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We asked Marie-Claire Thauvette, the founder and CEO of Fast Forward French, a French tutoring centre in Ottawa, for her quick and easy tips for parents and kids who are beginning French immersion for the first time in kindergarten or Grade 1 this September.
1. Make learning fun

One big mistake parents often make while rushing to prepare their kids for French is forcing it on them, and forgetting to make the experience fun. You may be worried about how your child will survive in a new environment, but don?t let your anxiety show. Kids will follow your lead, so teach them not to worry and that it?s no big deal. If kids associate learning a new language with having fun, they?ll enjoy it. Choose an activity that your kid likes and encourage your little one to speak French during that activity, even if it’s just a few little words. You can also try making their playtime the French-speaking time of day so they?ll associate the new language with an activity they already love. Turn learning into a game. For example, get the kids to count in French, but for every fifth number they can do something fun like jump. (?Un,? ?deux,? ?trois,? ?quatre,? and jump on ?cinq.? Then jump on?dix? and so on.) You can change the number to every third number, or whatever you prefer, to keep the game fresh each time. If your child is showing signs of early reading or word-recognition skills, you could try a matching game. Write the names of things on a set of cards or piece...