Keeping young children engaged during the school holidays can be a challenge—especially when trying to balance fun with learning. That’s why Oxford University Press East Africa has designed a Weekly Reading & Word Fun Plan specifically tailored for Early Childhood Development and Education (ECDE) learners. This structured holiday reading schedule combines joyful reading moments with engaging literacy activities that support early learning outcomes in both English and Kiswahili.

Why Structured Holiday Reading Matters

Studies show that consistent reading during school breaks helps children retain language skills and build vocabulary. For ECDE learners, these early experiences form the foundation for future literacy and academic success. A structured plan also provides parents and guardians with clear daily activities that foster bonding while nurturing a love for books.

About the Oxford Weekly Reading & Word Fun Plan

This four-day weekly plan is built around two core resources:

• Oxford Simba Readers (in English and Kiswahili)
• Oxford Picture Word Book

The activities blend storytelling, drawing, word games, and music to build bilingual proficiency and reinforce key literacy skills. Each day features two coordinated tasks—one reading-based and one word-based—to keep your child both entertained and mentally active.

Weekly Plan Breakdown

Monday: Read & Discover

• Simba Readers Activity: Read the story aloud together. Use different voices for characters to make reading lively and fun.
• Picture Word Book Activity: Find and match new words from the story. Encourage your child to point, say, and trace the words.

Tuesday: Talk & Sing

• Simba Readers Activity: Ask and answer questions about the story. Let your child guess what happens next to boost comprehension.
• Picture Word Book Activity: Create simple songs using words from the book. Clap and sing along to reinforce word recognition.

Wednesday: Retell & Draw

• Simba Readers Activity: Let your child retell the story in their own words. Pictures can be used as prompts.
• Picture Word Book Activity: Draw and colour pictures of words that begin with a specific letter (e.g. ‘B’ for ball, banana).

Thursday: Act & Create

• Simba Readers Activity: Act out the story using simple costumes or toys. Role play helps build expression and confidence.
• Picture Word Book Activity: Write letters or numbers found in the book and decorate them with colour to make learning playful.

Friday: Rest

• Take time to rest

Why Use Simba Readers and the Oxford Picture Word Book?

The Simba Readers series features culturally relevant and age-appropriate stories in both English and Kiswahili, helping children develop bilingual literacy skills. These stories are not only enjoyable but are structured to encourage prediction, recall, and critical thinking.

The Oxford Picture Word Book complements this by supporting word–picture associations—an important skill for pre-readers and early readers. It enables learners to connect vocabulary with visual meaning, making it easier to retain new words.

Tips to Make Holiday Reading a Success

• Create a dedicated reading time each day—just 20 minutes is enough.
• Let your child choose books they enjoy to boost motivation.
• Celebrate progress—stickers, stars, or a storytime chart can go a long way!
• Limit screen time and replace it with interactive storytelling.
• Use both English and Kiswahili books to support bilingual development.

Get the Weekly Plan

Want a downloadable copy of the Weekly Reading & Word Fun Plan?