Housed in charming little Elmlea school, set on a tree-lined street in northwest Toronto, Cindy Auwaerter’s Grade 4 classroom features typical clusters of desks, colourful bulletin boards, and a checkerboard-pattern carpet in the centre of the room. But in this serene setting, a remarkable intersection of cultures and languages can be found — the 25 students, in characteristic Toronto fashion, have been drawn from nearly a dozen cultures, from the Middle East to Africa to the Caribbean. They speak English with one another out on the grassy playground, but in this class it’s en français, s’il vous plait. From the decor — posters and handwritten sheets display math (L’arrondissement des nombres), science (Qu’est-ce qu’un habitat?) and language (Les adjectifs possessifs) — to the gentle yet concise words that flow from Madame Auwaerter and the social chatter in the room, the children are completely immersed in French.

And it’s clear that they, in turn, have embraced the language, in work and play. Ten-year-old Ammar uses his French skills as a sibling secret code. “Sometimes me and my brother will be talking and we don’t want Mom to listen, so we just start talking in French,” he says with a broad smile. Some are thinking ahead. “Let’s say you want a job but they only have one place. If there’s another person who only speaks English but you speak English and French, they’ll give you the job because you know more languages,” says Bryan, also 10. “My hope,” says Auwaerter, “is that French immersion will take them anywhere in the world that they want to go.”

A BILINGUAL BRAIN IS BETTER

French immersion (FI) made its debut in 1965 at a single pilot school in an English-speaking Montreal suburb. Enrollment boomed in the late ’70s and the ’80s, with programs opening in school boards from coast to coast as part of the federal government’s newly introduced policies on bilingualism and multiculturalism. Today, FI — a public education program designed for non-French speakers that teaches all or most subjects in French — can be found in every province and two of three territories (Nunavut is the exception). A made-in-Canada approach, this style of education has also been exported to a number of countries around the world. And while the boomtown days are gone, FI continues to show modest growth. At last count, in 2006, some 309,000 students (7.7 per cent of total eligible enrollment) were enrolled between JK and Grade 12, more than a third of them in Ontario. Certain places, including parts of British Columbia and areas of Toronto, are experiencing sharp rates of growth, and some school districts have even adopted lottery systems to allot available places (a better option than parents lining up overnight prior to registration day or registering their child while in utero, which had been happening in B.C.).

The enduring popularity of French immersion can be attributed to a number of proven benefits, some of which are well known. Parents often enroll their children in order to open doors of employment down the road, and at least one study, performed by the Association for Canadian Studies, has validated these hopes. It found that workers who speak both French and English earn almost 10 per cent more than those who speak English alone. There’s also the pleasure of being able to converse in both of Canada’s official languages, and the fact that French speakers have another handy tool when travelling abroad and can make a wider variety of cultural connections. Bilinguals also enjoy certain cognitive advantages, says Ellen Bialystok, distinguished research professor in the department of psychology at York University in Toronto. Bialystok has authored a number of studies in this area, and notes that the benefits of bilingualism include enhanced problem-solving skills, although, she adds, these cognitive abilities only kick in when someone enjoys fully balanced and fully functional bilingualism, and after “massive amounts” of practice.

WHEN TO ENROLL — AND WHAT TO EXPECT

Parents seeking to enroll their kids have three main options (although all three aren’t available in every district). Early immersion begins in kindergarten or Grade 1, middle immersion in Grade 4 or 5, and late immersion in Grade 6, 7, or even later.

Early immersion is by far the most popular, and some 80 per cent of all FI students begin at this point. The amount of French in the classroom upon entry in kindergarten or Grade 1 will vary from board to board, but in many or even most cases it will be total. “The advantage of early immersion relates to children’s brain development,” says Janette Pelletier, an associate professor of human development and applied psychology and a French immersion expert at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) at the University of Toronto. “It is thought that the greater plasticity in a young brain is related to the ability to acquire second, third and fourth languages more easily, without a pronounced accent.” Nathalie Martel-Fairbairn, who oversees French immersion up to Grade 6 for the Halifax Regional School Board, adds that early on “we douse them with language — orally, visually, on the written page. They have to speak the words — eat them, practically, so that they make sense.”

And while experts say that kids don’t find entering an all-French classroom bewildering (having no other experience, they just assume that this is the norm at school), parents should be prepared for their little student to be tired out. “The first few months, they are exhausted, and parents might notice that their kids will be a bit grumpy when they come home,” says Lise Henry, an Edmonton Grade 1 FI teacher and mother with two kids in immersion. She adds that having strong foundations in place (such as a scheduled bedtime, healthy meals and snacks, and even a water bottle to stay hydrated) can help children handle this challenging time.

However, for many parents, the biggest concern isn’t the initial days in the program, but the long-term acquisition of English skills — and the well-circulated rumour that these skills suffer in French immersion. This is, in fact, a myth: studies have shown that the skills of students in the program either match or even exceed those in the regular English stream. But parents should be prepared for a lag in the early grades. Carolyn Meek-Vandervaart, an Orangeville, Ont. mother with two kids in the program — daughter, Jacqueline, is in Grade 2 and son, Charles, is in Grade 1 — is experiencing this first-hand. Although Jacqueline can handle French spelling and conversation easily, she notes that she “heard that children tend to be really poor spellers in English, and that’s the case with my daughter right now — she’s a terrible speller.” The lag usually disappears within a year, says Sharon Lapkin, a professor in the Second Language Education Program at OISE/UT. When literacy skills become entrenched, she explains, kids then use those skills across languages, plus the introduction of classes in English language arts in Grades 3 or 4 also helps. Parents also often fear that their child’s performance in other subjects, especially math and science, will suffer, but the research — including many large-scale studies in the ’70s and ’80s, and an influential update published by Lapkin and her colleagues in a 2001 edition of the Canadian Modern Language Review — indicates that it will not.

Those who enter FI in a middle or late immersion program face a daunting challenge, having spent many years — including those when basic reading and other skills are learned — in the regular English stream. But kids who join at this point often play an active role in the decision, and tend to be very motivated. They will typically be plunged into near-total immersion right away. Jan Claes, who taught in a Grade 7 late immersion classroom for 18 years, and now oversees FI for Grades 7 to 9 at the Halifax Regional School Board, notes that “in September and October, the teachers were more exhausted than the kids because we had to do an awful lot of miming and drawing. We would go through the whole explanation and say, “Vous comprenez?’ and there would be all these eyes blinking at you.” But, she adds, they catch on surprisingly fast. “By January, they always found their rhythm — there was this giant click, and by the end of the year they were quite capable of teasing me in French.”

As kids move up through the grades, the amount of time they spend in an all-French classroom drops, and by the time they reach high school, students will typically be taught two courses in French, aside from French language class, per year (math, certain sciences and other courses are typically taught in English). FI programs tend to have a high rate of attrition, with the greatest number of students choosing other paths as they enter high school. However, once in secondary school, motivated by the prospect of earning a French immersion certificate and the resulting opportunities, students usually remain until graduation. The level of fluency at graduation will vary from student to student, sometimes according to how much time they spent in the program, but most will be functionally bilingual. “They won’t become Francophones, but they will be able to work or study further in French, which is really an asset,” says Halifax’s Martel-Fairbairn.

AN EDUCATION ELITISM?

Since its inception, French immersion has been plagued by the charge that it’s elitist. “Some people call it the poor man’s private school,” observes Vancouver mom Janice Duivestein, whose eldest son, Jared, graduated from FI two years ago and whose younger son, Rylan, just graduated at the end of the 2007 school year. French immersion advocates, including Duivestein, firmly deny that this is the case, pointing out that the program is publicly funded and, where available, open to every child.

However, Statistics Canada, in a 2004 report entitled “French immersion 30 years later,” has documented that kids in the program tend to come from higher socio-economic backgrounds and are more likely to have parents with a post-secondary education. Moreover, the same report notes that “there may also be a tendency for less-skilled students to transfer out of immersion programs if there is a concern about their ability to learn in the second language.” Added to this is the fact that the availability of support for students in FI with learning disabilities varies from board to board, and is often inadequate. Not surprising is a 2007 finding by the Canadian Council on Learning that attrition rates are particularly high among these students.

Connie Bell and her 10-year-old daughter Rachel became part of the attrition statistics when Rachel was in Grade 2. Observing that Rachel had a great command of the English language — speaking by eight months — and after seeing the positive experience of her cousin’s kids, the Whitby, Ont., mother enrolled Rachel in early immersion. By Grade 1, she was struggling mightily with her French writing skills, and as she entered Grade 2, Rachel fell further and further behind. She met with the special education resource teacher, who didn’t speak French. “Rachel would sit and silent-read during their meetings. And I thought, “Well, that’s not helping.” Rachel, she adds, was scolded for asking for help, had papers marked with bright red X’s, and in at least one case was publicly embarrassed by her grade two teacher in front of the class. After meetings with the principal and classroom teacher were unhelpful, Bell figured enough was enough and pulled her out. “Rachel wasn’t eating her lunch, went to school with a stomach ache every day, and had diarrhea,” she remembers. Bell, who works as an educational assistant, feels that early immersion teachers serve as gatekeepers for the program. She believes that kids with behavioural issues were weeded out after Grade 1 (she observed that none returned for Grade 2), and that kids with academic needs were counselled out by the end of Grade 2. “By Grade 3 you have your elite, then they mould them for three, four, five and six.” Rachel, who was never actually identified with a learning disability (because the test was administered in English), is now happy in her Grade 4, regular stream class — and getting top marks in French.

Some would argue that Bell’s experience is a (particularly bad) exception rather than an example of a systemic pattern, while even Bell, who calls French immersion an “excellent program” for the right student, is reluctant to speculate on whether her experience is being replicated in other schools or boards. And FI advocates such as Betty Gormley, executive director of the Ontario branch of the national organization Canadian Parents for French, are firm in their resolve that such special education resources should be available to FI students. “We absolutely believe that children in the French immersion program should have access to any kind of support that is offered for any kind of special need.”

Back at Elmlea, which has a French-speaking special education resource teacher, there is little evidence of elitism. “Take a look around,” says Madame Auwaerter, nodding to her students on the playground. “Our children come from a diversity of cultures and socio-economic backgrounds. When they come to us with strengths, we use their strengths, and when they come to us with needs, we support their needs.”

Contributing editor Tim Johnson retained little more from his core French education than the theme song to Téléfrançais, but gained a working knowledge of the language when he spent several months living, playing baseball and teaching English in northern France.

Read the article online at:  http://www.canadianfamily.ca/parents/look-french-immersion/

Keep reading for tips and pointers if you are considering French immersion for your child

French Immersion Tips 

The B.C. francophone school board is considering policy changes to welcome more students, but anglophones need not apply.

Currently, Conseil Scolaire Francophone (CSF) – also known as School District 93 – accepts only students whose right to French education is protected under Article 23 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Proposed changes would give French-speaking newcomers to Canada and newcomers who speak neither French nor English an opportunity to enrol their children in any of the 37 CSF public schools.

CSF would create a committee to assess eligibility and would approve only students from francophone or francophile families. It insists the change is not intended to benefit English-speaking parents who have been unable to enrol their children in French immersion programs, although it is possible some anglophones might meet the CSF criteria.

CSF president Roger Hebert said the board of education is discussing the proposals with parents and staff before holding a vote. “We’ve had mixed reaction,” he said in an interview. “Some are very, very excited and some of them are very reluctant.”

Most of the criticisms are from those who fear CSF schools will be flooded with anglophones who want their children to learn French, but that’s definitely not the plan, he said. To win approval from the committee, new students would need “a strong knowledge” of French, although they wouldn’t necessarily have to be fluent, he said.  (Interestingly, almost half of the children in CSF schools were not proficient in French when they enrolled.)

If approved, the new policy would bring CSF practices into line with those in other provinces, Hebert added. Find an undated Ontario announcement on the same issue here.

Canadian Parents for French (CPF) had hoped the proposed new policy might ease growing demand from anglophone parents for French-language education. (Find an earlier recommendation on that front here.)

CPF executive director Glyn Lewis said parents are lobbying for new or additional French immersion programs in 12 B.C. school districts: Tofino, Gibsons, Squamish, Nanaimo, Vancouver, New Westminster, Agassiz, Chilliwack, Penticton, Vernon, Mackenzie and Fernie.

Another wrinkle to this story is the CSF lawsuit against the B.C. government, which claims funding for francophone students is inadequate and violates their constitutional rights to equal education. That case is expected to be heard in October.

About 44,000 B.C. students are enrolled in French immersion programs; some 4,800 attend CSF schools.

FSAs are useful - McRae

Education Minister Don McRae spoke last week at Tigh-Na-Mara in Parksville during a Canadian Parents for French (B.C. and Yukon) Regional Conference.

LISSA ALEXANDER PHOTO

One of the questions put to B.C.'s minister of education at a Canadian Parents for French (CPF) regional conference in Parksville last week was why French immersion students are forced to take the FSAs in English.

"They're at a real disadvantage because children don't start receiving English language instruction until Grade 4 so these kids, we're doing it right now at our school, and they are crying every day, because they're like I can't do this madame," said a teacher from Port Alberni.

Education Minister Don McRae responded that the Grade 7's Foundation Skills Assessment (FSA) results are actually on par with the English students' results. His daughter is currently in Grade 4 in a French immersion program in the Comox Valley, he said, and taking the tests.

"Those are pieces of revision we can look at; however, that reinforces: don't use the test as a measure of your student's ability, it's a snapshot of that day."

He added he won't panic if his daughter's test results on the literacy portion come in low, and he maintained the FSA's are a useful tool.

McRae, who was a teacher himself for 15 years, said he is striking up a working group within the next month to see how the government can make some changes to the FSA's to better meet the needs of educators and students.

The CPF is the largest French second language advocacy group in Canada and it was their B.C. and Yukon division who held the conference at the Tigh-Na-Mara. This was the first regional conference the group has held on the Island.

Another question McRae received following his address was whether the government is planning on making French immersion programs more accessible to children in outlying communities or in low income families.

McRae said many people don't realize the important role school boards play in their communities and that the government wants to make sure trustees recognize the needs in their communities and respond to them.

"As a ministry we're not pushing that sort of idea other than if (trustees) need assistance we're there to help them," he said, adding what communities choose to do depends on the desire in those communities and he encouraged speaking to trustees.

Representatives from CPF Oceanside Chapter were also at the conference and secretary Catherine Buchanan said they hope to enrich the educational and cultural opportunities in the district.

To do this, she said they have a couple of upcoming events, the first is a French language course for parents. This starts Feb. 19  and runs for four Tuesdays at Parksville Elementary School.

Buchanan said often the French language is a barrier for parents who are considering French immersion but wouldn't be able to communicate with their kids.

The local group is also hosting a French film night at Ballenas Secondary School, which will include pizza dinner.

For more information on the parent French courses, e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and check out other event details on their Facebook page: CPF Oceanside.

Look for a feature article on the state of our local French education coming up in The NEWS.

Bilingual Adults Have Sharper Brains, Study Suggests

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Being able to speak two languages isn't just useful for traveling to other countries -- it could actually help keep your brain in tip-top shape in older age, a new study suggests.

Researchers from the University of Kentucky College of Medicine found that senior adults who've been bilingual since they were children had better "cognitive flexibility" -- being able to go along with a new or unexpected circumstance -- than those who only knew how to speak one language. The findings are published in the Journal of Neuroscience.

The findings suggest "bilingual seniors use their brains more efficiently than monolingual seniors," study researcher Brian T. Gold, Ph.D. said in a statement. "Together, these results suggest that lifelong bilingualism may exert its strongest benefits on the functioning of frontal brain regions in aging."

The study consisted of two experiments that included 110 adults between ages 60 and 68, who had brain imaging tests done as they did a cognitive flexibility test. Some of the participants only spoke one language, while the others had been bilingual since childhood.

The researchers found that even though both the monolingual and bilingual study participants were able to complete the task, the ones who were bilingual were able to do so more quickly. The brain imaging also showed that their frontal cortex brain regions used less energy than the monolingual seniors as they did the task.

Previous research has suggested that being bilingual could actually help to protect the brain from age-related disease. A study published last year in the journal Trends in Cognitive Sciences shows that being able to speak two languages could help to delay the onset of Alzheimer's.

HuffPost Canada reported on the findings:

According to Dr. Ellen Bialystok, the lead researcher in the study, bilingual adults were found to have a greater cognitive reserve as they got older that allows the mind to run longer and more smoothly.

"It is rather like a reserve tank in a car. When you run out of fuel, you can keep going for longer because there is a bit more in the safety tank," said Bialystok in an interview with the Guardian.

 Another September rolls around and the stories about a need for increased French Immersion in communities begins to hit the media. At the end of August I was asked for an interview with La Source, a French newspaper that focuses on diversity. The reporter had a passionate interest in French as a Second Language opportunities for young immigrants. We spoke about how the face of French Immersion in schools has changed over the past 25 years to reflect the ethnic diversity of the districts. 

• Email  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
• LinkedIn: http://ca.linkedin.com/in/kirstypeterson
• Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/CanadianParentsforFrenchBCYT

View Online at:

http://career-engagement.blogspot.ca/2012/09/parents-building-multilingualism-in.html 

By MICHAEL MUI, 24 HOURS

French immersion continues to be in demand in B.C. as enrollment in such programs rose for the 14th consecutive year.According to recently released B.C. government stats, more than 2,000 students were enrolled in French immersion programs in the 2011-2012 school year.French language-focused students now represents 8.1% of the total public school population.“French immersion enrollment is at a record high,” said Glyn Lewis, Canadian Parents for French BC and Yukon executive director. “Parents from Victoria to Fort St. John are recognizing the life-long benefits of official language opportunities within the public school system.”The language-advocacy group on Wednesday pointed to stats showing there are now 46,392 students, a 3.4% year-over-year increase, in public French immersion programs. The majority is in elementary schools, with just more than a quarter in secondary schools.“The strength and popularity of the program have greatly exceeded many expectations,” Lewis said. “With that said, we continue to advocate for areas of improvement including greater inclusion of students.”The number of students enrolled in regular French courses available at public schools, however, experienced a 1.3% year-over-year drop, a 6.9% decline from the 2007-2008 school year.The language is also nowhere to be found among top-10 languages spoken at home, according to the same stats. With English being the top language spoken, the next six are all from Asia, with Spanish eighth.

View the article online at: http://vancouver.24hrs.ca/News/local/2012/09/05/20172256.html 

Soutenir à tout prix l’immersion française

Kirsty Peterson.
Photo par Canadian Parents for French

Alors que les touristes traînent encore leurs pas lents sur la rue Granville de Vancouver, le numéro 409, le siège du chapitre provincial et territorial de Canadian Parents for French (Parents canadiens pour le français) est en pleine effervescence. Avec la rentrée scolaire et leur déménagement imminent, les quatre employés permanents de l’organisme qui promeut le bilinguisme au profit des enfants issus de familles non francophones, ne connaissent pas la crise. Au moment où les enfants de Colombie-Britannique et du Yukon préparent leurs cartables, le journal La Source est allé à la rencontre du CPF, un organisme qui a réussi depuis plus de 35 ans à donner vie à la promesse canadienne du bilinguisme.

Histoire canadienne, histoires familiales en français
« Nous répondons aux requêtes de soutien de la part des bénévoles actifs au sein de la cinquantaine de chapitres de la Colombie-Britannique et du Yukon pour planifier les évènements pour la rentrée prochaine tels que le concours annuel d’art oratoire, Bilinguism rocks ou TRAD’BADOUR ! », nous explique Kirsty Peterson, qui travaille au sein du CPF en appui aux unités locales. Les fonds octroyés par le Ministre du Patrimoine canadien et des Langues officielles et le Ministère de l’éducation, ajoutés à ceux recueillis auprès des adhérents permettent également de mettre en place des coins lecture en français dans les bibliothèques publiques ou d’organiser des foires aux livres en français. Des activités qui paraissent simples, mais qui, à l’échelle de la Colombie-Britannique et du Yukon, requièrent des efforts de coordination importants car les acteurs et les moyens sont très divers.

Photo par Emily Bean, Flickr

Le CPF peut cependant toujours compter sur une armée de bénévoles qui constitue sa force et le secret de sa pérennité. Ce sont les parents eux-mêmes qui se mobilisent pour s’assurer que leurs enfants apprennent et communiquent en français, une langue qui n’est pourtant pas la leur. Ils expriment ainsi une volonté qui cherche à perpétuer l’idéal promu par l’ancien Premier ministre Pierre Trudeau à travers la Loi sur les langues officielles de 1969.

Ce n’est d’ailleurs pas un hasard si l’histoire du CPF se mêle tant à celle de la reconnaissance du français comme langue officielle. Keith Spicer, le tout premier Commissaire aux Langues Officielles, nommé par Trudeau pour défendre le projet d’une fédération officiellement bilingue, ne pouvait pas concevoir le bilinguisme sans l’inclusion de la jeunesse. A la suite d’une tournée du pays à la rencontre des parents désireux de transmettre le français comme seconde langue et pour faire un état des lieux des difficultés alors mises en avant par les institutions scolaires locales, il a organisé une conférence nationale à Ottawa en 1977. Ce fut l’acte fondateur du CPF, organisation basée sur l’engagement et l’entraide de parents. Parmi les précurseurs au sein du bureau national originel, qui ne représentait alors que quelques provinces du Canada, siégeait déjà Mme Judith Madley pour le chapitre de la Colombie-Britannique et du Yukon.

Kirsty en fut l’une des premières bénéficiaires : « Il y a 25 ans, ma mère m’a inscrite à l’École élémentaire Richardson, une école d’immersion française de North Delta. Elle a appris le français pour m’aider à faire mes devoirs ! Quand j’ai eu mes deux enfants, j’ai fait le même choix qu’elle et je les ai inscrits à l’École Simon Cunningham de Surrey ». L’évidence avec laquelle Kirsty témoigne de cette continuité dans la transmission du français grâce aux écoles d’immersion tranche fortement avec les violentes controverses dans la société canadienne de l’époque au moment où naissait le CPF.

Keith Spicer, dans ses mémoires, raconte les « cris de colère, de désarroi et/ou de cynisme » qui ont présidé aux commencements du bilinguisme au Canada. De toutes parts, on ne manquait pas de reproches. Le camp québécois, loin d’y voir la promesse d’une meilleure représentativité, soupçonnait le gouvernement Trudeau de « jeter de la poudre aux yeux pour mieux ignorer leurs revendications ». Pour le camp anglophone, le bilinguisme, qui venait d’être officialisé, représentait une « provocation contre leur évidente domination » linguistique, politique et économique. Enfin, les autres groupes de la société y voyaient la sentence finale de leur relégation à la marge du face-à-face francophones/anglophones. Trente-cinq années plus tard semblent avoir radicalement changé la donne.

Diversité et bilinguisme
Petit retour un instant, cependant, sur ces groupes originellement non francophones ou anglophones. Certains reproches sont faits aux familles nouvellement immigrées d’Asie ou d’Afrique d’avoir une propension à moins soutenir le projet bilingue. Ce que les témoignages recueillis sur le terrain scolaire révèlent est tout autre. L’apprentissage simultané de plusieurs langues est un jeu à somme non nulle; c’est une gymnastique qui permet à l’enfant d’acquérir une plus grande aisance. Comme le souligne Kristy, le bilinguisme défendu par le CPF est une richesse pour les écoles canadiennes et non un affaiblissement de la polarisation sur le français et l’anglais.

Les mémoires de Keith Spicer.
Photo par Keith Spicer.

Que le bilinguisme soit accessible à toutes les catégories sociales est un progrès non négligeable. « Quand on regarde les photos des classes d’immersion en français, on se rend bien compte aujourd’hui que le bilinguisme n’est plus réservé, comme par le passé, aux seules familles aisées, souvent installées au Canada depuis plusieurs générations », nous dit Kirsty. « Tout le monde peut envoyer ses enfants dans une école d’immersion en français», complète Angela de Victoria. « Si je n’avais pas épousé un francophone [son époux est originaire du Rwanda, ndlr], ce qui me donne la possibilité d’envoyer mes fils dans une école française, je les aurais inscris dans une école d’immersion française. Malheureusement, à l’époque où j’étais à l’école, le système de l’immersion en français n’existait pas. J’aurais aimé commencer à apprendre le français plus jeune, plutôt que d’attendre d’arriver au secondaire ».

Le CPF répond ainsi à ce besoin ressenti par tant de familles de donner la chance du bilinguisme à leurs enfants. Il complète ainsi d’autres dispositifs favorisant et protégeant l’usage du français; c’est sans doute ce qui séduit aujourd’hui de plus en plus de parents de Whitehorse au Yukon à Vancouver en Colombie-Britannique.

See the original article HERE

As our lovely summer finishes and September beckons, parents all know that school is just around the corner.

If you have children in French immersion programs, you may be looking for ways to support them with schoolwork. The library can help.

We have multiple French resources for children: books, magazines, online resources and even an after-school French reading program.

Children starting school will enjoy our French picture books. Mon premier Larousse can help with vocabulary.

For DVDs, try the Little Pim French series or French for Kids.

Online, Tumblebooks is an excellent read-a-long resource (via www.nwpl.ca) - just select Language: French.

We have great chapter books - you'll find all your favourites en français: Lemony Snicket, Spiderwick Chronicles, Percy Jackson and many more!.

And L'Encyclopédie Découverte is helpful for homework assignments.

Our after-school French reading buddies program pairs up children in grades 1 to 3, who can already read in French, with teens who help them practise reading.

Space is limited, so sign up quickly. Visit the children's desk at the library in person to register.

Teens needed: Are you in French immersion, comfortable reading and speaking French, and like working with children?

You can earn volunteer hours helping kids practise reading in French. Ask at the children's desk or see www.nwpl.ca/ teens for more information.

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