News from Madam Marie
Fall (September/October/November) 2026 French and Social Studies Curriculum Newsletter from Madame Marie - Grade 1
Dear Parent(s) and/or Guardians,
I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself. My name is Mme Marie, and I will be your child’s Extended French teacher. This year, your child will have 1 block (75 minutes of French) per day. They will also receive Social Studies in French. It is very helpful for children to learn French by speaking it often, singing French songs, dancing to songs, and doing actions to French expressions. The above activities will help when you do them at home, as well as using picture and word vocabulary with audio. Please see the websites at the end of this newsletter for more information.
Learning goal #1 -French alphabet letters and simple French syllables
The students will be working on a program called Jolly Phonique which teaches them each letter and sound of the French alphabet through a picture, a sound, and an action. I will be checking in with each student to see how they are progressing with learning the French letters and sounds by using the actions. To practise the actions at home, please see Madame Ross French Jolly Phonics letters Aa – Jj on YouTube, as well as Kk – Rr, and Ss-Zz.
Please set aside a time that is convenient for you and your child at home to review the French alphabet letters that we are using in class. There are many French alphabet songs on YouTube to sing with your child, some of which are listed below.
Learning goal #2 – French expressions (Listening and Speaking in French)
Students will learn to say basic French greetings, for example, “Bonjour, comment ça va? Ça va bien, merci!” and Comment t’appelles-tu? Je m’appelle ___________ using gestures that I model for them.
Learning goal #3 – French school materials
Students will study the names for common school materials. They will build their own flashcards and a little backpack to put the flashcards in. They will practise their flashcard vocabulary at their own desks and on the Smartboard with me.
Learning Goal#4 – Reading Program - Students will read French messages on the Smartboard with me. We will also use the Bidule reading series, Je lis, Tu lis reading series, the Petites Frimousses and Frimousses 1 series, as well as Boukili, Decode.
Learning goal #5 – Social Studies (September through to February curriculum includes these main ideas):
The students will learn the following:
How to locate on a map natural areas and buildings that are important in their community (eg., Bayshore park, Andrew Haydon Park, Bayshore Mall, St. Rose of Lima School, the Queensway-Carleton Hospital) using Google Earth.
Learn vocabulary about people that work in their community (eg., nurses, doctors, teachers, dentists, cashiers).
How the work people do meets the needs of others in their community. (eg., garbage collectors collect the garbage to keep the streets clean).
How to use pictures and simple directions (left, right, up, down) to show where buildings are located in their community by creating their own paper map.
Learning Goal #6 – Numbers 1 – 30
Students will print the French numbers 1-30 and learn to read and print the number words from 1 to 10 as well as dance to songs about them at their own desks.
Here are websites you can use at home that are helpful in learning the alphabet letters, numbers, and school materials in French:
YouTube:
You Learn French lesson 40 - school supplies (this has vocabulary for the school materials)
Mon sac à dos Gregg Lerock
Sylvia Duckworth alphabet français rap
Lingo Masters.com – learn French pronunciation (Part 1) alphabet, syllables, and vocabulary
French Alphabet rap by singinfrench
French Greetings song for children by Learn French Lab
Le boogie woogie des chiffres (This song is about the numbers 1 to 10)
Vincent la grenouille nombres
Vincent la grenouille alphabet
French from Beginners to Advanced (There are many good lessons here – start at lesson 1 for the French alphabet letters and sounds)
Bilingual basics – membres de la famille (members of the family)
Google translate English/French (click on the little speaker to hear how vocabulary words are pronounced in French)
Sincerely,
Madame Marie