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italianalaskan
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My dds 7 and 5 want to learn french. I studied it in Highschool plus I'm Italian so I wouldn't have andy trouble teaching it. But I don't know what books would work for kids this age.
I don't want to just introduce words. I want them to be able to formulate little sentences.
Any idea?
Thank you
Simona
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Christine
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I am using First Start French with all of my children. The younger ones are simply learning orally; although, they are seeing what I write for my older children. I keep meaning to write a review on my blog.
First Start French is geared to children in 3rd grade through 8th grade. My children and I are liking it a lot more than Latin. Maybe this is due to my enthusiasm and French background (my dad is French, my s-i-l is French, my brother lives in Switzerland and all of his children will speak French and English).
The program follows the same format as Latina Christiana. It includes a little bit of information on French culture and a few prayers in French. It is an answer to my prayers. I have been trying to teach my children French, in fits and starts, for years. First Start French provides me with the structure I need to do so.
It is published by Memoria Press, but is available from All Catholic Books for about $10 less.
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SuzanneG
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I just had this conversation with dh and my 5 and 6.5 year old. Thanks, Christine for the recommendation.
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Suzanne in ID
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MicheleQ
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Christine wrote:
I am using First Start French with all of my children. The younger ones are simply learning orally; although, they are seeing what I write for my older children. I keep meaning to write a review on my blog.
First Start French is geared to children in 3rd grade through 8th grade. My children and I are liking it a lot more than Latin. Maybe this is due to my enthusiasm and French background (my dad is French, my s-i-l is French, my brother lives in Switzerland and all of his children will speak French and English).
The program follows the same format as Latina Christiana. It includes a little bit of information on French culture and a few prayers in French. It is an answer to my prayers. I have been trying to teach my children French, in fits and starts, for years. First Start French provides me with the structure I need to do so.
It is published by Memoria Press, but is available from All Catholic Books for about $10 less. |
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Great review Christine! I have a set sitting on my shelf - ready for the new school year. We're looking forward to using it. And I figure if I get stuck I can always ask Louise for help! 
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italianalaskan
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Christine,
Thank you for your review. I received the Memoria Press Catalog yesterday and I was wondering about their French program.
Thank you,
Simona
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Christine
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I forgot to mention that familiar songs (Frere Jacques, Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes, etc.) are included in the program. The lady on the CD says all of the words in the lessons. The songs are at the end of the CD. I am having my children listen to the whole CD once a day for accent purposes.
Other resources that I have had available and will continue to have available are: Bonjour les Amis, Rosetta Stone French, and various French children's music CDs that my brother has given us. My children like to watch the CCC DVDs in French. Finally, I want to get some simple French picture word books for our home library, as Danielle Schultz suggests.
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Christine
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Christine
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Oh, one more thing, First Start French is set up so that the children start communicating right away. The first lesson introduces greetings, titles, and pronouns. The second lesson introduces family words and avoir. After this lesson my children were able to tell me how many brothers, sisters, cousins, etc. they had in French (counting comes a little bit later in the program, but my children are already familiar with counting in French). I am really encouraging the children to use what they are learning.
I will be quiet now. 
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SuzanneG
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Christine:
When do you have your children listen to the CD? (ie: while they're drawing? during quiet time? in the car?)
And, if you get a moment, can you list the music CDs that you really like?
Someone in another thread recommended this one:
Songs in French for Children
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Suzanne in ID
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SuzanneG
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Christine wrote:
I will be quiet now. |
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 We double-posted, asking you more questions ! So, no "quiet time"!
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Suzanne in ID
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Christine
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SuzanneG wrote:
Christine:
When do you have your children listen to the CD? (ie: while they're drawing? during quiet time? in the car?)
And, if you get a moment, can you list the music CDs that you really like?
Someone in another thread recommended this one:
Songs in French for Children |
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They listen to the CD when they are cleaning the living room, drawing, or practicing handwriting.
My children's favorite music CD is probably Rondes Enfantines. There is another title that I can't find (must be in the van) which they like. Other CDs that they occasionally listen to include the series Chansons et Rondes des petits enfants and Les Plus Jolies Chansons Enfantines (this is a book and CD).
The CD you linked to looks good and would probably be a great investment. 
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Christine
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acystay
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I've been hoping to incorporate more French into my children's learning. I have a B.A. in French and you'd think I'd use, LOL!
I just went to Amazon and got some there. Bonsoir Lune is just so nice in French as well :) I also purchased some other teaching CD's like
Live and Learn French from Living Lanuage (has books with activities which I will be using this year)
Baby's first steps in French I used this when Grace was little. I really liked the songs and I love that it exposes them to the phonemes!
Un, Deux, Trois, French Rhymes book and CD
Play and Learn French A good one that helps you get more ideas for creating dialouge. I need desperate help with this so this is my goal for this year to do this more with them!
Hop, Skip, and Sing French CD This one my daughter really likes! She'll listen to the intro on the vocab and then we both sing and do the activity. I still have Bonjour, Bonjour, comment ça va? song in my head!
Le Petit Chaperon Rouge--Book and CD read aloud Another favorite of my children. They do listen in the car to it and it is nice b/c it will break up the characters parts (I could see you having children pratice a part and play it out). There is also Boucle d'Or et les Trois Ours in the same format.
Basically I'm just going to try more speaking b/c my daughter is 5 1/2 so a true book learning way will not work with her at this age at all.
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acystay
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I forgot too these website taht are sorta kidna fun :)
uptoten.com (I completely forgot about this place! you can switch to English if you want too. I have the Baby Keyboard that has 2 programes in French too!) Very nicely done games and songs for English and French. My daughter at 2 loved this site. Click on the Yellow Circle in the purple box at the top. It'll take you to another screen. You can poke around there, but check out Boowa and Kwala. There you find songs too!
Literarcy center
Tivo Kids
Caillou French
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ozlouise
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Christine wrote:
| Finally, I want to get some simple French picture word books for our home library, as Danielle Schultz suggests. |
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I would like to convert some of the books my children have outgrown into French books. However, my knowledge of French is hopeless - I am learning with the kids so I can't do the translation myself. I dont know the grammar, whether the nouns are feminine or masculine etc.
Any ideas of how to do this? I know there are translation sites but I wasn't sure whether they would have the correct grammar or whether they would translate word for word so that it would keep the English word order. I don't want to expose the kids to the wrong grammar.
Louise
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Mare
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Thanks, Christine, for sharing how you are using the program. We are starting First Start French as well this year.
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asplendidtime
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I was a "French Immersion" student. I learned to read in French before English. Our teachers were real Francophones. But very truly, we did not become Bilingual until we spent time listening to real French being spoken, by real people, not just those trying to teach us. My parents had also started buying us novels in French, and tapes with stories and songs made for French children. This was when I noticed I wasn't an Anglophone speaking French, but someone who could think and even dream in French.
I just urge you to take the first steps, and then keep on, it can be so rewarding.
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SuzanneG
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acystay~
If you get a chance, would you elaborate on what is in these books and CDs? The Random House website doesn't say very much.
What is in the activity books?
Maybe a snipet from the Table of Contents?
or how the books are laid out?
What type of songs? well-known ones? Rhymes?
Are they all songs or some spoken rhymes, etc.
Do you like the CD's? or do you prefer some of the others you listed?
Thanks!
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Suzanne in ID
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Marjorie
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Just an update on First Start French by Memoria Press. We just started lesson 3 this week with my 4th and 5th graders and it is going very well. I give it a thumbs up!
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mariB
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Thanks, Marjorie. Your thumbs up has convinced me to finally purchase it!
My third grader is begging to learn french:)
Blessings,
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Kelly
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Re: music cds, I kind of enjoy the "Teach me French" and "Teach me MORE French" tapes---they take songs that most kids are familiar with and convert them to French, also including a few bona fide French tunes (Sur le pont d'Avignon, Frere Jacques et.) We used to listen to these all the time in the car. I still think of the song "Head shoulder knees and toes" in French thanks to these tapes!
Another major favorite is "The Singing Nun". The disk includes the lyrics, which makes it easier to learn and sing along. I love this cd.
Kelly in FL
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acystay
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SuzanneG wrote:
acystay~
If you get a chance, would you elaborate on what is in these books and CDs? The Random House website doesn't say very much.
What is in the activity books? |
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There are 3 different ones.
*Learn French Anywhere
*Learn French in the Car
*Learn French in the Kitchen
Quote:
Maybe a snipet from the Table of Contents? |
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From French Anywhere
Home Planets: Rooms of the House
Interior Decorating: Furniture
Ace Inthehouse, Detecive: Weather Expressions
Circle of Friends: Verbs
Simon Says: The Body
Dice Man: Numbers
The Mask: Facial Features
Find the Rainbow: Colors
Captain Cook: Fruits
Raiders of the House: Objects
Let's Find a Disguise: Clothes
Pick a Pet
Happy Birthday!
Forget-Me-Not: More Objects
Water Beast Animals That Like Water
Days of the Week
Songs and Rhymes
Ah Mon beau château
Il pleut, Bergère
Savez-vous planter les choux
Miaou-miaou
Joyeux anniversaire
Le petit prince
Quote:
What type of songs? well-known ones? Rhymes?
Are they all songs or some spoken rhymes, etc.
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The songs are well known ones. We've only really done this one and they are singing. I'm not sure about the others. The only thing my daughter didn't like was that they went fast on the song. On Hop Skip and Jump, they present the vocab slowly and then the song by having them speak all of it or parts of it. Then the song track comes and it is done 2X. On these no prep was done for the song and no repeat. My Tivo box was acting up so I couldn't even repeat that part of the track. Oh, and there isn't a separate track for the song.
Quote:
Do you like the CD's? or do you prefer some of the others you listed? |
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While my daughter did like doing the activity (searching the house for room planets) and the stickers, she didn't like the way it ended (fast into the song-see above). The other annoying thing is that they do this intro on just about every track (at least the ones I've heard). I wish they didn't. Hop, Skip, and Jump by far is the one she likes most.
Now for what I do like about it  I like the acitivities have some concrete for her to do. It is only 1 page keep in mind so don't expect more reinforcement unless you plan on introducing the topics and then follow up with more hands on things during the week (I'm planning this). I like that they are divided into catergories for us to pick and choose. I like that the words to the songs are there too b/c I've now lost the Hop Skip and Jump ones so I have to pay real close attention to the first few times she goes through them to remember the songs. I have a degree in French but I've lacked some skills so I guess it is helping me :)
Enchanted Learning also has some extension acitivies you can download. gotta go make breakfast! let me know if you need any thing else
Stacy
p.s. edited to add what I meant to do last night!
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Topic: French anyone?
