0 Credits

The Perfect Read-Alouds for Teaching French Procedural Writing

French procedural writing read alouds are a fantastic way to engage students while teaching this practical writing genre. Whether you’re guiding them through a recipe, a set of game instructions, or a creative “how-to” scenario, read-alouds provide clear models for structure and language.

Teaching procedural writing is also a great opportunity to inject personality and passion into your lessons. (Not that we don’t try to make every lesson interesting!) Plus, it fits seamlessly into a strong writer’s workshop approach—here’s why you should be doing one in your classroom.

Procedural texts are everywhere, from the recipes we follow to the instructions we read before playing a new game. The challenge is knowing where to start. The answer? With the right French procedural mentor texts! Below, I’m sharing the best read-alouds to support your students in mastering this genre.

French Procedural Writing Read Alouds

  1. Comment bien laver son mammouth laineux
  2. Le yoga pour les enfants
  3. 36 recettes faciles pour enfants
  4. Comment apprivoiser un fantôme
  5. Faisons de la crème glacée
  6. Comment se promener avec un python (sans se faire manger)
  7. Comment habiller son hippopotame en hiver

Comment bien laver son mammouth laineux

Imagine having a woolly mammoth as a pet—now imagine trying to give it a bath! Comment bien laver son mammoth laineux is a fun little story that includes a step-by-step guide on how to wash your mammoth. It’s not as simple as it sounds!

The book does a brilliant job of introducing procedural writing in a fun and humorous tone. The book begins with a list of items you’ll need – setting the stage for a well-organized procedural text. It even includes diagrams for some steps – meaning there’s a lesson in procedural pictograms.

It’s one of the best examples of how to write using clear, sequential instructions. So, if you’re looking for the top French procedural writing mentor texts, start here.

French read-aloud book for procedural writing "Comment ien laver son mammouth laineux"

Le yoga pour les enfants

Le yoga pour les enfants isn’t a traditional storybook. Strictly speaking, there’s no beginning, middle, or end. However, that’s not the book’s purpose; it teaches young children about yoga. It’s a classic example of French how-to writing. Each yoga pose comes with a title, a brief description, and then step-by-step instructions alongside pictures.

This is more than just a read-aloud – it’s a French lesson, procedural writing lesson, and yoga class rolled into one.

You could get the children to stand around, asking them to read from the book. Get them to follow the steps, moving into the yoga pose, before showing them the picture to see if they got it right.

French read-aloud book for procedural writing "Le yoga pour les enfants"

36 recettes faciles pour les enfants

Another fantastic real-life example of procedural writing is 36 recettes faciles pour les enfants. It’s an ideal text for showing the components of a procedural text in a fun and exciting way.

Take the time to go through the book with your students. Familiarise them with the normal layout – point out the ingredients list, the photo of the completed dish, prep time, quantity, and, of course, the recipe itself.

As a hands-on activity, choose a simple recipe from the book and try making it as a class. Afterwards – or while your food is cooking – ask the students if the recipe was easy to follow. What could have made the instructions clearer, e.g., photos of each step?

French read-aloud book for procedural writing "36 recettes faciles pour enfants"

Comment apprivoiser un fantôme

Comment apprivoiser un fantôme is a more unconventional take on procedural writing. Instead of straightforward step-by-step instructions, this book is written as a guide, divided into sections like “How to Identify a Ghost,” “How to Care for a Ghost,” and “Growing Together.”

You can use this text to discuss the inclusion of additional elements, such as a classification guide or photos of materials needed. For students who’ve had no previous experience with the subject, it’s a chance to expand their horizons and open them up to the possibilities, thanks to these French procedural writing mentor texts.

French read-aloud book for procedural writing "Comment apprivoiser un fantôme"

Faisons de la crème glacée

Unfortunately, Faisons de la crème glacée isn’t widely available for purchase outside of educational channels like Scholastic’s website. It’s one of those giant books that teachers used to pull out when they were kids. However, if your school has a copy, this book is a must-use for this unit! Thankfully, my school has a copy, and I use it every time we do this unit.

It takes students through the process of making ice cream, step by step until you have the delicious end result. (Who doesn’t love ice cream!?)

Because this book lends itself so well as a classroom activity, you might want to use it at the beginning of your unit to introduce the concept of procedural writing or at the end as a fun, celebratory activity.

French procedural writing book "Faisons de la crème glacée"

Comment se promener avec un python (sans se faire manger)

This one’s a bit on the silly side, but it is so much fun! Comment se promener avec un python (sans se faire manger) is more like a graphic novel than a traditional book – don’t expect to read through it all in one day. But sometimes, it’s nice to space out a reading over several days or use the book as you go through the unit, touching base every few lessons.

In this book, you follow a cockroach as she explains how to take a walk with a python without getting eaten. Each step is accompanied by detailed explanations and is rooted in actual python behaviour. It’s pretty clever!

However, it’s perhaps a good idea to tell your students that the strategies might not work in real life, even if the book does a fantastic job of coming up with reasons behind each idea.

French read-aloud book for procedural writing "Comment se promener avec un python"

Comment habiller son hippopotame en hiver

Wintertime in Canada can be brutal, and what better way to prepare than by helping a hippo get dressed for the cold? Comment habiller son hippopotame en hiver is a cute story about a hippo who layers on clothing, piece by piece until he’s finally warm. He starts with socks, shirts, and pants before adding more and more layers.

It’s not technically a procedure writing piece, although it shares many similarities. The hippo puts the clothes on piece by piece, like a list. A great classroom activity could involve rewriting the story as a “how-to” text adding in steps, photos, and transition words.

French read-aloud book for procedural writing "Comment habiller son hippopotame en hiver"

Other Texts and Resources

In addition to these delightful books, consider using authentic texts like board game instructions, recipes, or LEGO instructions. Authentic texts are fantastic because they are practical, and students can immediately see the purpose behind the writing. You could even have small groups explore different texts and complete the activity described—whether it’s making a recipe or assembling a LEGO model.

If you’re looking for a ready-to-go procedural writing unit, our unit includes nine lesson plans, writing pages, a final task, and an assessment rubric.

With the right French procedural writing mentor texts and a bit of creativity, teaching procedural writing in French can be a fun and rewarding experience for both you and your students. Happy teaching!

Want to check out the resources listed?

All the links above lead to TPT, but the resources are also available on our website. Here are the resources available here for purchase in CAD. Don’t forget you can also buy credits for an additional discount (up to $15 off).

You might also like...

find what you need

Browse by Category

Looking to do some phonics based shared reading?
Download my free Shared Reading Story for le son A! Your students will love reading this story with you.

Join our Mailing List!

Sign up for our mailing list to receive a FREE French Phonics Guide for le son /a/, including activities and lesson plans!

phonics-guide-lesson-plans-free