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In British Columbia, the assimilation
rate is more than 80 per 100 for children
0 to 4. Moreover, more than 70 per 100
of Francophone parents’ partners are
Allophone and don’t speak French.
English is therefore the language
spoken at home and, in such a case,
many children don’t have the
appropriate level of French for their
age.

A Francophone
curriculum

preschool

Janine Tougas and Lucille Maurice,
both Francophone educationalist from
Manitoba, have developped a program
and resources to teach French to young
children before they enter a
Francophone kindergarten.

The program is centered on the child’s
needs and interests. It takes into
consideration the importance of children
general development to allow them to
acquire the language. The child gains
vocabulary and sentences structures
throughout simple stories which are
relied to his/her daily environment. One

) of the most important angle of the
program is the fact that the educator is
required to speak French to children,

100 per 100 of the time, even in the
presence of English-speaking parents.

Parents’ participation

Parents’ participation isanother important
angle of the program. When parents
register their child into the program, they
agree to participate to four parents

A PRESCHOOL CURRICULUM
TO TEACH FRENCH TO
® CHILDREN 3 TO 5

meetings a year. The objective of the
meetings is to integrate French in the
home daily life. Indeed, Frenchcannotbe
just associated to the school environment
but has to belong to all the angles of the
child’s daily life. Both parentsare invited
to the meetings whichare held in English.
Parents learn more about the program,
discuss together about it and learn how to
help their childin his/her French language
learning process.

Program implementation in British
Columbia

Five Francophone preschools will offer
the program this year :

- Saute-Mouton in Victoria

- Les P’tits Lutins in Port Moody

- La Coccinelle in White Rock

- Pomme d’ Api in Vancouver

- Trottin-Trottinette in North
Vancouver

The Association des parents
francophones will supervise the
program throughout the year.

PRESCHOOL NEWS

Francophone parents in
Vancouver keep working ona
French Daycare Centre project
| in Vancouver. For more

information : Denis Deschénes |
(431-6851) |

&

A French preschool just opened
last September in the
Steveston Community Centre.
L’école des petits poissons
has come after a year of the
parents committee ‘s efforts.

&

Parents committee of L ’école
La Vérendrye, in Chilliwack,
will open a preschool in the
Francophone school next
December. For information :

858-2666.
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TAS
Tire-Lire S551

Centre provincial de ressources
éducatives pour la petite enfance

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TIRE LIRE,

Centre de ressources éducatives |
pour la petite enfance,

1555, 7e Avenue Ouest, Vancouver,

C.-B. V6U 151 (604) 736-5056 |