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In Mason’s schools, French was taught first not only because of it’s proximity to England, but because of it’s foundation for the English language.

Vocabulary

In the early years, vocabulary is developed through pictures and objects around the student’s environment.  Below are resources you could use for vocabulary.  The key here is to remember that the students are not to see the words.  In some cases, you may need to find a way to cover the words.

• Teach Me…French and More French-this is a GREAT resource for songs, stories, vocabulary and poems!  AND it comes with an audio CD!! Excellent for Form 1 beginners
• In the Town All Year ‘Round-this book is nearly perfect for vocabulary development and picture narration, without any words cluttering the pages
• Oxford First Flash Cards-these flash cards have pictures on one side and words on the other-no need to cover!
• 1000 First Words in French-this book has the pictures with words and would require the words to be covered.
• French Audio Flash Cards-appears to be a great tool for all ages, but especially for those older beginners
• This free website (ielanguages.com) hosts free audio recordings of common phrases, words and grammar!

Songs

• Vieilles Chansons et Rondes Pour Les Petits Enfants by Charles Widor
• Mama Lisa’s World: International Music and Culture
• HooplaKidz Français is a YouTube site with lots of French songs.  A quick reminder: in the early years, the work is oral and the means of acquiring language is the ear…so use these for their audio only.  You wouldn’t want to watch these with your children.
• Little Songster has a sweet collection of songs collected from You Tube, here.
• French Playground-contemporary French songs for children
• Song in French for Children-classic French songs for children
• Beth Manner’s Fun French for Kids-we’ve really enjoyed listening to this in the car!
• The Book of French Songs by Louisa Stuart Costello

Stories

• The Beelinguapp is a new app that reads aloud stories in a variety of languages along with side by side text of the native and target language!
• The Bible in French–with audio
• ABC Petits Contes by Jules Lemaître, for free here, and on audio here!
• Librivox has a variety of French audio books available including poetry and stories for the young
• The French Experiment hosts a handful of French nursery stories in audio, perfect for beginners
• Little Songster also has a collection of stories compiled from You Tube, here.  Like with the songs, you would want to use these videos for the audio only in the early years.
• This YouTube channel has a collection of French fairy tales.  Use these for the audio only with beginner students.
• Project Gutenberg has a number of French books in print and audio
• The Tales of Mother Goose:English/French by Charles Perrault
• Les Contes de Fées: en prose et en verse by Charles Perrault
• Contes de Fées by Charles Perrault
• Aesop’s Fables by Jean de la Fontaine-this site has them in French and translated in English; here you can purchase a bilingual edition
• Aesop’s Fables in French on YouTube-use these for the audio only
• French Fables in Action by Violet Partington
• Progressive French Reader by Ferdinand Bôcher
• Nos Enfants: Scènes de la ville et des champs by Anatole France–this is a book students in Form 3 would read and narrate
• Histoire de Mes Bêtes by Alexandre Dumas-read & narrated in Form 3, for Kindle, for purchase here
• Les Deux Bossus by Richard Demarcy-read & narrated in Form 3
• La Mule du Pape by Alphonse Daudet-read & narrated in Form 3
• The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
• French in Action: full immersion TV series developed to teach viewers French.  For the older students (high school).  There are workbooks and textbooks to go with it to make it a complete course, but it could simply be used as a supplemental listen!  Very engaging.  Considered a “cult classic!”

Poems

• Mama Lisa’s World: International Music and Culture
• Un, Deux, Trois by Opal Dunn
• French Nursery Rhymes, Poems, Rounds and Riddles by C. B., for free online, here!
• La Lyre Enfantine by H.M. Jones-used in Years 4-6/Form 2
• The Oxford Book of French Verse-used in Years 10-12/Forms 5 & 6

M. Gouin’s Series

• Cherrydale Press has published Speaking French with Miss Mason and Francois
• French Lessons on the Gouin Method Book 2 by F. Thémoin-this book was used in Form 2
  

  Formal Lesson Books

  Mason used the following books for lessons in her programmes.  Teachers were required to read the preface to educate themselves and did not use them exhaustively.

• Primary French Course by Otto Siepmann, for purchase here, a Year 4-6/Form 2 book
• Hachette’s Illustrated French Primer by Henri Bué, a Year 1-3/Form 1 book
• Le Français Pour Les Jeunes by Gladstone G. Solomon-used initially in Year One, and then became a first French reader for the last term of Year 3/Form 1A
• Le Livre Rouge by E. Magee-a Year One/Form 1B book
• A Public School French Primer by Otto Siepmann a Year 10-11/Form 5 book for purchase, here

CM-Friendly Curricula/Online Programs

• TheULAT.com is a great resource for older students, with its native speakers and dependence on the ear and gestures for learning–it would still need to be supplemented with songs, poems, stories, etc.
• The Learnables-an immersion-based program for older students that begins with listening and speaking before moving on to reading and writing
• French in Action: full immersion TV series developed to teach viewers French.  For the older students (high school).  There are workbooks and textbooks to go with it to make it a complete course, but it could simply be used as a supplemental listen!  Very engaging.  Considered a “cult classic!”
• Livelingua.com: online Skype lessons with native speakers
• Français Immersion: immersion-based YouTube channel and website with native speaker who uses drawings and actions to communicate meaning.  This is for the older student already reading.