No doubt, reading stories in French to your child is important in all languages, but for an expatriate child educated in a language other than his own, it is essential.
Here are 12 good reasons to read stories in French to your child:
- For pleasure
- To arouse curiosity
- To develop language and vocabulary
- To awaken him to writing or literacy
- To develop imagination and creativity
- To teach him to know himself better, to face his fears thanks to stories, to talk about difficult subjects
- To mediate and convey messages
- To learn history, geography, culture, the arts…
- To create a bedtime ritual
- To develop a taste for reading
- To share a privileged moment
- To address social issues.
So, why not give your child a Christmas gift that would allow him/her to discover or keep enjoying the pleasure of reading in French?
1- Les p’tits livres – Like a subscription to the library, your child receives several books each month directly in her/his mailbox and sends them back with the provided prepaid envelope… All your child has to do is devour the books thus received each month.
With a subscription system, Les Petits Livres offers a simple, practical and economical solution to French-speaking families living in the United States. This large French library allows children to have regular access to books in French, classics or novelties, novels or documentaries, comics or short stories… Books are delivered and returned directly to and from your mailbox. And you can benefit from advice to select the books. It’s up to you to choose the plan you prefer: 2, 3, 4, or 6 books per month, with or without comics…from $13.99 per month!
2- Lunii – A story box to escape when you want, where you want.
No screen here, let your imagination run wild! With My Story Factory, children choose the different elements that will make up their story: a hero, a companion, a place and an object. Children make their own adventures, stimulate their imagination and enrich their vocabulary. Ma Fabrique à Histoires can be taken anywhere by car, on the train, by plane, or at home. In addition to the Story Factory, there are hundreds of other themed stories to download such as The Great Epics, The Tales of Perrault, The Fables of La Fontaine, Hunters of Legends, and nursery rhymes for the little ones…
3- A quick trip to the French bookstore in Oakland to choose real books that they will like!
Flip through, pick, look, and smell the books to let yourself be seduced by an illustration, the feel of the paper, and the smell that escapes from the pages you turn. Choose books and have them delivered, 3 tested and approved solutions.
4- Le Caribou à Lunettes to discover the selection finely and meticulously chosen by Mélissa.
5- My bubble toys to kill two birds with one stone by ordering games and books.
6- Lireka for the breadth of choice.
Books to receive in the form of subscriptions means offering an appointment, the joy of receiving a subscription in the mailbox each month, taking advantage of preferential rates, and keeping a link with the French language and culture.
7- A magazine with Bayard Milan editions
8- L’école des Loisirs to receive a book each month.
But because the pleasure of reading does not stop at the paper object, here are several other ways to bring literature into your children’s lives with digital libraries
9- Whisperies is a digital book platform for children aged 2 to 10 that offers animated digital books listed under different themes (animals, princesses and knights, fantasy, Christmas tales, etc.) and by age category (toddlers, 3 to 6 years old, 6 to 10 years old, over 10 years old). Why do I like Whisperies? Thanks to Whisperies, the book comes to life and it helps our bilingual children to understand and acquire new vocabulary as well as to develop their syntax. Thus, before our eyes, a set of different voices for each character is set up, and soft music and sounds add to the story to transport the reader and facilitate understanding.
10- Storyplay’r is a digital and audio library of albums for children aged 3 to 10. Books are displayed on screen without animation for a true reading experience. But a range of features and activities can support children, including dyslexic children or children with deciphering difficulties. In the end, Storyplay’r is a great tool for developing or reinforcing a taste for reading.
To find reading ideas all year round, click here to discover my recommendations by age, theme or type of books.
Of course, there are other possible ideas but like any selection, this one is biased and reflects my tastes and my personality; this is by no means an exhaustive list.
Do not hesitate to share your favorites with me at eminolf@gmail.com
I wish you an excellent holiday season.
Emilie
