring their work closely to maintain standards.

Miqyas Al Dhad offers a suite of smart tools designed to enhance Arabic reading proficiency. Central to this is the Reading Scale which evaluates comprehension accurately. It helps educators assess student abilities and identify learning needs effectively.

Additional tools include a validated item bank tailored for each school grade and a Smart Text Analyzer powered by AI to evaluate text complexity. High-frequency keyword lists provide an academic vocabulary database for every grade level.

Miqyas Al Dhad supports educators through its Reading Growth Plan—a predictive system that monitors student progress over time. It provides actionable insights for educational planning based on individual needs.

The initiative serves as a scientific reference for Arabic educational development by offering standardised tools that enable effective curriculum creation tailored to educators' needs. It empowers students to use Arabic confidently in academic and professional contexts.