1. FLASH CARDS Have your child draw the vocab word on one side (artistic ability not required) and write the French word on the other side. A. Hold up the picture and have your child say the word to you. B. Hold up the word and have your child say the word in English or act it out. C. Hold up the picture and have your child write the word in French. D. Look at the picture, act it out for your child, and have him/her say the word in French. 2. PRONUNCIATION During class, your child is to write the pronunciation of the word along with the word’s proper spelling. A. Look at the notebook and try to pronounce the word. B. Intentionally pronounce it wrong and have your child correct you. C. Have your child say the word to you and then you repeat it. Don’t be overly concerned if the pronunciation isn’t great at first. His/her first English words weren’t perfect either, but when was the last time (s)he said “Wun wabbit, wun”? 3. SPELLING The hardest part about French spelling. Spelling will count on tests and quizzes, generally for half credit. A. As stated above, show the child the picture and have him/her write the word in French. B. Act out the word as the student writes the word in French. C. Say the word in English as the student writes the word in French. 1. If the student misspells the word, rewrite it five times each. Then 10, 20, etc. 2. If accents are a problem, write the accent in a different color. Or raise the hand as the letter is written, with the hand the shape and direction of the accent mark. 3. Remember, if you child has a problem with spelling, (s)he can take the test orally, before school, by appointment. Instead of proper spelling, proper pronunciation will count. 4. STUDENT AS TEACHER Have your child teach you or a sibling French. Even a pet or a stuffed animal, but don’t expect it to talk back or act it out! 5. INTERNET AND THE REAL WORLD A. With your child, research a French-speaking country. B. Find a French recipe and cook it. (Feel free to bring samples for the class!!) C. With your child, go to www.yahoo.fr and surf the French web D. Visit Tennessee Bob’s website of great French links www.utm.edu/departments/french/french.html E. Look for French used in English and the real world (words, news, crosswords, etc.) Bring it in for extra credit. THINGS TO CONSIDER 1. Five to ten minutes a night reviewing French is better than an hour of cramming. 2. As with his/her first language, progress is slow and steady. Don’t expect overnight fluency. 3. My method of teaching might seem unorthodox but is actually “sneaky” and similar to learning the first language. 4. My method of instruction includes the multiple intelligences. We’ll learn orally, physically, with music, and with much humor. It’s crazy, but it works! 5. My grading policy for French I, II and III is summarized below. See the classroom rules sheet for more details. Homework—25% of grade (normally graded for completion) Oral participation –25% of grade Tests and quizzes—50% of grade To access your child's grade, go to: https://skyward.usd232.org/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=wsStu/fwemnu01.w