Lower School French

French in Reception and the Lower School

                                                

The new Reception children are enjoying their first French lessons this term.  They are becoming readily engaged in the language through songs, rhymes, stories and the use of toys and puppets.  They are learning how to count and recognise colours and to greet and tell a friend their name in French.  They are also beginning to understand simple phrases and instructions, and activities involving actions help ensure the language is embedded well.  Over the course of the year, they will learn words for animals and parts of the body as well as vocabulary and customs relating to seasonal events.  A particular highlight of the year will be “Le Petit Déjeuner Français”, the Reception French Breakfast in the summer term, when a real taste of France will be experienced in their very own classroom!

The Lower School children, from Year 1 to Year 3, continue to respond enthusiastically to the course “La Jolie Ronde”.  Again, songs, rhymes and stories play an important part in their learning and interactive whiteboard activities and games further reinforce each topic.  Role play situations encourage them to practise their speaking and listening skills and by Year 3 simple conversational skills are developing well, with children able to ask and respond to a range of familiar questions.  There is an increasing emphasis on reading and writing abilities too and the Year 3 pupils have just taken up a new language-learning challenge in their French IT lessons in the form of Vocab Express to help develop these skills.  At the end of each term, one child from each year group 1 to 3 is chosen to be awarded a medal for consistent effort or progress, while in Year 3 a “Star of the Week” is selected each Friday and receives the “Etoile de la Semaine” certificate.

French Club takes place every week too.  This term so far, a group of Year 1 children have been reinforcing what they have been learning in lessons by making and using their own little puppets as conversational aids.  Further games, stories, role play and craft activities will follow as this enthusiastic little group proceed happily along their language-learning path!  “Bravo les enfants!”

Mrs Holder