Beginning French: First Lesson Plan for Ages 8-12

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Last month I started teaching a beginning French class to a small group of upper elementary students in our homeschool co-op. (Most of my current students are around age 10.) Over the next two months I'll post my weekly lesson outlines here for teachers, parents, and those of you who'd like to learn or brush up on basic French skills. I lean heavily towards immersion and emphasize speech over writing, at least in beginning classes. Each class is 55 minutes and meets once per week for six weeks.

These lessons are designed for a small group of students with limited materials--we have no textbooks, workbooks, computer access, or video player in the classroom. We do use a CD player and mini-whiteboards. (You can learn how to make your own set of mini-whiteboards here.)

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October Nature Events for Families in Oregon (& Elsewhere)

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Bonjour, les amis! Because of September's heat here in Oregon, October often feels like the true beginning of autumn. Have you enjoyed any pumpkin treats or cider yet? We're having homemade pumpkin ravioli tonight. (We haven't tried it before, but my children like stuffing wonton wrappers.) And if you're craving a seasonal drink, this past week I blended a few spoonfuls of pumpkin puree with a cup of rice milk and a dash of nutmeg, and it was surprisingly refreshing! For more ways to enjoy the season, here are some family-friendly nature events around Portland, Oregon, this month:

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Upcoming Blog Topics & Free, Printable French Educational Worksheets

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Bonjour, les amis! For me, blogging is a joy, enabling me to be more intentional as a parent and allowing me to promote French learning, but I'll admit that blogging often and consistently is becoming more of a struggle. Now that I'm in my third trimester of pregnancy, I just can't give up as much sleep as I used to in order to write. These days, I aim to write twice per week, but it may not happen as I'm hoping it will. Merci pour votre patience--I appreciate your staying with me through my less frequent times of writing.

Nonetheless, I have several upcoming posts I look forward to sharing over time: my reflections on Pamela Druckerman's Bringing Up Bébé (as I mentioned in this post), thoughts on spanking (so controversial!), my daughter's experience since starting violin lessons at age four, and a review of CNED, the French distance education subscription service (assuming I sign up for it soon).

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Reusable French Chore Chart for Preschool & Early Childhood

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Last June I made my children a simple reusable chore chart in French. With a baby on the way (due in January), I wanted my older two children to develop a habit of following morning and evening routines somewhat independently. I also planned to use the chart as the basis for a small monetary allowance. Here's how I created the chart and how it's worked in our family.

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Kindergarten Homeschool in French: Beginning Writing & Reading

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We officially started homeschooling last week, though in a sense we've been homeschooling in a low-key way for years. My homeschooling style leans towards the philosophies of Charlotte Mason (emphasizing the outdoors & quality books), unschooling (seizing opportunities for learning from daily life & pursuing current interests), and Montessori (using natural materials and independent play for learning), but the Type A parent in me also needs a basic morning schedule and some simple learning goals each day.

My five-year-old daughter is active and social, yet she also loves workbooks and writing. When looking for handwriting curriculum for her, I was happy to find that the company Handwriting Without Tears publishes French versions of their handwriting workbooks (Spanish ones too!). The Kindergarten level book starts with capital letters, moves to digits (1-10), and ends with lowercase letters, with some simple French words to copy towards the end.

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When Americans' Ignorance of World Geography is Embarrassing

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When my husband and I hosted high school exchange students, they told us about the repeated conversations they had with American students during the first few weeks of school:

American: "So you're an exchange student? That's awesome! Where are you from?" 

Exchange student: "I'm from Bolivia." [or Hungary, etc.]

American: "Really? That's awesome! So . . . where's Bolivia?" 

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Daily Audio Bible: French, Spanish, & Other Languages

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Mes amis, I'm excited to tell you about the Daily Audio Bible and how you can hear the Bible read aloud in French (or Spanish, English, Japanese, Arabic, Portuguese, or Mandarin). I've tried French audio Bible apps in the past, but the apps themselves weren't very user-friendly. Here's what's different about the Daily Audio Bible and five reasons why I appreciate it:

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Three Podcasts Worth Listening to This Summer: Family, Travel, & Culture

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July is here! Does your family's summer rhythm (or lack thereof) feel comfortable yet? Summer in my household means that dishes and laundry pile up, but in contrast, we have a lot of fun as a family and I'm able to finish long-awaited projects like completing my son's baby album and planning next summer's trips. Hopefully you, too, have more time on your hands--time to read, play, and listen. Here are five intriguing podcasts that I've been enjoying while driving or tackling those dishes this summer:

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