Grade 3 French Immersion: how to help at home
What your child learns in Grade 3 french immersion in the Ontario Curriculum, and simple things to try at home.
The Big Ideas this year
- In immersion, French is the language we learn in, so listening and speaking grow every day.
- Reading French texts of many kinds builds comprehension and the habit of reading for meaning.
- Writing in French for a purpose and an audience uses the conventions of the language.
- Understanding how French works helps us choose the right words, tenses and sentence structures.
- Learning in French connects us with Francophone communities in Canada and around the world.
Easy ways to practise french immersion at home
- Read a short French book or comic together a few times a week, and talk about it in either language.
- Ask your child to teach you one new French word or grammar rule a day.
- Watch a French show with the French subtitles on, then retell the story.
- Keep a short French journal: one or two sentences a day.
What each unit covers
Je me, tu te, il se
Reflexive pronouns (me, te, se, nous, vous) with everyday routines like se laver and se coucher.
Et, mais, ou, avec
Joining ideas into longer sentences with coordinating conjunctions and simple prepositions.
Ne… pas
The negative form ne… pas, including n' before a vowel sound.
Le futur proche
Talking about what is about to happen with aller + a verb, and telling past from future.
Les pluriels en -x
Plural spellings: -eau/-eu/-ou nouns add an x, and -al nouns become -aux.
Préfixes et suffixes
Using prefixes and suffixes (re-, dé-, in-, -ette, -eur, -ier) to work out the meaning of new words.
L'idée principale
Reading a short text and telling the main idea apart from smaller details.
What the report card levels look like at home
- Level 1
- Just getting started with this idea. Short, regular practice with lots of support helps most.
- Level 2
- Understands parts of it and is building confidence. Keep practising the tricky parts.
- Level 3
- Has it! Level 3 is the provincial standard. Mixed review now and then keeps it strong.
- Level 4
- Applies it confidently, even in new or harder situations. Try challenge mode and real-life problems.
Your child’s teacher decides the level on the report card. Read the Ontario report card guide.
Common questions
How can I help my Grade 3 child with french immersion?
Read a short French book or comic together a few times a week, and talk about it in either language. Ask your child to teach you one new French word or grammar rule a day. Keep sessions short, about 10 to 15 minutes, and stop on a success.
What does my child learn in Grade 3 french immersion in Ontario?
The Ontario Curriculum Grade 3 french immersion units include je me, tu te, il se, et, mais, ou, avec, ne… pas, le futur proche, les pluriels en -x, préfixes et suffixes.
Free printable Grade 3 french immersion practice sheet
Questions from every unit, with an answer key.