LEARNING HOW TO READ… IN A FRENCH IMMERSION CLASSROOM USING LA ROUE

THIS EVENING Introduction of Grade 1 teachers, Administration and Learning Resource Teachers. Presentation – Learning How to Read in a French Immersion Classroom Using La Roue. Classroom Presentations – Parents proceed to their child’s classroom for La Roue explications and demonstrations.

« Les élèves inscrits à un programme d’immersion française doivent, dès leurs premières années, faire face à un double défi. Ils doivent non seulement apprendre une autre langue, mais aussi apprendre à maîtriser le processus de la lecture dans cette langue. » Students enrolled in a French immersion program must, in their early years, face a double challenge. They must not only learn another language, but also learn the process of reading in that language. (translation) Bournot-Trites, 2003.

THE ‘LA ROUE’ PROGRAM ‘La Roue’ is used by more than 3500 Francophone and French Immersion teachers across Canada to teach how to read and write in French. Regina Catholic School Kindergarten, Grade 1, Grade 2 and Learning Resource teachers are trained by Lise Larouche. La Roue is a phonological based reading program.

PHONOLOGICAL AWARENESS Phonological awareness is the ability to recognize that words are made up of a variety of sound units (letters of the alphabet). As a child develops phonological awareness he not only comes to understand that words are made up of small sound units (phonemes). He also learns that words can be segmented into larger sound “chunks” known as syllables and each syllable begin with a sound (onset) and ends with another sound (rime). Phonological awareness provides the basis for phonics. Phonics, the understanding that sounds and print letters are connected, is the first step towards the act we call reading.

MY CHILD IS ‘NOT GETTING IT’ Every student learns at their own pace. It’s ok that your child becomes frustrated and it’s completely normal. However, if their frustrations begin to impact their self-estime, please contact the teacher. At school, we work closely with our LRT’s to ensure the early identification of students experiencing difficulties. Early identification and early intervention have been found to maximize response to intervention and to help prevent reading difficulties altogether.

READING IN ENGLISH? In Grade 3, French Immersion students will begin English Language Arts. Reading skills will transfer from one language to another. Read to your child at home in English…or in your native language!

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS