The Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) is set to launch a specialized teacher-training initiative next year aimed at revitalizing Arabic reading skills in private kindergartens. According to Mariam Al Halami, director of the private education sector at ADEK, the need for this program stems from a noticeable decline in Arabic proficiency among young students, a trend that has worsened over the past decade. Observations indicate that children are increasingly struggling with reading by the age of five, often because educators lack a standardized, evidence-based methodology to teach these foundational skills effectively.

To address this, the new curriculum will leverage the "Science of Reading"—a framework backed by twenty years of research—to guide children from basic phonics and letter sounds to word blending and comprehension. The program is designed to be flexible, supporting students beyond kindergarten, including those in the first and second grades who may need remedial help. Teachers will receive intensive, certified training and utilize simple assessment tools to track individual student progress. Furthermore, ADEK is exploring the intersection of education and technology, with officials emphasizing that integrating locally developed digital games could be a powerful way to make the Arabic language more engaging and culturally relevant for the younger generation.