Over the last few years, there have been some shifts in how we teach reading, and reading best practices. I wish I’d known more about the importance of phonological awareness, French decodable readers, etc. and less about the 3-cueing system 10 years ago.
Teaching reading is one of the hardest things in primary grades, and I wish I’d known long ago about the Science of Reading! There are always a few kids every year who really struggle or are slow to make progress, and they really benefit from a SOR-based approach.
What are French Decodable Books?
Decodable readers or books are stories that are at a student’s reading level. They only use sounds they have learned how to read. This allows students to master what they have learned, as opposed to struggling with unfamiliar words, letter combinations, and complex sounds.
Decodable readers will look different for every student. For instance, a child who can read only letter sounds will have a decodable book that doesn’t include any French compound sounds. A child who can read many compound sounds would read a decodable book including the sounds they’ve mastered. A book is considered decodable for a student if they can read it successfully.
Why Use French Decodable Readers?
Have you ever used GB+ books and cringed at the difficult vocabulary in the low-level books? Yep! Me, too. We can’t expect an emerging reader to do well with lots of these words. If they only know their letter sounds, they aren’t going to do well with CC blends and complex French sounds.
We don’t expect our students to solve multiplication problems before understanding basic addition and subtraction. And the same goes for reading. We can’t expect them to read complex blends and sounds if they are still learning the basics.
Decodable readers help beginners readers feel successful, build confidence, and master their knowledge each step of the way. I also use decodable readers with my Primary Core French students, who only get 40 minutes of French a day. I’ve been blown away by how much they can read and write, when the content is presented in the right way.
How to Use French Decodable Readers in the Classroom
#1 Small Group Instruction
Instead of doing French guided reading, I recommend focusing on small group instruction based on student needs. In these small group sessions, you can focus on phonological awareness.
Have students read individual sounds, practice blending CV sounds, reading nonsense words, and using decodable reading pages. I like this particular decodable reader set because it’s differentiated and scaffolds students from reading letter sounds to sentences.
#2 Practice At Home
Send home small decodable reader texts, like this simple sounds reader and compound sounds reader. These mini-books are simple enough that even families who don’t speak French are able to help and read along with their child.
I also recommend sending these books home only after a student has mastered the particular sound. Practicing at home should be to keep skills fresh and for additional practice. You don’t want students to be frustrated at home trying to read. The bulk of the learning should happen at school. Home practice is for reinforcing concepts taught in class.
#3 Read to Self
Have students practice by reading French decodable books to themselves. After a student has mastered a skill, have them place it in the bin to refer back to and practice later. Practicing independent reading is key to progressing.
I hope these tips for using decodable readers were helpful! Grab a free Simple Sound Reader to kick off decodable reading in your classroom. You can download the free French decodable reader here.
