Native audio for the whole room. Homework kids ask for.
Weekend Somali schools run on volunteers, mixed ages and ninety precious minutes. Luuqad gives you a warm-up that needs no preparation, a native speaker for every word, and quizzes with best scores that turn homework into a competition.
Word lists
Every topic page has a printable table: Somali, English, pronunciation, plus free audio online for parents at home.
Quizzes as homework
Assign a topic quiz. Best scores are saved, and children come back to beat them.
Class leaderboard
The weekly leaderboard makes practice visible. Celebrate the climbers, not just the top.
Topics mapped to a term
Five units of three topics each follow the app's Learning Path; the last three are conversation topics for older or returning students. One topic a week fills a school term.
| Unit | Topic | Entries | Classroom idea |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 1 · First Steps | Alphabet | 26 letters | Alphabet chant with the native audio, then Word Weaver |
| Unit 1 · First Steps | Numbers | 1 to 20 | Count objects in the room; Market Day in pairs |
| Unit 1 · First Steps | Colors | 11 colors | Three-color quest with the Coloring game |
| Unit 2 · First Words | Family | 10 words | Draw a family tree with Somali labels |
| Unit 2 · First Words | Animals | 20 words | Animal Trails on the class screen, sort as a group |
| Unit 2 · First Words | Face & Body | 15 words | Somali Simon says: taabo madaxa, gacanta, cagta |
| Unit 3 · Around You | Food | 14 words | Bring a dish; label it in Somali |
| Unit 3 · Around You | House | 15 words | Picture quiz on the class screen, homework quiz at home |
| Unit 3 · Around You | Clothing | 10 words | Picture quiz on the class screen, homework quiz at home |
| Unit 4 · Out & About | Weather | 10 words | Picture quiz on the class screen, homework quiz at home |
| Unit 4 · Out & About | School | 9 words | Picture quiz on the class screen, homework quiz at home |
| Unit 4 · Out & About | City | 10 words | Picture quiz on the class screen, homework quiz at home |
| Unit 5 · Everyday Life | Activities | 10 verbs | Picture quiz on the class screen, homework quiz at home |
| Unit 5 · Everyday Life | Emotions | 10 words | Picture quiz on the class screen, homework quiz at home |
| Unit 5 · Everyday Life | Small Talk | 17 phrases | Greeting role-play at the door each week |
| Conversation | Express Emotion | 16 phrases | Picture quiz on the class screen, homework quiz at home |
| Conversation | Asking | 16 questions | Picture quiz on the class screen, homework quiz at home |
| Conversation | Ordering | 15 phrases | Picture quiz on the class screen, homework quiz at home |
Guides
Questions teachers ask
Can I use Luuqad on a classroom screen?
Yes. Mirror an iPad to a screen for whole-class lessons; the native audio and pictures work well for warm-ups. Each child needs their own account for quizzes and the leaderboard.
Is there a school licence?
Not yet. Families subscribe individually through the App Store. If you run a school and want to talk about group access, write to us.
Can I print the word lists?
Every topic page on this site has a quick-reference table of Somali, English and pronunciation that prints cleanly. The recordings are online, free, on the same pages.
Which dialect is it?
Standard Somali, as used in schools and media. Regional alternatives are noted on the word pages where families are likely to hear them.
Bring native Somali voices into class
Free to download. Tell families to install it before the first lesson.