What Kiswahili schemes of work are
A Kiswahili scheme of work is the teacher's term plan for Kiswahili: week by week and lesson by lesson, it sets out the theme, the sub-strand, the learning outcomes, the learning experiences, the resources and how learning will be assessed. It turns the KICD curriculum design for Kiswahili at a given grade into a timetable a teacher can follow for the term.
This page brings together our Kiswahili schemes of work for every level we publish, from Grade 1 in Lower Primary to Grade 10 in Senior School, and for Form 1 to Form 4 under 8-4-4. Every scheme downloads in editable Word, so you can change the weeks, dates and activities to fit your school calendar and your class.
How CBC Kiswahili is organised
Under the CBC, Kiswahili is taught through four language skills, and each theme of the year works on all four. The skills, as the KICD designs name them, are:
- Kusikiliza na Kuzungumza (listening and speaking)
- Kusoma (reading)
- Kuandika (writing)
- Sarufi (grammar)
So a good Kiswahili scheme does not give one skill a whole term. Each week mixes the skills within the theme being taught. Grade 6 is a clear example: the Grade 6 design is organised around 11 themes (mada), each taking the learner through all four skills, over about 120 lessons in the year. Our Grade 6 Kiswahili Schemes of Work page (in Kiswahili) sets out all 11 themes.
Kenya Sign Language (KSL) takes the place of Kiswahili for learners who need it, in the same timetable slot.
Lessons per week, by level
How many Kiswahili lessons a scheme has to fill depends on the level. The figures below come from the KICD lesson allocation tables:
| Level | Kiswahili (or KSL) lessons per week |
|---|---|
| Pre-Primary (PP1, PP2) | taught within Language Activities |
| Lower Primary (Grade 1 and Grade 3) | 4 |
| Upper Primary (Grade 4 to Grade 6) | 4 |
| Junior School (Grade 7) | 4 |
| Senior School, Grade 10 (2025 design) | 4 |
| Senior School, Grade 11 (2027 design) | 5 |
Check the allocation in your own grade's design before planning a different grade, because each design carries its own table.
Kiswahili schemes of work by grade
Pick the grade you teach, then the term.
- Lower Primary: Grade 1 · Grade 2 · Grade 3
- Upper Primary: Grade 4 (our Grade 4 Kiswahili guide) · Grade 5 · Grade 6 (our Grade 6 Kiswahili guide)
- Junior School: Grade 7 · Grade 8 · Grade 9
- Senior School: Grade 10
- Secondary (8-4-4): Form 1 · Form 2 · Form 3 · Form 4
Form 1 to Form 4 Kiswahili follows the 8-4-4 syllabus, not a CBC design, so the CBC structure above does not apply to those schemes.
Planning Kiswahili for Term 1 2027
Term 1 2027 opens on 4 January for every level. It runs 14 weeks to 9 April in primary and junior school, and 13 weeks to 2 April in senior and secondary school, with half term from 19 to 28 February. A Kiswahili scheme for Term 1 should match that week count. Grade 11 is taught under the CBC for the first time in 2027; see our Grade 11 Curriculum Designs guide for the Senior School structure. The Kenya School Calendar 2027 has every date.
Who this page is for
Kiswahili teachers can go straight to their grade and term. Teachers who teach Kiswahili alongside other learning areas, as many primary teachers do, get every grade in one place. Heads of department can see the lesson load per week at each level before setting the timetable. Trainee teachers get the four-skill structure of CBC Kiswahili in one page. And anyone downloading for a teacher at a cyber café or school office should confirm the grade, the term and whether the class follows CBC or 8-4-4 before downloading.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are the schemes written in Kiswahili? The KICD Kiswahili designs are written in Kiswahili, so the schemes built from them use the Kiswahili names for themes and skills, such as Kusikiliza na Kuzungumza, Kusoma, Kuandika and Sarufi. Open a file to check its language before printing.
How many Kiswahili lessons are there per week? Four in Lower Primary, Upper Primary, Grade 7 and Grade 10, and five in Grade 11. In Pre-Primary, Kiswahili is taught within Language Activities.
Can I edit the schemes? Yes. They download in editable Word, so you can adjust weeks, dates and activities to your school calendar.
Are there Kiswahili schemes for Form 1 to Form 4? Yes, for the 8-4-4 syllabus. Use the Form links above.
Do you have Kenya Sign Language schemes? KSL takes Kiswahili's place in the timetable for learners who need it. Check the file titles in your grade's collection.
More schemes of work
For every other learning area and every grade, start from our Schemes of Work by Grade & Term guide.
Download the Kiswahili schemes of work (Editable Word)
The Kiswahili schemes of work for every grade are in our catalogue in editable Word. Use the button below for the full Kiswahili collection, or the grade links above.