Seasonal activities are a fun way to introduce new vocabulary and strengthen students’ literacy skills. Especially when working with French Immersion students, a theme can add context to new words and create meaning – which helps with language acquisition! I want to share five of my favourite French spring activities
We all know the importance of using French read alouds in the classroom, especially when teaching narrative writing. But French narrative writing mentor texts can be hard to find! I’ve compiled a list of French children’s books I love using when teaching narrative writing in French to my students, and
If you’ve been looking French phonological awareness activities, you’ve come to the right place! When you’re planning your small group phonics instruction, it’s easy to feel like you’re running out of ideas. I want to pass along some of my favourite activities for French literacy centres so you can explicitly
I’ve talked before about how to set up your French sound wall, but what do you do once it’s put together? And why are they so important to your literacy instruction? The last thing you want to do is put it up in your classroom and then never use it.
Getting students to engage in narrative writing in French can be a challenge, but it is possible to get students to spend more time on writing. How many times has this happened to you? You teach a French writing lesson and then send students to work independently. Two minutes later,
The first day of school can bring a lot of different feelings: excitement, anticipation, nerves, and curiosity. Having fun French back to school activities for the first day of school can help students (and even teachers) open up, feel comfortable, and begin to ease those first-day jitters. Here are five
Over the last few years, there have been some shifts in how we teach reading, and reading best practices. I wish I’d known more about the importance of phonological awareness, French decodable readers, etc. and less about the 3-cueing system 10 years ago. Teaching reading is one of the hardest
Teaching rhyming words in French might seem like fun and games, but it’s actually an essential skill to learn in first grade or when learning a second language! Rhyming is a part of phonological awareness, which allows students to break down and manipulate words. Teaching French rhyming words is essential
When you think about summer, you might feel a wave of relief or perhaps even some desperation! However, not all of our students feel the same way. They might feel sad or anxious about the upcoming change and being out of school. When selecting French books for the end of
If you ever dread teaching writing units, you aren’t alone! Writing is one of those subjects that can be hard to explain. You know good writing when you see it, but explaining it is a whole other issue. Luckily, there are writing activities for students that make introducing French descriptive
For years, schools have been using GB+ and levelled readers, but it’s time that we move away from that and towards using best practices, based on science. I have been doing a lot of workshops, and one thing I’ve learned is about the importance of acquiring French phonological awareness skills
Practicing and learning French vocabulary can get dull, especially when using vocab cards. Over time, we default to the same activities and exercises with students, which can wear our students (and ourselves) down. By keeping activities fresh and new in the classroom, we can challenge students in new ways and
Chances are you’ve heard of, and may even have, a word wall! These common teaching tools can help students become familiar with words and develop a stronger vocabulary. But for primary students, word walls miss a key feature we want our students to master: spelling patterns and sounds. That’s why
Writing is probably one of the most challenging subjects to teach, and the same applies to teaching French writing! Luckily, there are some resources and tools you can use to help your beginner French students begin writing in French. Orthographic Mapping Orthographic mapping involves creating relationships between phonemes (sounds) and
As a French immersion teacher, and resource creator, I get asked all the time about reading in French. In fact, I’ve answered some of them in the past in my blogs, A Guide To French Reading Strategies: 5 Frequently Asked Questions and 4 Frequently Asked Questions About French Reading. I’ve
