Laughingmommy Posted November 23, 2010 Share Posted November 23, 2010 Please someone help me. I am going to go insane. I have been looking for a great French program for #2 for a very long time. She is an excellent 8-year-old reader who is into workbooks, but she also wants it to be fun and not cutesy. I have a pretty good background in French, having done high school, college, and grad school work in French and French lit. Somehow, all that experience being a student isn't translating into teaching French in a fun way that's structured enough for my child. Today, I bought L'Art de Lire but found, upon listening to the audio, that she has a noticeable Quebecois accent. I don't want to care, but I can't stand it. And I also found the workbooks to be not very much for the cost. Anyway, doesn't anyone know of any textbooks or anything that would work well for us? I want it to be fun and rigorous. I don't want to design a course myself, but I will if I must. It's just a lot of work. Please help! Thanks, Pei Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa B Posted November 23, 2010 Share Posted November 23, 2010 Galore Park's So You Really want to Learn French might work with a motivated and advanced third grader if you work at your own pace. I don't really know if a 3rd grader would consider it fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jen500 Posted November 23, 2010 Share Posted November 23, 2010 Galore Park's So You Really want to Learn French might work with a motivated and advanced third grader if you work at your own pace. I don't really know if a 3rd grader would consider it fun. :iagree: We're using SYRWTL French as our 'spine' and doing a LOT of supplementing. Have you looked at Alex et Zoe? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unity Posted November 23, 2010 Share Posted November 23, 2010 Since you speak French I suggest Alex et Zoe. It is not particularly workbooky (I do sometimes make up and assign additional writing exercises) but there is an emphasis on spoken communication and listening comprehension. The accents are French, not Canadian. My 9 yo loves the program and I think she is doing very well. You need the Guide pedagogique to make the most of the program, and a lot of the content and exercises are found in there. I'm not sure if you would consider it too cutesie...there is a fairy-tale theme in the first book and similar themes in others. It hasn't been overmuch for my daughter. There are 3 levels of Alex et Zoe and then the course is followed by Amis et Compagnie by the same author. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WyoSylvia Posted November 23, 2010 Share Posted November 23, 2010 I don't know if Petit Pont is what you would have in mind but I've been looking at it for when my ds is a better reader. It can get a pricey to ship to the US as well. (I didn't notice your location though.) Its main component is a virtual reality town with activities. You can leave it at that; their home license includes only the software. But you can also purchase the additional pieces that classrooms get: the child's workbook and the teacher's manual. (I have a degree in French but I want a thorough guide for me and their teacher's manual, I thought, was perfect.) You can get it a few places but Manic-Monkey.com is the main source and you can get a few samples there but this part of their site (I think it is in Dutch) will give you links to great English samples of the workbook, teacher's manual and a downloadable sample of the virtual reality software. I hope you find something great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laughingmommy Posted November 24, 2010 Author Share Posted November 24, 2010 Thanks for all your suggestions. I had my picky child look, and she decided on Galore Park. I thought Alex et Zoe was more appropriate, but I think I'll go with her choice. The last time I looked at it, she was too young for it, but now, if we go slower, it should be just fine. Now I just have to find a good source with it in stock. Thanks! Pei Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted November 24, 2010 Share Posted November 24, 2010 I used Galore Park French with both Calvin and Hobbes. It worked with both, but I needed to take it much slower with Hobbes. Don't expect to do a book per year - two years for a book might be more achievable. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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