Reading difficulties in French Immersion? Should you “Wait & See”?

When parents of French Immersion (FI) students realize their child is struggling to read in French, they often wonder, “Should we just wait and see? Maybe things will resolve on their own.”

The truth is, sometimes problems resolve themselves as the child progresses in their new language. In most cases, however, the difficulties worsen with time.

By waiting, you might be missing a window of opportunity. Early intervention has been shown to be the best practice for helping struggling readers.

The optimal time for intervention is as soon as the difficulties are noticed.

The prevention and reduction of reading difficulties and disabilities can be achieved through early, one-on-one interventions.

Research shows…

• By grade 1, teachers can predict which French Immersion students are at risk of developing reading difficulties.

• Most of the children at risk for reading difficulties will become successful readers if given early, individualized, explicit, and intensive interventions

• The interventions should focus on word recognition (phonemic awareness, decoding, frequent word decoding & recognition) and French language comprehension (building background knowledge, developing vocabulary, etc.)

5 Things You Can Do Now!

If your French immersion child struggles to read, it is important to act immediately.

1. Set up a meeting with your child’s teacher to discuss what difficulties they are noticing.

2. Ask to see the reading assessment and discuss the meaning of the results.

3.If a French Immersion reading specialist is available at the school, ask that your child be added to the program. It is best if they are offered at least three sessions per week to have adequate “spaced repetitions.”

4. Read to/with your child as often as you can. If you don’t speak French, read in the language spoken at home. Many literacy skills can be transferred from one language to another.

5. Think outside the school box! Reach out to a French immersion specialist outside the school system. Programs like ours are highly effective in targeting your child’s reading needs.

Do not Lose Hope

Your child will become a confident reader with the proper system in place! Do not "switch" your child to the English program; do not give up. Bilingualism is a gift. Our team of FI reading specialists is here to help. See if your child would fit into one of our programs.