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“Sound it out!” isn’t enough, especially in French. Our students need REAL French reading strategies! If you’ve ever watched a student stare blankly at a word like chien or voiture , you know the struggle: many early readers in French default to guessing instead of decoding. They look at the pictures, guess based on the first letter, or give up entirely. But what if you could give your students the exact strategies they need to become confident, independent readers... strategies that are actually aligned with how reading works ? In this post, I’m sharing 7 must-teach decoding strategies for French early readers, all inspired by the Science of Reading and classroom-tested in French immersion and francophone settings. These strategies aren’t fluff — they’re the foundation your students need to read with accuracy, confidence, and joy. Why French Reading Strategies Matter Reading in French is challenging! With its nasal vowels, silent letters, and tricky co...

The last few weeks of school are magical… and messy. There’s the excitement of summer break around the corner. The field trips. The classroom clean-up. The countdowns. And while everyone is ready for a break, we also want to wrap things up well —with intention, celebration, and reflection. But let’s be honest: keeping students engaged in June can feel like herding cats. That’s why I created a French End of Year Interactive Notebook —a fun, hands-on French memory book that keeps students focused, creative, and reflective right up until the last day of school. It’s perfect for primary French classrooms and packed with meaningful prompts that also sneak in writing and fine motor practice. Let me show you how it works! 💭 Why Student Reflection Matters at the End of the Year... and How Making a French Memory Book Can Help The end of the year isn’t just about cleaning desks and collecting books. It’s also the perfect time to help students reflect on how muc...

Are your students struggling to decode French words and sentences, even after months of instruction? You're not alone. Teaching French reading skills, especially decoding, can feel like an uphill battle when your students are relying more on memory or pictures than actual sound knowledge. If you're looking for an engaging, effective way to reinforce decoding in a way that sticks , let me introduce you to one of my favourite literacy tools: Les phrases fantastiques ... decodable edition! Why Decodable Sentences Matter in Early French Reading Many French primary classrooms rely heavily on sight words and leveled texts, but these approaches don’t work for every learner, especially those who need a structured, sound-based approach to reading. That’s where French decodable sentences come in. They give students the chance to: Decode actual words (instead of guessing or memorizing) Practice directionality, spaces, and one-to-one correspondence Reinforce ...

Teaching complex sounds using French decodable books doesn’t have to feel overwhelming — especially for your young or struggling readers. If you've ever introduced a tricky sound like “ou” , “in” , or “eau” and been met with blank stares (or an emotional shut down), you're not alone. These sounds can feel intimidating for students who are just starting to build confidence with reading in French. The good news? There’s a simple, supportive way to teach these sounds that works — and it starts with French decodable books designed specifically for early readers. Let’s take a look at how you can make teaching complex French sounds easier, more effective, and — yes — even enjoyable. 🧠 Why Complex Sounds Are So Tricky for Early French Readers In French, there’s a big leap between simple sounds like a, e, o … and the more complex combinations like “an,” “oin,” “eau,” “ai,” and “ch.” These sounds: Often don’t look like how they sound Can be ...

"She knows how to add and subtract… but she can't read the math word problems on her own." If you’ve ever had a student freeze during math—not because they didn’t know the answer, but because they couldn’t read the problem—you’re not alone. It’s a frustration many of us face in the French primary classroom. We know how important problem-solving is in the math curriculum. But when students are still developing their French reading skills, even a simple word problem can feel like an impossible puzzle. So how do we support those learners? By giving them the right kind of scaffolded, decodable math problems —ones they can actually read and understand. 🚧 The Hidden Barrier When It Comes to Word Problems: Literacy in Math Class Many of our students have the number sense they need—but get stuck at the reading stage. Especially in French immersion or francophone programs, early learners are navigating: unfamiliar vocabulary (ex. combien, il r...