Teaching Reading in French: Our Homeschooling Plan

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My daughter is a witty five year old who adores books, so I think she's on the cusp of learning to read. But beyond our daily habit of reading together and occasionally reviewing alphabet sounds (in French and English), I haven't pushed her to learn to read (and my two-year-old son has several years before he reaches this milestone). Yet unless our family moves closer to one of the French immersion schools in Oregon, we'll most likely be homeschooling this fall. Read on for more about how we'll approach learning to read in French and the resources we'll use.

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Getting My Children to Tell Stories in their Minority Language

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In January I posted my family language goals for this year, explaining how I hoped to get my children to speak more often in French, their minority language. Here are some ways that I've had success in getting them to tell more stories in that minority language:

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Disney's Frozen in French: Music & Film Clips from "La Reine des Neiges"

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As a fan of quality animated films, my husband was quick to purchase Disney's Frozen on DVD for the benefit of our five-year-old daughter. She adores the story, though I wish that the Blu-ray version we purchased had a French audio option. As a next-best alternative, I'm featuring some official film clips here from La Reine des Neiges, the French version, so that you and my daughter can enjoy portions of this sweet story and its music in French. 

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Classic French Nursery Rhymes & Finger Games: Videos, Lyrics, & Music

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You may have forgotten most of the nursery rhymes of your childhood, but most likely, those simple songs and rhymes helped you learn the rhythm and sounds of your native language. Whether you're simply curious about French comptines (nursery rhymes) or are serious about wanting to play in French with your little one, these videos of simple French songs with fingerplays will make you smile:

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Making Your Children's Books Bilingual

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When I began reading to my infant daughter, her books weren't difficult to translate into French because the vocabulary was so simple. As she grew a bit older, the texts became a bit more difficult, of course, but my translating became more habitual and effortless. Now that she's about to turn five, however, I'm more concerned that the text on the page consistently matches the words that she hears, because I want her to make the phonetic connections that will eventually lead to reading on her own.

So when I spotted Les œufs verts au jambon--the French version of Green Eggs and Ham--at Anthropologie last year, I was tempted to buy it even though we already own the English version. But my daughter saw me ogling the book and pointed out that we already own it. She didn't care that our version wasn't in French, because I had always read it in French anyhow. Point taken. But I'd also wanted it because my oral translation is never as good as the written translation--especially when it comes to the rhyming lines of Dr. Seuss.

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Ironic Comedy: Speaking a Foreign Language in America

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As a non-native French speaker in America, I find that using French with my children provokes amusing responses from others. Never mind that I'm a certified French teacher--when family members first heard me speak to my children, they stared at me like I'd walked into the room dressed as Marie Antoinette with her signature wig. Some of my in-laws hadn't even realized I knew French, apparently.

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