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Parent Info and Resources

Classroom Volunteers

If you are looking for opportunities to volunteer in the classroom, just let me know or sign up here. Most parents help by reading with students in the hallway but if you have a special skill, interest or cultural activity you would like to share with us, or if you prefer to help by circulating or gluing, etc. in the classroom, just let me know. Merci beaucoup! 

 

Tips for Grade 1 Parents

Help your child to feel rested.
Many students find that the first term of Grade 1 can be tiring as they transition from Kindergarten to the increased expectations of the Grade 1 French Immersion program. Some children can benefit from a reduction in their out-of-school activities (i.e. soccer, karate, etc.) during the first term.  

Establish evening routines early in the year for your Grade 1 child.

Once Home Reading and Dictée (spelling) work comes home, establish a daily routine where your child reads to you in French and practises her/his spelling words every evening (or morning, if that works best for your family). A huge part of Grade 1 is learning to develop good work habits – if your child is able to do this early in the year, reading and Dictée practice will go much more smoothly. 

Continue to read to your child in English.

Sharing books in your child’s home language ensures that she/he continues to enjoy reading. Since books in French are generally more difficult than those in English (as children are often faced with unknown vocabulary in French texts), maintaining a routine of reading in English will go a long way towards helping your child to continue to enjoy books.

Tips for French Pronunciation

As Home Reading books and Dictée words begin to get more complicated, some parents often ask about when to pronounce parts of words in French and when they are "silent". Here are a few tips:

  • Often, "-ent" is silent. This is the case when it is the third person of a verb. For instance, in the text "ils marchent" (they walk), the "-ent" is not pronounced. However, the "-ent" ending in the word "comment" (how) is pronounced as it is not a verb.

  • Consonant endings (particularly "s" and "t") are usually pronounced when the next word begins with a vowel. For instance, in the sentence "C'est une pomme", the "t" in "c'est" is pronounced because it is followed by a vowel ("u"). However, in the sentence "C'est vendredi", the "t" in "c'est" is not pronounced as it is followed by a consonant.

  • The "s" at the end of words is normally not pronounced (unless followed by a vowel). For instance, in the phrase "les amis", the second "s" is silent (the first "s" is pronounced as it is followed by a vowel).
     

For more pronunciation tips, check out the BBC French Language page:

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/french/guide/alphabet.shtml

How to Help Your Immersion Child

•Continue to read to and with your child in your home language as much as possible (your child will “transfer” these strategies to French).  Point to the words as you read them, or have your child point to them. Discuss the story before, during and after reading.
•Expose your child to a variety of French experiences (French music, cartoons, television).
•Take an interest in the French language and show your child that French is valued outside of the classroom, as well as at school.

Home Reading

Grade 1 is when many students begin to develop their reading skills. At school, we work on different reading strategies, such as sounding out the word and using our knowledge of French phonics to read new text. There is an overwhelming amount of research that suggests that children who read at home become better readers. The more we read, the better we get at it! The practice that students who participate in the Home Reading program get from reading at home is invaluable. Here are some Home Reading tips:

 

  • Get started on Home Reading routines early in the year. Many students who are slow to develop their home reading routines fall behind their classmates, making it more difficult for them to catch up later. Help your child to read at home, even if he/she only reads the book once through per evening.

  • Many students are able to read their home reading books independently, or with a little help with the included CD. Have your child listen to the accompanying CD and read along with the recording several times first on their own, then once through without the CD while you or another caregiver listens.

  • There is lots of research about the benefits of "repeated readings" (re-reading familiar text), particularly with second language learners. Encourage your child to re-read the same book several times to build fluency and sight word recognition.

 

The Home Reading books in our class are labeled with level numbers. Most students start the year reading at Level 0 or Level 1. The books in the different levels increase in difficulty based on criteria such as the length of the book, text features (such as punctuation, labels, etc.), and vocabulary. While all students develop their reading skills at different rates, it is expected that Grade 1 French Immersion students read at Level 6 or 7 by the end of Grade 1.

 

Thank you for supporting your child's early literacy development and happy reading!

 

 

Here are some ideas about where to access French websites, apps and songs. 

Websites



Here are some websites that might be useful for French Immersion parents and students:

 

The Canadian Parents for French website has information for parents as well as links to French websites for children.

 

The on-line dictionary and conjugator Word Reference lets users translate text from French to English (as well as other languages) and vice versa.

The free on-line dictionary Reverso Dictionary lets users type in a word and French and hear its correct audio pronunciation.

Apps

 

Although there don't appear to be too many apps that are specifically designed for students in French Immersion (particularly in the early grades), here are some of my favourite apps for students and parents:

 

Bloups! (free, for iPad and iPhone) lets students practise identifying the letters that go with a particular set of sounds. 

 

First French Words ($3.99 for iPad and iPhone) has a set of vocabulary words that appear - students must unscramble the letters to put them in the correct order to spell the word. 

 

Duolingo (free for iPad and Android) is an app for adults wanting to learn foreign languages. 

 

Quick Math Jr. (free for iPad/iPhone) lets students practise a number of different mathematical concepts using games.

 

Music

 

There are many children's artists who sing in French. Here are some of the ones we listen to in class:

 

Charlotte Diamond
 

Will Stroet

 

Alain le Lait

 

Most of these artists can be found on streaming services and also have or YouTube videos that accompany their songs.

 

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