Teaching beginners French school supplies vocabulary?
This unit is usually taught way in the beginning of a French student’s journey into foreign language. In most Core French or FSL classes in the U.S., students haven’t had much, if any French. That means it can be hard to get them engaged, because everything feels so new. It also means they are excited about every new word they learn, because everything is so new.
Here are some of my favorite teaching resources for French school supplies.
Vocabulary slap
This game is such a fun way to practice French vocabulary, and it is actually my students’ all-time favorite game. It doesn’t matter what grade level or how much French they’ve had. This one is hands-down the favorite!
Here’s how this French game works:
Put students in groups of 3-4.
Pass out a set of cards to each group and have students place them face up on the table or desks. They need to be spread out evenly so students can see each card.
Call out the word and have students race to find the correct card. You can use the word cards to call out the English word and have them translate, or the image cards to call out the French word and have them find the correct image.
Students slap their hands on the card when they find the correct word/image. The student with the most cards at the end wins.
French Boom Cards™️ with audio
These are so much fun, and they are very engaging! Students get instant feedback, so even when they are practicing on their own, they know just how they are doing. This set with French audio lets them listen to a native speaker while practicing recognition of common French school supplies. It’s a perfect way to get students used to hearing French, even when they are at home! Plus, they’ll love that they can listen over and over, meaning it’s less intimidating for students who need more time.
No-prep worksheets for French school supplies
Okay, worksheets are not the most fun thing ever, but students do have to have written practice, and they need a set of notes that explains French concepts like verb conjugation in a way they can understand.
This set of worksheets includes notes, guided practice for both French school supplies and avoir, exit tickets, and an evaluation PLUS it has partnered speaking activities so students can get comfortable speaking French, too. Beginners are often hesitant, but with the right activities, they will quickly be speaking in French!
French school supplies Bingo
All kids love Bingo! They just do… any age group, any time you need a break and a fun game to practice French vocabulary. This set includes word calling cards so you can easily call out the words, but it also includes image-based calling cards that you can show to younger students as you call the words out. It’s a great way to offer more support when students need it.
Phrases mêlées
I love using sentence scrambles to help students learn correct sentence structure. I’ve just created this FREE phrases mêlées activity that can be used to help students practice or review sentence structure with the verb avoir and French school supplies. There are two activities, so you can even use one as a back to school review with students who have had some French. It’s a perfect back to school activity, too!
These are some of my favorite activities for teaching French school supplies. You can find all of these resources plus more fun and engaging French activities for beginners in one unit bundle!
