6 Ways to Use Flash Cards to Boost French Immersion Students Reading

Learning to read is a long process. An individual's ability to comprehend what they read depends on their phonological awareness, knowledge of phonics, fluency, and familiarity with the words that they encounter in the text.

Our French immersion learners have one extra challenge when learning to read: the words they are trying to decode are often new. They have never heard or seen it, making fluency and comprehension very difficult to attain.

Developing vocabulary is essential when learning a second language. One way to do just that is to use vocabulary cards—Cartes éclairs, printed or digital. They can be used in many ways, from flashcards to online memory games.

Here are 6 ideas for using them in class or at home.

1. Traditional use

Les cartes éclairs can be used as flashcards in the traditional sense. Look at the picture and say the words. When the word is memorized, take the card out of the deck. Repeat daily for better retention.

2. Alphabetical Order

Organizing words carried in alphabetical order can be played individually, as a team or as a whole group where one student gets one card.

Research has shown that spaced repetition (active recall, spread out over a period of time) helps learners learn more quickly.

3. Memory Game

Arrange all cards facing down. Take turns turning two cards. Take the matching cards out. Ensure that students say or read the word on the card each time they turn a card.

4. Silly Sentences

Lay out the cards on the table. The student picks a card and makes a silly sentence using that word. This can be done orally or by writing.

5. Missing cards

Place 5 to 10 flashcards on the table, facing down. Mix the cards and take one away. Students have to find the missing card.

6. Hedbanz

This game is always a hit! The first student wears a headband. They pick a card, and without looking at it, they tuck the card behind the headband they are wearing so their teammates can see it, but they can’t. They ask yes/no questions to determine what item is on their card—e.g., “Suis-je un animal?” ”Suis-je un objet?”, “Suis-je rouge?” Using their teammates’ answers, they try to guess what item they have under their headband.

Learning can be fun!

There are so many ways to use flashcards in the classrooms or at home. As students actively engage with flashcards, they will enhance their vocabulary, improve sentence structure, and develop a deeper understanding of French.

You can find the Cartes éclairs in our store in our Étude de mots (ÉdM) section if you are an educator.

If your child is part of the MpM French reading program, you can get free sets of flashcards by asking your child’s teacher to send them to you.