BBC French
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/primaryfrench/
Interactive site with fun learning activities.

BBC Education - Talk French
http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/french/talk/
Listening activities using Real Audio. Also provides transcripts or text
for reading what has been said.

 

Native Monks.  French lessons for Children
Learn French online anywhere anytime with our Native Teachers through Skype
https://www.consultpivotal.com/native-monks-french-lessons-for-children/ 

 

Les Chiffres
http://www.kameleo.com/french/JEU-Ch0-Chiffres0a20.html
Play this game to hear, learn and recognize numbers 0 to 20 in French!




French Interactive
http://www.laits.utexas.edu/fi/
Includes video presentations for beginners, a guide to French grammar, and
exercises to do.

English-French Picture Dictionary
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/languages/Frenchdictionary.html
1,428 illustrated dictionary entries.

The French Experience
http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/french/index.shtml
Online course with interactive activities and lessons.

France.com
http://www.france.com/
An Overview of France

Free Curriculum Resources for classroom and Home Schooling
http://www.nallenart.on.ca/

Quick Fix French
http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/french/quickfix/index.shtml
Essential holiday phrases.

Lessons

First Steps: French
http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/french/lj/
Online course for beginners. Learn practical spoken French with the help
of French teacher Hakim M\'Barek in just 24 manageable steps.

Bonjour
http://www.bonjour.com/
Greetings and courtesies, numbers, days, months and seasons, question
words, quantities, weather and time, asking for help, emergencies, banks,
taxis, restaurants, transportation and some famous French expressions.




Flale
http://www.flale.com/
French lessons covering topics such as the alphabet, time, and basic
phrases. Also features forums and downloads.

French
http://www.ielanguages.com/french1.html
List of French language tutorials.

The French Tutorial
http://www.frenchtutorial.com/
The French Tutorial is a web-based step by step lesson covering basics,
pronunciation, but also grammar, vocabulary and everyday French with audio
support.

French Language Course
http://www.jump-gate.com/languages/french/
This French course is intended to allow you to understand written French
and to write a letter to a French friend or correspondent.

Interactive French Activities
http://www.frenchlinx.lotelinx.vic.edu.au/english/french_lang/interactive_french.htm
Speaking, reading, writing and comprehension activities.

Teacher Reference




Super French Links
http://www.uni.edu/becker/french31.html
Links to lessons, quizzes and culture sites.

Language Guide: French
http://www.languageguide.org/francais/
Extensive site with many tutorials and an assisted reading section for
more advanced learners.

French Language Learning Tools
http://www.rivieracom.net/french/grambdy.htm
Links to free French language learning tools.

    • Why did the farmer plant a seed in his pond?
    • He was trying to grow a water-melon.
    • Why are people always tired on Earth Day?
    • Because they just finished a March.




  • Why couldn’t the flower ride it’s bike?
  • It lost its petals.
  • How can you tell the ocean is friendly?
  • It waves.
  • What goes up when the rain comes down?
  • An umbrella.
  • Why are people always tired in April?
  • Because they just finished a March.
  • Why is grass so dangerous?
  • Because it’s full of blades.
  • Why did the Easter bunny hide?
  • He was a little chicken.
  • Why did the sun go to school?
  • To get brighter.
  • How do trees get on the internet?
  •  They log in
  • Why do hens lay eggs?
  • If they dropped them, they’d break.
  • How do you cut a wave in half?
  • Use a sea saw.
  • Why did the dog bury himself in the back yard on Earth Day?
  • Cause you can't grow a tree without bark.
    • What creature is smarter than a talking parrot?
    • A spelling bee
    • What did the tree wear to the pool party?
    • Swimming trunks.
    • Do bees fly in the rain?
    • Not without their yellow jackets.
    • Why did the leaf go to the doctor?
    • It was feeling green.
    • What kind of shorts to clouds wear?
    • Thunderwear!
    • What has 18 legs and catches flies?
    • A baseball team.




  • Why do tornadoes zigzag?
  •  They’re dizzy.

  • What did the ground say to the earthquake?
  • You crack me up!
  • Why did the woman go outdoors with her purse open?
  • Because she expected some change in the weather.
  • What’s the difference between weather and climate?
  • You can’t weather a tree, but you can climate.
  • How does a bee brush its hair?
  •  With its honeycomb.
  • What kind of plant grows on your hand?
  •  Palm tree.
  • Why can’t you tease egg whites?
  • They can’t take a yolk.



  • What happens when it rains cats and dogs?
  • You have to been careful not to step in a poodle.
  • What do you give a sick bird?
  • TWEETment
  • What is a tree’s least favorite month?
  • Sep-timber!
  • Why did the worm cross the ruler?
  • To become an inchworm.
  • What’s the biggest moth in the world?
  • A mammoth!
  • What type of bird should you never take to the bank?
  • A Robin.
  • Why are recycle bins optimistic?
  • Because they’re full of cans.
  • What do you call a grizzly bear caught in the rain?
  • A drizzly bear.



  • What did the little tree say to the big tree?
  • Leaf me alone
  • How do trees get on the internet?
  • They log in

Is it just me or is 24 hours really not as long as it used to be? And what about our kids? They're growing up at warp speed. Probably a blessing we're all too busy to notice them morphing into young adults before our eyes, otherwise how scary would that be? Of course, when it comes to other people's kids, you can't miss the changes, but with our own... most of us have a terminal case of blind spots. Unfortunately, turning a blind eye to reality isn't the most effective way to parent.

 

Life is all about change and our ability to deal with it. Our bodies, our feelings, our kids, our relationships, our life situation... all constantly changing. (So are all the molecules on your kitchen table, but we can save that for another time.) The more I meditate and breathe and read and write and think and teach, the clearer the changing nature of life becomes. The more I twist my torso into improbable positions (Hey, it's not painful, it's yoga!) the more I learn how flexibility is the best tool I've got going for me.

"Steady in the winds of change," my yoga teacher says. Steady as she goes. Steady, strong, centered. Those are the keystones to effective parenting. But steady doesn't mean "stuck" and true strength requires insight into what's needed right now.

 

Suppose you've always had a close relationship with your 12-year-old daughter. She's been a kid who's never held back from telling you everything she thinks and feels. You've prided yourself on the closeness you two share and how relationship reflects so positively on your parenting skills. Then one day you walk past her room and the door's closed. You go in. She's listening to music and reading. "Hi Dad," she grins, not removing her headphones.

 

You sit on the bed. "Hi, sweetheart. So tell me, what's new with you?"

 

"Nothing."

 

An awkward silence follows.

 

"You want something, Dad?"

 

You shake your head and slowly walk toward the door. "Dad," your daughter says sweetly, "Next time could you please knock?"

 

"Sure, honey," your smile belies the ice pick skewering your heart. In the hallway your mind reels. Why should I have to knock at my own child's door?! We've never had closed doors between us! She must be hiding something. I'm going back in there and demand that she tell me what's going on. I couldn't talk to my father about anything that really mattered, so I'm going to make damn sure that my daughter...

 

WAIT!

 

What's going on here?

Is this about your 12-year-old's normal desire for some privacy and respect or is it about your own fear that your relationship with your child is changing into... who knows what?

 




Should you zig or zag? If you zig only because it's how you've always reacted when you're hurt then you're not paying attention to your child's needs. Nor are you awake to the parenting challenge in front of you. An unwillingness to change in spite of changes happening all around is a sure-fire formula for unhappiness.

 

The result will be internal struggles and plenty of ongoing conflicts with your ever-changing tween or teen.

What to do? How about going for a walk? An actual walk is great if you can swing it, but any conscious choice to take a head-clearing break will help. While you're in the self-imposed time out ask yourself:

What does my child need from me now? It's an essential question whenever you feel stuck in your parenting mission. Children's behavior at any time, any age, broadcasts a need. Your job is to identify their need as accurately as possible then offer your help. Of course, there's no formula that will always work because their needs constantly change. One moment she'll need a hug and an encouraging word. Another moment he'll need a sympathetic ear and no words from you at all. One time they'll need you to set clear limits with unambiguous consequences for noncompliance. Another time they'll need you to respect the meaning of a closed door without taking it personally.

 

Where do your needs as a parent come in? That depends. You're absolutely within your rights to have your role, your values, your rules and your property respected. Those are valid needs. But when you need to be needed by your child or you need to use your child to look good in the eyes of others, that's unhealthy. Always be an adult and take care of your own changing needs as best as you can. Your kids have a big enough job growing up and learning to take care of themselves without having to take care of you too.

Change is our constant companion on this journey we call life. Our kids are the clearest evidence of that. They're rapidly developing into the independent young adults. As parents we're privileged to have an essential role in their unfolding. If we pay close attention we get to witness parts of the process. We also have the honor of helping them become who they are. Part of the reward is an opportunity to learn and grow along with them.

 

It's a new year. Change is the air we breathe. The best we can do for ourselves and our family is to remain as steady as possible. It also helps to keep your eyes, your mind, and your heart open. That's what our kids need most from us.

 

Annie Fox, M.Ed. is an award winning author, educator, and online adviser for parents and teens. AnnieFox.com

Read excerpts from her books: Too Stressed to Think? and the new Middle School Confidential™ series. Download (free) her entire book:Teen Survival Guide to Dating & Relating.

Listen to her podcast series "Family Confidential: Secrets of Successful Parenting" FamilyConfidential.com.

 

 

As an instructor of over 20 years, I have had my share of co-teaching model experiences. Most of them were very good experiences. Some of them were difficult situations. However, I still believe a true co-teaching method is effective for both the special education student and the regular education student.

Co-teaching is a method of teaching students with two certified teachers. One teacher is a special education instructor and the other instructor is a regular education teacher. Both teachers are serving the needs of ALL students in the classroom.

Research indicates that co-teaching benefits both the students and the instructor. Both teachers have strengths and both have weaknesses. Hopefully, the area one teacher has a weakness; the other teacher has strength.

In one of my co-teaching experiences, I taught with a special education teacher who was excellent in math. Math is not my strongest subject to teach. So, he compensated my weakness in the deep understanding of the teaching of math. My strength was in reading comprehension. We planned together and created activities for both subject areas, but I became the supportive co-teacher in math and he was the lead co-teacher. The roles were reversed when we taught reading.

Co-teaching is not something to be taken for granted. Both instructors have to be willing to participate and schedule planned times to plan upcoming lessons and assessments.

Teaching is not the only thing the co-teachers share. They share the grading, the discipline and, most importantly, they share the students. There should never be a line drawn between YOUR kids and MY kids. They are both of YOUR kids.

All co-teaching strategies are effective if implemented correctly, and both teachers should fully understand what is expected of them. There are many co-teaching, models:

· one teach, one observe= one teacher has the primary role of teaching while the other teacher observes students

· one teach, one assist= one teacher is the primary teacher, the other teacher mainly assists in teaching the lessons. This model is best when you have a paraprofessional or non-certified staff in the classroom with the certified teacher

· station teaching= the teachers teach using a station model. The students are divided into groups and rotate between both of the teachers for instruction at the different stations

· parallel teaching= each teacher teach half the students. Both teachers teach all students. The special education teacher does not only teach special education students and the regular education teacher the regular students. All the students are mixed up according to the student's needs and the teachers teach all students

· supplemental teaching= one teacher works with the students who have mastered the content and the other teacher works with the students needed more support in mastering the content

· alternative teaching= both teachers teach the content, however, one teacher teaches one way of learning the content, and the other teacher teaches the concept in a different way. This works best in math classes where one teacher teaches one method to solve a math problem and the other teacher teaches a different method of solving the math problem.

· team teaching= both teachers teach the lesson jointly, where the students can not delineate which teacher is the lead

The methods of co-teaching are something that is not difficult to implement. Both parties have to keep the students in mind in everything they do for the class. Both teachers have to be respectful of each other and of the students. If this is made clear, co-teaching will be a wonderful experience.

Dr. Genola Johnson has over 20 years in education. She is the Executive Director of Georgia Educational Learning Consultants, Inc. for more information on GAELC visit [http://www.gaelcllc.com] To read more on her biweekly blog visit http://www.instrucology.com.