Grade 5 French Immersion: how to help at home
What your child learns in Grade 5 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 French novels, comics or articles on topics your child enjoys.
- Ask your child to explain a grammar rule to you, with an example.
- Have your child write a short French note or message to a relative or pen pal.
- Use a French dictionary or conjugation tool together when revising a draft.
What each unit covers
Qui, que, où, dont
Using the simple relative pronouns qui, que, où and dont to join two ideas in one sentence.
Ne… plus, jamais, rien
Negative forms ne… plus, ne… jamais and ne… rien, and where each word goes in the sentence.
Les adverbes
Adverbs of time, place, manner and quantity, and what each one tells us about the action.
La ponctuation
Quotation marks, the colon and parentheses used correctly in French.
La bande dessinée
The features of a comic book: panels, speech and thought bubbles, sound words and how pictures and text work together.
La biographie
Features of a biography: point of view, dates, quotations, sources and chronological order.
Fait ou opinion?
Telling an objective statement (a fact) from a subjective one (an opinion), an early critical-thinking skill.
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 5 child with french immersion?
Read French novels, comics or articles on topics your child enjoys. Ask your child to explain a grammar rule to you, with an example. Keep sessions short, about 10 to 15 minutes, and stop on a success.
What does my child learn in Grade 5 french immersion in Ontario?
The Ontario Curriculum Grade 5 french immersion units include qui, que, où, dont, ne… plus, jamais, rien, les adverbes, la ponctuation, la bande dessinée, la biographie.
Free printable Grade 5 french immersion practice sheet
Questions from every unit, with an answer key.