Ok, so I’ve just started teaching french to kids in a montessori school. I have three classes…one is the elementary age (6-12) and they’re old enough that I can do board games or do some writing stuff. But I also have two classes of little ones, 2-6. The past two classes I’ve just sort of been going around to them individually during their activities and trying to talk with them about the activity in french. They respond in english, but that’s fine for now, as long as they listen to the french.
Problem is, my prior experience is with fourth graders, so I’m a little at a loss as how to deal with the little ones. I can’t really do written stuff. Working with them on their activities is great, but only for so long because it maxes out with vocab and interaction possibilities.
Does anyone have any suggestions? Would games like Mother May I work on kids that little? What games could be played outside? Anyone know any french songs? I know Frère Jacques, but since I grew up in the states, that’s about the extent of my knowledge of children’s songs. I know a couple words of Alouette, Gentille Alouette. Besides that, all I know is the Marseillaise or modern pop music.
I think that games like “Simon Says” or “Mother May I?” would be fun. Try asking other pre-school teachers what games they play with their class, then playing those games in French.
You could also try translating simple children’s songs into French–the only French I know is the French version of the song “Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes.”
Concept games are good for that age. Colors, directions (up, down, under), animals and the noises they make… I loved the ‘strange’ noises animals made in other languages when I was a kid.
My son’s montessori french immersion teacher (when he was 3) played circle games with the kids - name the color (or pick up the color when she named it), same game with simple shapes, games something like duck-duck-goose, and songs with actions/hand motions (that help the kids understand what the words mean).
Also, things to do with the practical life area - how to say please and thank you, what you say before you eat (bon appetite), etc. Names of objects in the practical life materials they already use, like spoons, cups, and pitchers…
I’d talk to the other teachers, too - just do things in the range of what they are already doing in the other classes, just in French.