Soma Squad

A book is where the learning starts. Not where it ends.

Soma Squad is not a book club. Children read about something, understand it, talk about it, meet someone who knows about it and then do something connected to what they learned.

The Soma Loop

Choose a step to see what happens. Every Quest goes round the loop once.

Step 1 of 5

Read

Each child reads a story at their own reading stage. Younger readers follow along with narration while older readers take on full novels or non fiction.

In the Clean Streets QuestKiko and the Baobab: a girl finds eleven bottles under her grandmother's tree.

Placed by how they read. Not by how old they are.

Children grow at different speeds. Our three stages are a guide and a child can move between them as their reading grows.

Story Starters

Roughly 5 to 8 years old

Where they are
Just beginning to read or still learning to read on their own.
What they read
Picture books with short stories and simple sentences.
Working towards
Reading short sentences alone and following a story from start to finish.

Page Turners

Roughly 9 to 12 years old

Where they are
Reading on their own and following a full story.
What they read
Chapter books and short novels with some new words.
Working towards
Reading longer books, discussing them well and forming their own opinions.

Deep Readers

Roughly 13 to 16 years old

Where they are
Confident readers who read independently.
What they read
Full novels and non fiction with bigger ideas.
Working towards
Reading critically, linking books to real life and leading discussions with younger children.

Which stage fits your child?

Answer three quick questions for a suggestion. A facilitator always confirms it with a short, friendly reading chat.

Can your child read a short sentence on their own?For example: “The cat sat on the mat.”
Can they finish a chapter book without help?A book with few or no pictures.
Do they like arguing about what a character should have done?Or questioning whether a book got something right.

What we read about

These are examples of what we explore. They are not a fixed curriculum and new themes come from the children too.

  • Environment and conservationTrees, wildlife and the land we share
  • Pollution and wasteWhere rubbish goes and what we can do
  • Africa's history and cultureKingdoms, trade routes, music and language
  • African spiritualityBeliefs, stories and wisdom passed down
  • Values and characterKindness, honesty and courage in real life
  • Your idea nextSuggest a theme for a future Quest

Inside a Saturday session

A session runs in five parts. Stories are played on a big screen so the whole squad reads together.

  1. Arrive and settleA name game and a stamp in each child’s Soma Passport.
  2. Story timeThe story plays on screen with narration while the children read along.
  3. Talk circleSmaller groups by stage discuss the questions that appear in the story.
  4. Make or doA drawing, a short play or a mission linked to the story.
  5. One thing I learnedEvery child shares one idea before going home.

Kiko counted the bottles under the old baobab. There were eleven.

Talk about it: where did they come from?
Present mode: big pictures, large text and discussion questions on the right page.

Readers become leaders

Deep Readers do not just read. They learn to lead. Each term some of them become Squad Leaders for the younger groups.

  • They read stories aloud to Story Starters and lead the talk circle.
  • They help plan the mission for each Quest.
  • They present the squad’s work at our live showcases.
  • A facilitator is always in the room with them.

Ready for your child to join a squad?

Tell us a little about your child. We will find the nearest squad and arrange a reading chat.

Enrol your childSee our Quests