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Grade 7: Reading
My Philosophy
My goal is two-fold. First, to encourage children to read in French with greater ease and comprehension. Second, to help children enjoy reading in French. To accomplish these goals, it is important to provide choices for each student. We enjoy reading when we choose what we read. Articles and novels that are both interesting and at an appropriate language level are necessary to foster a positive attitude toward reading. Regular Reading
Monsieur Stuart's grade seven students read for approximately 20 minutes a few times a week during our French Language Arts periods. I find this more productive than reading for an entire period because of the effort that is required to read in a second language.  Reading at HomeIt is also a good idea for students to read at home, particularly on the days that we do not have silent reading in class. This extra time at home will definitely help the students complete the monthly Livre du Mois assigments as well as the weekly Yahoo article assignments. Both of these types of reading assignments are explained in detail below. Students plan their time in order to finish reading their novel, allowing enough time to complete the Livre du Mois book report on time. Sometimes they use their agenda to write down which pages they are reading each day. Some students choose to read for a few minutes each evening. Others choose to read for longer periods of time during the weekend. Please check with your son or daughter periodically to see how he or she is progressing with the French novel.
 Article AssignmentsStudents regularly read short non-fiction articles. These are fun articles that are found on one of a number of websites. Students complete a worksheet on an article several times a term. Students usually have about a week to complete the article assignments. . Students may use the silent reading time to work on these assignments.
Livre du Mois
Students hand in a number of book reports called Livre du Mois (Book of the Month). Students are required to read a novel of their choice and submit the report. The library here at Aldershot has several hundred novels in French. Students rarely find it difficult choosing a novel that matches their level of language proficiency as well as their interests. Click on the link below to see a description of each Livre du Mois for this year. For first semester, students are required to complete a Livre du Mois in October and December. There is an optional book report due in January for students who would like to refine their reading skills and improve their marks. In second semester, we will complete three Livre du Mois activities: February and April. There is also an optional Livre du Mois assignment in June to enhance skills and marks.
Evaluation Students are evaluated for their attitude toward reading, their preparation for reading time each day, the comprehension demonstrated in their article assignments and their Livre du Mois, and their choice of novel. In grade seven, students should be reading novels of about 90-120 pages in length. We will be co-creating success criteria for reading in grade seven French Immersion early in the year. I will post our work here when we have finished it.
Suggestions
I encourage parents to try to provide French reading materials of interest to their children. This can be challenging, although it is getting a little easier each year. Chapters and Indigo has a number of books that would be of interest to young adolescents. Translations of popular series such as Harry Potter and Danger.com encourage kids to read because they are familiar with the stories. Magazines and newspapers can be of interest. Large album comic books like Tintin and Asterix are a true French phenomenon that young people love. Another convenient way to purchase French books is through Scholastic book orders. Each month they provide some selection at reasonable costs in a very convenient manner. Let me know if you are interested in purchasing Scholastic books.
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