Grade 5 Core French : Parent Information Handout
Britt Innovations Inc. · Monsieur Britt · 2025-2026 / 2026-2027
Welcome to Grade 5 French!
This is your child's first full year of Core French in junior. By June, they should be able to greet and introduce themselves, talk about their family, describe colors and clothing, order food, and write simple sentences in the present tense. The level we aim for is CEFR A1: short sentences, present tense, vocabulary-rich communication on familiar everyday topics.
The 10 units of Grade 5
| Month | Unit | Theme | What they'll learn |
|---|
| Sept | 1 | Bonjour! | Greetings, classroom vocabulary, present tense (ĂȘtre, avoir) |
| Oct | 2 | Ma famille | Family members, possessive adjectives (mon, ma, mes) |
| Nov | 3 | Les couleurs et les nombres | Colors, numbers 1 to 30, simple description |
| Dec | 4 | Les FĂȘtes d'Hiver | Winter holidays vocabulary, francophone winter traditions |
| Jan | 5 | Le corps et les vĂȘtements | Body parts, clothing, weather expressions |
| Feb | 6 | La nourriture | Food, partitive articles (du, de la, des), preferences |
| Mar | 7 | Les animaux | Pets, farm and wild animals, descriptive adjectives |
| Apr | 8 | La ville et les transports | Places in town, prepositions of location, getting around |
| May | 9 | Les sports et les loisirs | Sports, hobbies, aimer / préférer + infinitive |
| June | 10 | Bilan de l'année | Year-end review, cumulative |
Cultural figures your child will meet
These characters appear across the year's stories so kids feel like they know a small French-speaking community:
- Corbeau (crow, the main character)
- Renard (fox, Corbeau's friend)
- Madame Chouette (owl, the class teacher)
- HĂ©risson (hedgehog) and Biscuit (HĂ©risson's dog)
- Ăcureuil (squirrel)
- Minuit (Corbeau's cat, introduced in Unit 3)
- Lapin (MĂ©tis student, joins the class in Unit 10)
Assessment
Each unit ends with:
- A test (40 marks plus 2 bonus) covering Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing
- A cheat sheet (6 panels) given to students BEFORE the test as a study aid
The Unit 10 BILAN doubles to 80 marks and reviews the whole year.
Daily activities exercise all four language strands (Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing) so I can report progress on each one.
How you can support at home
You don't need to speak French. Here's what helps:
- Quiz the cheat sheet before each test. Reading the headings together is enough to anchor the unit.
- Watch a francophone children's show. Try the National Film Board of Canada (nfb.ca, free), TFO Mini (Franco-Ontarian children's content), or French-dubbed cartoons your kid already loves.
- Sing along to French music. Carmen Campagne (Canadian children's singer) and Henri DĂšs (classic French children's songs) are kid-friendly. Stromae and CĆur de pirate work for older listeners.
- Read picture books in French at the public library. Most boards have a small French section in the kids' area.
- Use simple French at home. "Bonjour", "Merci", "Bonne nuit" go a long way and stick.
- Celebrate small wins. "I'm proud of you for trying" lands in any language.
What if my child is struggling?
- The cheat sheet is the single best study tool. It's one page, six panels; review it in under 10 minutes.
- The interactive activities online include immediate-feedback exercises that reinforce vocabulary without the pressure of a graded quiz.
- The time-tracking system built into the platform discourages rushing; students must spend a minimum amount of time on each activity before it counts.
- The slower audio option (under accessibility) plays words at 60% speed for listening practice.
- Reach out to me directly at any point. Grade 5 is the foundation; if it doesn't click now, Grade 6 will be harder. Early conversations are easier than late ones.
What if my child is excelling?
- The extension panel in each cheat sheet has links to age-appropriate francophone content (TFO Mini, Radio-Canada Jeunesse).
- The vocabulary review tool (Anki-style spaced repetition) lets motivated kids build their vocabulary far beyond what's on the unit tests.
- Encourage French summer camps (some are federally subsidized) or signing up for French Immersion at Grade 9 if your school board offers it later.
Looking ahead to Grade 6
Next year your child will:
- Learn the passé composé (talking about the past)
- Learn the futur proche (talking about the future)
- Meet Quebec cultural icons: Bonhomme Carnaval, Roch Carrier and Maurice Richard, Louis Riel and the MĂ©tis
- Read longer stories and start writing short paragraphs
- Reach CEFR level A1+ (and approach A2 by June of Grade 6)
Contact
If you have any questions, please reach out via the school messaging system or email.
Bonne année!
Monsieur Britt Grade 5 Core French Teacher Britt Innovations Inc.
*© 2026 Britt Innovations Inc.*