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Promoting French on a Daily Basis

La voix des parents de Colombie-Britannique

by Annie Bourret, Professional Linguist and Children’s Author

The 4 Rs in Action — Physical Activity

e Research has shown that children
<= learn by playing and assimilate
best when learning is active. By
combining play with physical activity, we
take advantage of young children’s natural
desire to explore the world while enriching
their development. That's why this article,
the third in a series of four about the inte-
gration of the 4 Rs into everyday life, sug-
gests that you get moving with your child to
really anchor and enrich their French.

The 4 Rs approach promotes French ac-
cording to four key words: routine, rejoicing,
repetition, and rewarding. Let’s see what
this produces in relation to physical activity.

The GRANDIR resource (“Guide, fell,
learn, nourish, discover imagine, and
laugh") offers many cards that combine
physical activity and language develop-
ment according to age. You can get them
for free online by visiting www.fpfcb.bc.ca >
Petite enfance > GRANDIR CB.

The 4 Rs and Physical Activity

ROUTINE > Integrate physical activity with the Francophone parent into everyday life.
Dance, play hide-and-seek, walk, stretch. Take advantage of domestic activities, for

The series of ten cards called Bouger
offers physical development activities for
children from birth to the age of three years
old. The following three cards are particu-
larly easy to incorporate into everyday life;
all of them also give advice on developing
language.

a “Tout un monde” card (from birth to 12
months) -- Develop your baby’s core
muscle strength and balance, while
having the child learn words about his/
her surrounding world.

= “Danse avec moi” card (from birth to
three years old) -- Show your child how
to move to music. If fhe child is only a
few months old, hold him/her in your
arms and really support their neck. Hum
your child the songs, and in this way
they will be more likely fo pay attention
to the language.

example, by asking the child to throw articles to be recycled into the blue box.

REJOICING > Do unusual activities that entertain the child. For example, measure dis-
tances between several places in the house by counting steps (giant steps, little mouse
steps, slow steps, quick steps). Go around a table or chair hopping like a rabbit, hopping

a “C’est vide, c’est plein” card (from
one to three years old) - With just
two boxes or baskets and some soft
objects, you're not only teaching your
child to grasp objects, to lift them
in their arms and move around with
them while talking, but you're also
practicing vocabulary!

The series of ten activity cards called PEP
(pistes d'épanouissement pour les petits)
is mainly aimed at children from three to
five years old. Here are two that are really
easy fo do at home.

= “Touche la cible” card - Develop
your child's throwing motor skills and
hand-eye coordination. With simple
materials found in your home, your
child also learns many concepts: from
above, from below, far, near.

= “Les mouvements d’équilibre” card -—
Develop body awareness, balance,
and vocabulary. Show your child
different ways to keep your balance
(on one leg, on the tip of the toes)
and ask your child to imitate you. Play
a game where, in turns, you tell the
other how to balance (on your rear
and with both your elbows, etc.).

These are just suggestions; please don't
hesitate to explore all the cards. The next
article will address the 4 Rs and healthy

on one leg, walking on all fours, walking like a crab, or shifting your weight like a bear.

eating. &

REPETITION > Repeat the activities often, with small variations. For example, vary the
distance (for throwing, walking, running, jumping), pace (fast, slow, following a musical
tune). Constantly describe what you do, what you see and feel. Encourage the child to
do the same.

REWARDING > Take into account the age and strength of the child. Congratulate the
child if he/she reaches a target or wins a race if necessary, but above all, the important
thing is to have fun moving, in French. “On s’amuse bien quand on... n'est-ce pas?”,
“Bravo! Tu m'as attrapé!”.