moved wrote:Mine learnt to read French phonetically as the language lends itself well to this method. Silent letters had a dot underneath and liaisons had a slur mark underneath. Words are broken into syllables with counting on the arm for each syllable.
Hi moved,
I think I found the title you are talking about. Is it that one?
http://www.amazon.fr/Ratus-ses-amis-CP- ... cr_pr_pb_t" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
It is a syllabic method, not a 'global' one. Yes, it does have all its interest for learning to read French and is widely used in schools in France today as it seems that nowadays, the fashion is more for 'syllabic methods'.
I have no clue which one would be the more appropriate for WFG's DC, bearing in mind that 'Le fil des mots' is more like the Ladybird serie with Peter and Jane ('global method',
sorry for using a French terminology )!
Waiting_For_Godot wrote:The current plan from September is to get 3 hours of 1-1 tuition per week, some Rosetta Stone (I already have it so it would only be as an "extra") and at some point some intensive immersion courses in the holidays. If anyone else can advise on a good method for an 11 year old then I'd love to know as I'm venturing into the unknown here!
Usually, for teenagers in school in UK, the method would habe the aim to teach the pupils how to
communicate in the day-to day life in France... I imagine that's what you are getting with the Rosetta stone.
But I do totally understand your need to 'go deeper' and trying to see how French children learn how to read as the approach is different. It might be a good complement and I am interested in what you'll find appropriate for your DS, bearing in mind that what suit a child may not suit another child.
moved wrote:Mix that with learning poetry by rote on a weekly basis. Dc could read French fluently long before they had a clue what it meant!
You remind me my schooldays, moved!!! and all the poems by Lafontaine!!!
Did your children enjoy learning these even if they did not understand a clue??
I am glad you had the idea of presenting poems to learn by rote to your children. I haven't seen that being done in the UK, except for a competition a few years ago shown on TV (maybe BBC?). Learning poems makes the child work on his diction, his intonation, his memory, etc.
Do primary school children learn poems in private school in the UK? It doesn't seem to be a current practise in state schools.
WFG, songs can be also a fun way to learn a bit of a language...
Did you feel that your DS1 made lots of progress after his immersion in France last year? Does he like learning French or does he hate it?
If he is really advanced, there is a magazine that I really like (for 'French' children age 8 to 12):
Je lis des histoires vraies
They are all about historical events or famous people, not 'sillly' stories. However, your child will need a excellent grasp of French to be able to read these. Here is one magazine to browse (click on the left bottom corner to turn the pages):
http://www.fleuruspresse.fr/images/swf/8/appli.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
On an easier level, my husband knows somebody who came study in France at university while not knowing anything in French before coming into that country. So he spent one or two years learning French and he told my DH that he found reading the comics 'Tintin' an excellent tool to progress.
Oh dear, that's it!! you have launch me to talk about books, my passion!!
Moved, did you DC watched the serie 'Loulou de Montmartre' last autumn on TiVi5 ? My 10 year old DS just saw a few episodes but his interest was aroused and he just received the first seven books as a present from his French auties, grandma, great-grandma. He's devouring them!!! I expected to help him as I know that there are phrases or vocab he doesn't know but he is so much engrossed that he doesn't wait for me!!! He is already reading the third book without me having stepped in!!
http://www.amazon.fr/Loulou-Montmartre- ... 071&sr=1-1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
The writing is quite large and there are couloured pictures on evey double page or sometimes each page... so the text is not too compact. But that might be too easy for your DC if they are all in secondary school now.