What your child is learning

In Kindergarten, your child learns to

• understand the main ideas as he or she listens to spoken French
• recognize that symbols, illustrations and writing express messages
• communicate in French
• recite rhymes and sing songs in French
• repeat words and phrases
• use words, letters and drawings to express ideas
• write his or her name or other familiar words and
• use drawings and some letters

To find out more about what your child is learning, talk to the teacher. You may also refer to the Language Arts Practices: Orientation Guide for information regarding the program's guiding principles and recommended practices.

How your child is assessed

Your child's teacher assesses students on their ability to understand and to communicate in French. The teacher will report your child's progress in areas such as:

• How well your child understands symbols and follows simple directions.
• How well your child uses actions and drawings to communicate about picture books that the teacher read aloud.
• How well your child draws or uses letters, writes his or her name, and repeats words, sentences, poems or songs.

Resources

• Winnipeg Public Library: Features information and programming devoted to Early Literacy as well as access to several databases of digital storybooks for a variety of grade levels. To access French storybooks, click on the Tumble Book Library link, then go to the top right hand corner of the page and change the language to "Français". The St. Boniface Library features the WPL’s largest collection of physical French language resources and offers onsite activities and services in French.
• Lalilo: Learners following this program develop their phonological awareness skills while gradually learning the fundamentals of reading. Families may opt to have their children study in French or in English upon opening a free parent account.
• Boukili: With a free account, families may access this rich collection of interactive French storybooks, organized by skill level. Boukili is also available as a smartphone app.
• Several Canadian French language media companies have developed websites for younger learners. Zone des petits (Radio-Canada), Mini-TFO (TFO), and Coucou (Télé-Québec) feature games, songs, videos and animated stories for growing students’ French language vocabulary. TFO and Radio-Canada also offer smartphone apps appropriate for this age group.
• Idéllo: Families signing up for a free account can access this online platform of French language multimedia content and learning activities, including lesson plans.
• WordReference Bilingual Dictionary: A quick reference tool including pronunciation files.
  • English-French dictionary
  • French-English dictionary
  • Verb conjugator
  • Mobile apps
• Farlex Pronunciation Dictionary: This tool allows users to hear French terms alone and in context. Includes an offline dictionary: iOS app, Android app.
• DREF (Direction des ressources éducatives françaises): Registered home-schooling families with verified accounts may access this library of French language educational resources, including books, board games, and digital tools.
• Please visit the My Learning at Home – Immersion website for links to more French language resources.

Frequently Asked Questions

What do you mean by "viewing" and "representing"? Viewing: Viewing is when children get information and are exposed to ideas that are presented visually, such as in photographs, videos, or drawings. Viewing involves understanding visual images and connecting them to accompanying spoken or written words. Representing: Representing is when children present information using a variety of media, such as charts, posters, diagrams, photographs, videos, drama and mime.