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French at Wilmington Montessori School

The French program at Wilmington Montessori School begins in preschool and builds a strong foundation of the French language and culture through 6th grade. The program is articulated from preschool to 6th grades and is based on the National Standards for foreign language. Some of the program goals include:

• To provide a learning environment that models that of a Montessori classroom.
• To enable students to develop an understanding and an appreciation of the French language and culture and the francophone countries of the world.
• To develop communication skills.
• To foster a positive attitude towards language learning by helping students to understand the process.
• To teach vocabulary and develop communication skills that will enable students to function in French in contextual authentic and real-life situations.

The emphasis is on listening and comprehension in preschool and, listening, comprehension and speaking in the 1st-3rd grades. In the 4th-6th grades learning activities balance listening, speaking, reading, and writing. In each level, the program builds a foundation for learning foreign language as children learn strategies to approach a new language, a new culture, and ethnic diversity.

The program also prepares students to utilize the language to communicate in real-life situation. For that children are surrounded by the language through the use of puppets, props, story telling, and picture cues, French songs using movement, and French poems and fables using rhymes.

French instruction weaves together the linguistic and cultural aspect of French. Students in the elementary grades also explore French and francophone culture. Our study of the regions of France and the French speaking countries of the world integrates with the school cultural curriculum. Each year students are involved in National French week by participating in projects such as creating a display about France, its monuments, its artists, its castles, and its people. Students are always excited by our celebration of the French festival.

French language is brought to life through activities such as:

• Preparing a French lunch.
• Cooking croque Monsieur and ratatouille.
• Baking quiche or Galette des Rois.
• Playing petanque or other French playgroung games with our buddy classroom.
• Preparing games to interact in French with younger students in the school.
• Performing a theater reader of a Fable from Jean de la Fontaine” or a “Charles Perrault” story.
• Crafting lavender sachets.
• Cook French onions soup for the staff.

The highlight of the school year for the French curriculum is a French assembly where elementary students perform a play in French and early childhood students sing songs taken from the French heritage.