Lesson 1.2 Frère, Sœur, Bébé

Steps

1. Warm-up

   Do this together: Sing C’est toi ma maman again. Then count: how many brothers and sisters do you have? How many grandparents?

2. Teach the new idea

   Read aloud: The story. In the Bible, a young woman named Ruth loved her husband’s mother, Naomi, so much that when Naomi was old and alone, Ruth would not leave her. She said, Where you go, I will go, and your people will be my people. Ruth worked in the fields to feed Naomi, and God blessed her with a husband, Boaz, and a baby boy named Obed. Naomi held the baby and became a happy grandmother, a grand-mère. Obed grew up to be the grandfather, the grand-père, of King David.

   Read aloud: How French sounds. Sœur has a special letter, œ, two letters stuck together. It sounds like the uh in her, with rounded lips: SUHR. In grand-mère, the d is quiet: grahn-MEHR. Bébé has two little accents that say ay: bay-BAY.

   Read aloud: Say it and move. Flex your arm: le frère! Twirl: la sœur! Rock a baby: le bébé! Walk slowly with a pretend cane: le grand-père! Knit with pretend needles: la grand-mère!

3. New words

   Do this: Say each word clearly; your child says it back twice. Point to a picture or the real thing when you can.

   • le frère [luh FREHR]: brother
   • la sœur [lah SUHR]: sister
   • le bébé [luh bay-BAY]: baby
   • la grand-mère [lah grahn-MEHR]: grandmother
   • le grand-père [luh grahn-PEHR]: grandfather
   • mamie [mah-MEE]: grandma
4. Show how

   Show: Your mom’s mom is your…? Say it in French.

   Say this: “Mom’s mom is your grandmother.”

   Say this: “Grandmother is la grand-mère.”

   Answer: La grand-mère.

   Show: How do you say sister in French?

   Say this: “Sister is la sœur.”

   Say this: “Round your lips: SUHR.”

   Answer: La sœur.

5. Practice together

   Do this: Ask out loud. Let your child try first; help only after a real try.

   Ask: Say brother in French.

   Listen for: Le frère.

   Ask: Say baby in French.

   Listen for: Le bébé.

   Ask: Say sister in French.

   Listen for: La sœur.

   3 more on the lesson page.

6. Project: My family tree

   Read aloud: Draw a family tree with a picture and a French word for each person.

   Steps:

   1. Draw a big tree with a brown trunk and green branches.
   2. On the trunk, draw yourself.
   3. On the branches, draw maman, papa, your brothers and sisters, and your grandparents.
   4. A parent writes the French word under each person: maman, papa, le frère, la sœur, la grand-mère, le grand-père.
   5. Trace the words and say each one.

   Tips for you:

   • Ask a grandparent to tell you a story about when he or she was little.
   • Add pets too: le chien, le chat.

   Done when your child can say:

   • My tree has at least five family members.
   • Each person has a French label.
7. Sketchbook

   Do this: Your child picks one or more; you write the date.

   1. Draw your brothers, sisters and grandparents. A parent writes le frère, la sœur, la grand-mère and le grand-père.
8. From history

   Read aloud: French children often call their grandparents mamie and papi, the way English children say grandma and grandpa.

9. Watch for
   • Saying sœur like sir with an English r. Round the lips and use the French r.
   • Saying the d in grand. It is quiet.
10. Game: Family Go Fish

    Make pairs of cards with family pictures. Ask As-tu la grand-mère? (Do you have the grandmother?) If the other player has it, he or she says Oui! and gives it. If not: Non, va pêcher! (No, go fish!)

11. Narration

    Say this: “Tell me what you learned today.”

    Listen for: Name brother, sister and baby in French.; Name grandmother and grandfather in French.; Draw a family tree with French labels.

12. Scripture

    A Song of degrees of David. Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!

    In the French Bible of Louis Segond (1910), this verse reads: <i lang="fr">Qu’il est agréable, qu’il est doux Pour des frères de demeurer ensemble!</i> It is good and pleasant when brothers and sisters live together in peace. Be kind to your frère and your sœur today.

Spread over the week

3 sessions of 15–20 minutes. Stop while it is still going well.

1. Session 1. Warm-up, then read and teach the new idea and the new words. Show how.
2. Session 2. Practice together, then start the project. Finish the project, then the sketchbook.
3. Session 3. Narration, the game and the Scripture.