FRENCH Decoding Science of Reading Blending Practice Game – Les voyelles

Are your French primary students struggling to use their letter sound/phonics knowledge and blending skills to put sounds together and read new words? Are you looking for more ways to incorporate the Science of Reading into your French classroom?

Do they need more practice decoding new words and making sure they understand them?

Lis et couvre is a fun, simple, low-prep game to get your students practicing « la fusion », or blending sounds, in a way that doesn’t even seem like reading!

This resource includes:

• 1 game board for decoding words that contain “a”
• 1 game board for decoding words that contain “e”
• 1 game board for decoding words that contain “i”
• 1 game board for decoding words that contain “o”
• 1 game board for decoding words that contain “u”
• 1 game board for decoding words that contain “é” (for a total of 6 different game boards)
• Colour-coded game cards for each of the boards

Enseignons ensemble members, this resource was included in the February 2023 resource pack.

How to prep:

1. Print the desired game board(s) and the cards that match (you may want to print the cards on coloured paper – a different colour for each game)
2. Laminate for durability (optional)
3. Cut apart the cards

How to play:

• To play, students will work in pairs
• Each student will need a set of counters/cubes/etc
• Students will place cards face-down in a pile, and taking turns, will draw one card and try to read what is on the card
• If they are able to find the picture that matches what they have read, they cover that picture with one of their counters
• If they are unable to read the word, they replace the card at the bottom of the deck and it is the other partner’s turn
• The player at the end with the most counters is the winner

The cards in this game have any « son composés » underlined, and any silent letters written in gray (there is only one word in the entire set that contains a son composé – the word “chef” on the Ee board). The target vowel is written in red. This will help support your beginning readers as they learn the rules of reading in French!

I usually use this game during small group time, but if your students are able to blend sounds without help, it could be used as an independent centre as well.

This game is a GREAT way for students to practice blending, as they are able to use the remaining pictures on the game board as clues to the word if their blends aren’t quite right, and self-correct.