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OFFICIAL BULLETINOF

FRENCH NATIONAL EDUCATIONSpecial Edition No. 1, Released February 14, 2002

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OBJECTIVES AND

PROGRAMS

CYCLES 1, 2, 3(ENGLISH VERSION)

Table of Contents

Cycle 1 – Preschool Education Page 2Cycle 2 – Cycle of Fundamental Learning Page 37Cycle 3 – Cycle of In-Depth Learning Page 76About the Original Publication, References Page 125

PRESCHOOL EDUCATION - CYCLE 1INTRODUCTION

To pave the way for a successful and beneficial first academic experience for every child is the primary goal of Preschool. Graced with a unique identity and cultural approach that is adapted to the age and developmental level of the children for whom it cares, this school fully exercises its distinction from Elementary School through the various pedagogical philosophies implemented therein. Teachers (1) in Preschool take care to provide each child with the environment, surroundings and organization of activities necessary for encouraging his autonomy while leaving him time to experience and absorb newly acquired knowledge. They identify with precision the needs of every student; they create conditions conducive to fortuitous discovery and foster spontaneous experimentation. Encouraging organized activity, they maintain a sufficient level of expectation such that, through his games, the child is able to construct new manners to react to realities around him. Preschool constitutes the educational and pedagogical pillar upon which all systematic Elementary School learning rests. It is through play, action, autonomous discovery and sensory experiences that the child, according to his own pace, acquires the fundamentals for all future educational pursuits. The Law of Orientation of 1989 established the respective roles of Pre- and Elementary School in Primary Education. The Decree of September 6 of 1990 (2) explicitly outlined its organization and division into three cycles: "The Cycle of Primary Learning, which takes place in Preschool”; "The Cycle of Fundamental Learning, which begins at the end of Preschool and is continued during the first two years of Elementary School”; and “The Cycle of In-Depth Learning, which corresponds to the final three years of Elementary School and leads into Middle School”. The responsibility in Preschool is thus doubled. Its job is to first bring to fruition the very first learning experiences. Then it is also charged with engaging students without exception in the first step of Fundamental Learning, without which an entry into writing and written education will never be successful. “Primary Learning" is not so named simply because it is the first chronological confrontation to education for the very young students. It is called Primary because it allows the child to discover that learning thereafter is a natural horizon in his life. It allows him to enter into cross-disciplinary experiences of games and activities through which he will progressively develop into a schoolchild who loves to learn, who has become aware of the roads before him leading to unlimited new knowledge and know-how. The first step in Fundamental Learning implies, in order to be fully achieved, acquisition of that which is established in the specific setting of the Preschool environment. It is this dynamic that gives Preschool its necessary unity, its identity and integrity. In keeping with this spirit, the following curriculum guide concerns the entire Preschool program; skills detailed therein are to be acquired by the end of Kindergarten.

1 – A School Designed for Young Children

The child who enters Preschool for the first time has already established a great deal of knowledge, as well as habits which regulate his daily life, within the family environment and/or with a nanny, but more and more often, in the group setting of a day-care or babysitting facility. School, because of its dimensions, the number of adults and children within it and the type of equipment it offers, constitutes an unexpected environment, one that only reinforces or highlights his frame of reference and one to which he will have to learn to adapt. Teachers, who have a particularly heightened sense of attention for the organization of a school environment, facilitate this passage by responding to the needs and expectations of children of successive ages and stages of early childhood. They foster participation in different areas of collective life and group activity and ensure that this occurs without trauma or moments of withdrawal and isolation. It is the duty of all adults present, under the responsibility of the

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teacher, to create conditions of harmonious development for every child, respecting his individual rate of growth and his personality. The manner in which the school environment is arranged, the classrooms, and specialized spaces, must offer many possible opportunities for sensory and motor experiences. It must encourage the free expression of emotions, and the creation and evolution of relationships with classmates and adults. It must guarantee that each child grows and develops, within a cultural setting that piques his curiosity and leads to constant acquisition of new knowledge in total safety. The organization of time respects the needs and biological rhythms of children while allowing for smooth execution of activities and facilitating their implementation. The length of different activities and sessions is adapted to their level of difficulty as much as to the age of the children concerned. Moments requiring extreme supervision and attention are alternated with those allowing for more freedom, workshops alternate with smaller groupings, individual work with activities calling for cooperation. The greeting times, recesses, naptimes, snack or mealtimes are also times for education. They too are organized and optimized by those in charge. Yet, daily life for children is not limited to the time they spend in school. There is of course the family setting, but also times when the child is in the care of others, in other situations. Abiding by its freedom of action and in keeping with its specific programs, Preschool plays a pivotal role in the network of institutions in early childhood by enabling synergies and avoiding incompatibilities or overloads. Teachers share the education of the children entrusted to them with parents. This situation breeds confidence and reciprocal transmission of information. It is important that the school explain, make understood and justify its choices, so that its functions and motives are apparent. It must take the time to listen to every family and faithfully report back to them as to the progress or problems encountered by their child. The quality of this relationship is the foundation for a partnership of co-education between family and school which must never cease to be built.

2 – Easing Change and Orchestrating Continuity

Schooling children at younger and younger ages has brought with it certain difficulties in Preschool as to the heterogeneity of its students. The very youngest, barely two years old, come into contact with older students of six. Organizing three or four years of school requires a precise definition of the principles of progressivism. Welcoming the very young imposes particular restrictions. At two years old, children are still quite fragile. They must not be deprived of time for isolation necessary for their maturation, but they must also engage in collective activity which calls for acceptation of others and requires cooperation. Often the presence of older children is a great help to them. Only a demanding program can take these constraints into account. And it must involve the entire pedagogical team. Between three and four years old numerous possibilities emerge, for action and creation. Children manifest an insatiable curiosity and a continually renewed pleasure and enthusiasm for engaging in new activities. The school must be able to respond in an orderly manner to all expectations and satisfy their needs. Most children can express and structure what they have acquired, while continuing to pursue the active discovery of the world around them. This is particularly true in the area of language acquisition, where the many writing issues which had been addressed in preceding years begin to show signs of resolution, cohesion and structure. For other children, the year beginning at age five is one in which reinforcement is necessary to combat areas where knowledge is not yet solidified. This is true for those children who face difficult circumstances in their environment, those for whom education has been compressed or incomplete, or even for those who were born late in the year and find themselves among the youngest in the class. The attention to successive phases of development must not mandate that the organization of the school into homogenous-age classes be the best and only way to help each child find his own rhythm. The decisive role of fraternization in development is well-known. It allows younger children to multiply interactions with older students, and permits the latter to solidify know-how and knowledge recently acquired in relation to their inferiors. Both groups benefit. Depending

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upon the school’s means and the needs of its enrolled children, it is possible to structure classes with a mixture of ages without necessarily depriving them of time to regroup for age-specific activities. The teacher pays particular attention to children’s reactions but does not interpret too hastily any manifestations of behavior. The trick is to understand patterns and adapt demands and propositions such that each child may encounter, throughout his schooling, a multitude of activities which are constantly evolving to become part of the process of coherent learning. Evaluation is a crucial part of a teacher’s responsibilities, in Preschool as in other levels of Primary Education. It facilitates adaptation of activities to the needs of the class as much as to the needs of each child. Two varied tools have been produced by teachers, or designed for them. These allow for ‘taking stock’, at a time when children are just beginning to put newly acquired knowledge to work for them in the face of the demands of a new phase of learning. Preschool maintains ties with Elementary School. This common bond, which applies not only to teachers of the last year of Preschool and the first two years of Elementary, is structured and developed through each school’s long-term project or mission. It is a link which allows for well-conceived planning and continuity in activities of the Cycle of Fundamental Learning, and an individual follow-up with each child at the delicate and fragile juncture between Pre- and Elementary School. Teachers in Preschool often play an important role in the early detection and prevention of handicaps or learning disabilities. The goal is to identify potential problems, to enlist the aid and cooperation of specialists in early childhood development and to thus provide the child with every possible solution available. It is quite simply a question, throughout Preschool, of ensuring that the child is guided in such a way as to respect his identity, his rhythm and his needs while giving him the best possible conditions in which to pursue a successful and rewarding school experience.

LANGUAGE AT THE HEART OF LEARNING

OBJECTIVES AND CURRICULUMAs parents are enrolling their children in school at an increasingly younger age each year, early childhood programs have responded by placing the main focus of their activities on oral language. During their first year, young children are able to produce only very short lists of words with a limited range of vocabulary. By the time they leave Kindergarten classes they are able to produce more complex sentences and combine them to tell a story, describe an object, or explain an event. They are poised for learning to read. This process owes a great deal to the rapid psychological development typical of these years, but it relies to an even greater extent on continuous help from adults or older children in the “apprentice speaker’s” environment. The following Preschool program emphasizes the role of the teacher in activities designed to develop language.

1. Allowing the Child to Participate in Verbal Exchanges in the Classroom -- Language Activities in Real Communication Situations

When participating in an early childhood program for the first time, the child realizes he does not make himself understood very easily and does not always understand what is happening or what is being said around him. Communication, with adults as well as with children, decidedly loses its connection to a family environment.The pedagogy of language is based first on the reinforcement and maintenance of communication between the child and the adults at school, and then between the child and everyone else around him. Communication is far from being strictly verbal. It also involves gestures and attitudes, within clear situations. This communication necessitates thorough respect on the teacher’s part for spatial and temporal organization; each activity must be planned thoroughly, with a constant focus on what is going on in the classroom, and an explanation of everyday events using simple verbalization totally centered on its context. “Living in Society” activities contribute to the progressive development of efficient communication, in the classroom and in the school. However, other activities require

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quality verbal exchanges as well, in order to provide opportunities to develop the necessary communication skills in early childhood. It is in continuous communication between the child and adults and between the child and his friends, that the pedagogy of language is rooted. Its purpose is to guide the child through his first learning experiences, to help him progress from the use of one language (connected to the immediate experience) to a language evoking past, future or imaginary events, to provide him with the necessary means to begin writing. Given that language is at the heart of all learning, every activity must have a clearly delineated linguistic dimension. However, the use of the language is not merely occasional, so it must therefore be broadly planned. There must be a balance between both of these aspects of language learning.

2. Early Childhood and Initial Exposure to the Learning of Language: Language Situations

Concerning very young children (2 and 3 years old), the primary goal of the program is to facilitate the child’s acquisition of the most immediate uses of language: understanding directions in a specific situation (meaning concurrently articulated with events taking place), and making himself understood in these same conditions.2.1 Creating As Many Opportunities as Possible for Verbal ExchangeThe most important aspect of this acquisition is the child’s frequent participation in meaningful linguistic exchanges concerning him directly. For the youngest children, linguistic pedagogy first emphasizes the organization of the classroom, which should ideally allow for each child to be personally addressed many times a day. Adults and older children at school play as important a role as the teacher’s, during early language acquisition. This means that with sufficient structure, they can contribute to verbal exchanges in everyday school life. It also suggests that the placement of children in heterogeneous age classes may be of considerable value to accessing language, multiplying interactions between older and younger children.2.2 Increasing Interaction through Experience-Based Language Activities For exchanges to be meaningful, they must be clearly based upon real-life situations in which the child plays a role. For the young child, the meaning of directions is often mistaken due to his perception and understanding of the action or the event. This means that at his age, language learning is inextricably connected to an activity or to a moment in daily life. As is the case in the family environment, the adult must verbalize the current situation, often initiating the exchange with the child and interacting with him when he tries to produce directions (repeating and restructuring them in the verbal language of the adult). Assessment of the child’s comprehension must take place frequently, and should encourage him to continue the interaction in order to develop his interpretation of the situation and of situations that accompany it. Directions from the adult are deeply rooted in the situation itself: expressive voice and gestures, the use of non-verbal tools of communication, reformulation, and numerous paraphrases. The use of a puppet can help generate dialogue for the more timid children.

3. Learning to Use Language to Evoke Past, Future or Imaginary Events

Occurring at around age three, the next phase of guided language acquisition involves leading the child to use language to evoke situations or events he is not directly experiencing. Of course, even the very young child will attempt to express what he has noticed or remembered, but he does not yet have the tools to verbalize it and thus has great difficulty making himself understood if the person to whom he is speaking has not had the same experience.The child’s comprehension of communicated information is now connected to past, future (or imaginary) experiences and to language that is more and more precise, utilizing more abundant vocabulary, new sentence structures and syntactical structures he does not yet know. To produce this language he will need to learn to structure longer and more complex verbalizations. If during the first phase, the child seems to easily acquire the language around him, it follows that during the second phase continuous attention from the adult will be necessary. When the adult wishes to be heard, he must not hesitate to repeat his initial statement differently, in order to establish a foundation for comprehension. Similarly, when a child tries to describe a past event or anticipate a situation, adult interaction is necessary to lead him form a correct statement, which means

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offering the child all the required details necessary in order for him to be understood (examples might be news announcements, time and location of events, the presentation of people and objects, use of pronouns of substitution, dealing with the past…).3.1 Verbally Summarizing the Activities Having Just Taken Place in the Classroom Remembering what just took place in the classroom is certainly one of the best initial approaches to language acquisition. One can easily manipulate the complexity of the events, the time between the moment they took place and the moment they are talked about, the individual or collective aspect of the verbalization. In this type of work, the role of the adult is to elicit the necessary explanation, intervene when comprehension is impossible, encourage the child’s efforts at using appropriate language and enable him to identify the proper context. When relating to an event too difficult to describe, the use of pictures or photographs can be a very efficient means of simplifying comprehension.Enhancing language comprehension can be achieved through activities involving exchanges with families (creating a “scrapbook”), school pen pals, and particularly e-mail (in this case the teacher is the one reading the messages). These activities can also include listening to tapes, using radio or video. Discussion, about statements which have been heard, allows for interactions which took place during regular classroom activities to be repeated.3.2 Functioning Spatially and TemporallyUnderstanding the concept of time marks an important phase of psychological development inearly childhood programs, in which language plays an important role. For concepts of time to beacquired, due to their complexity, interaction with adults is a key factor.First, the child must to learn to analyze the intonation of the statement to locate the present, at the time he is speaking, or the past or future as the case may be. These intonations are either tool words or expressions (“now”, “today”, “this week”, “a moment ago”, “yesterday”, “last month”, “in a while”, “the day after tomorrow”, “next week”), or contextual (grammar-indicated) time (present tense, past tense, future tense, recent past tense, near future…). In general, these are learned through spontaneous situational language activities, as long as the child remains at the center of regular exchanges with adults using the different linguistic skills in an easily accessible context.This is not the case, however, for concepts of time occurring in language of evocation, which are harder to acquire and demand greater emphasis from the teacher. In this case, the child must give himself a start time connected to objective calendar time -- this origin can be vague (“in the old days”), or precise (January 1st, 2000), and can refer to the real occurrence of an historic account (date) or the imaginary time of a fictitious story (once upon a time…”). His concept of chronological time can be acquired in the context of the various groups in which the child interacts: his family (dates of important family events), his school (first day of the year, the school fair). Whatever understanding of the concept in the beginning, eventually it must become one of time in society (calendar), and later of culture (History). One of the challenges lies in comprehension and expression of the relative position of events occurring in an objective time line. The same difficulties are presented for the overlapping or succession of different time lengths. Thus, different verbal expressions must be used: tool words connected to dates and no longer to the statement’s present tense (before, after, the next day, the day before…), different uses of verb tenses showing the relativity of time (simple tenses opposed to composed tenses), the punctuality and finished aspect of an event, or on the contrary, the fact that it lasts or is repeated (opposition of the past perfect-or even in literature, the opposition of the simple past to the imperfect). Just as in spatial concepts, the acquisition of vocabulary (especially that of verbs) plays an important role in temporal expression.In early childhood, it is only through repetition of conventions for expressing time that the child manages to understand how the concept of time is applied, and begins to employ it properly. The teacher must engage in continuous interaction to guide the child’s progress. In this case, dictation from child to the adult is a useful tool for the assessing the child’s initial efforts.3.3 Recalling Past Events through Story Telling; Discovery of Oral CulturesSituations where the group gathers together for a fairy tale or story are important for building dramatic expressive language. These experiences encourage awareness of the power of language representation by exploring the imaginary world and building a first shared culture. The huge repertory of oral tradition is central to this work. Its exploration must be carefully planned in

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order to develop true understanding of major themes (life, death, rites of passage, dependence and liberty, courage and cowardice, poverty and wealth, good and evil…), as well as archetypal characters (traditional beasts, heroes of well-known fairy tales or classical youth literature, characters who inspired oral tradition). Regional oral tradition must not be neglected, nor must that associated with children from foreign countries or with foreign origins. Through diversity, it is possible to demonstrate the idea of universality within cultures. The skills of the storyteller, who not only tells but adapts his text to his audience and interacts with it, are crucial to the process. The most powerful fairy tales or stories must be recalled regularly; children must be able to recognize them and retell them in their own words. Of course, children do not entirely understand the narrative framework at first, but through progression from simple to complex, it is possible to construct a foundation for understanding the culture of the fairy tale.Here again, interpreting pictures can be beneficial: comic books, slides, movies and at a later stage interactive CDs complement the teacher’s influence. It is important to expose children to different illustrated versions of a fairy tale in order for them to memorize the words more efficiently than through one illustrated format. Finally, it must not be omitted that memorization of poems, rhymes, hand games, and songs contributes to building a rich repertoire of perceived language.3.4 Describing Object Sequences and Spatial StructureWhen the child has assimilated the concept of his own body and starts to relate it to the space around him (see section “Discovering the World,” paragraph “Spatial Orientation”), he is then able to verbalize spatial relationships in a more comfortable way. At this point he begins to master vocabulary for the following notions:- Words dealing with spatial structure (“here,” “there,” “near me,” “far from me,” “on top,” “at the bottom,” “on the right,” “on the left,” “in front of me,” “behind me”…)- Words expressing positional movement: (“to “retreat,” “to come closer,” “to come,” “to go,” “to leave,” “to arrive,” “to go up, “to go down”)Orientation or position within space, independent of the viewer, relies on the fixed nature of the objects defining the spatial organization. For example, the classroom has a side with windows, one wall with a blackboard, one with an entry door. It is very productive to explore the relative positions of two or three objects and their location in a strictly defined space like a classroom or a playroom. The child learns to describe objects and their positions, independent of his own. The language used in these different situations is not limited to brief lists of short words. Rather, it includes a large number of nouns and verbs with specific spatial values, like “the floor,” “the ceiling,” “the cellar,” “the attic,” “the stairs,” “to go up,” “to go down,” “to go ahead,” “to go back.”

4 – Becoming Familiar with Written French - a Foundation for Literary knowledge

Beginning at age four, sometimes earlier, most children are aware of writing in their environment. They try to understand the way it works and often construct intelligent, if inexact hypotheses, about the relationships between writing and the reality of oral language they know well. Preschool must guide them in the progressive appropriation of written forms of language and the principal of an alphabet structuring all writing in French: the representation of oral language by written signs (graphemes) is expressed primarily on the level of distinctive units (phonemes) and not on the level of meaning. This aspect of language mastery introduces the child to a particularly efficient method of fundamental learning. It is therefore at the heart of the final year of Preschool (up to age 5) but must continue through the first year of Elementary School as a necessary prerequisite to beginning to learn to read. In this sense, Fundamental Learning begins at the start of Preschool and continues in Elementary. It is also in this framework that curricular planning for the first two years of Elementary School cannot be done without the help of Preschool teachers 4.1 Discovering the Primary Social Functions of Writing Even before knowing how to read, a child can and must become familiar with the primary functions of writing through play activities using objects designed for this purpose, such as signs on posters and in books, media or computer support. The school environment is of course the first to be explored, but the neighborhood, the home, libraries or nearby museums can serve the same goal.

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The journey begins when an adult explains the uses of writing in everyday life. It continues through work sessions specifically designed to allow the child to ask aloud what the possible meanings of this or that symbol could be. The ensuing dialogue encourages him to evoke different possible hypotheses, to eliminate those that are inadequate, to refine the first guesses. The session ends with a reading aloud by the teacher. A precise curricular organization of the various uses of writing must be carried out in such a way that a sufficiently rich exploration will have been accomplished between the ages of three and six. Similarly, supporting materials can be used in a context of sorting and comparison. The older students can begin to work on the organization of the Reading Corner in the library by separating different types of books. In these activities, it would be insufficient to rely on formal work models which are too overpowering for this age group, nor would it be advisable to create overly abstract categories. Students are expected to manipulate the proposed materials, compare them, and construct their own sorting methods which can later be questioned and revised. 4.2 Becoming Familiar with Written French In French, the difference between written and oral language is quite substantial. This is evident as much in vocabulary choices as through syntax or furthermore through the adherence to norms. If the young child approaches the realities of written language by learning to use verbal language, he is still quite far away from both, even though he already understands a great deal and can make himself understood orally. It is productive, therefore, to acquaint him with written language, if he is to fully benefit from reading experiences later in Elementary School. There, where he will learn to read, he will already be able to recognize graphic representations of the verbal language with which he is familiar. One of the most efficient activities in this area consists of asking a child or a group of children to dictate to the teacher the text he wishes to write, in the precise context of a writing assignment. This is so that the child can become progressively aware of the adult’s act of writing. When he understands that he must slow down as he dictates, he learns to cope with this unusual form of speaking, wherein structure and pronunciation must be taken into account. The adult interacts, refusing formulations that “can’t be written”, and guides students to progressively ascribe to this new way of thinking, and participate in a negotiated revision of the text. Little by little, the child becomes aware that his words have been recorded via writing and that he can come back to them, to finish a sentence, to modify it by asking the adult what has been written. Each type of writing allows the child to explore the constraints that characterize it. This lesson plan brings with it many parameters: number of students participating in the exercise (the fewer students there are, the more difficult the exercise becomes), length of text, previous discussion of theme, choice of theme, and type of writing. Readings a child hears contribute greatly to the establishing of a foundation of written language, provided that they allow the child the opportunity to frequently reformulate, in his own words, the text that he hears in the teacher’s voice. Illustrated books designed for children constitute literature of the utmost quality, as much for the themes they treat as for the manner in which they approach them, with a subtle exchange between text and images. These are made to be read and discussed with children in a family setting (by way of loaning them out to households) as well as in the school environment. They provide the opportunity for a first encounter with one of the important elements of active literary knowledge and must occupy a prominent place in the daily activities of Preschool classes. A current bibliography, regularly updated by the Minister of Education, allows teachers to make quality reading selections. 4.3 Building a Foundation for Literary Knowledge Reading selections must be organized so that literary awareness is progressively acquired, respecting age-appropriateness. A well-designed progression of readings ensures encounters with quality works, regularly re-edited, which include veritable classics of Preschool literature as well as newer works that highlight the creativity of today’s young authors. These works guide the students in their approach to characters or types of characters, the exploration of themes, the recognition of authors or illustrators… This impregnation, beginning at the very earliest age, must be continued in Elementary School in order to construct a solid base for autonomous reading thereafter. If, for the youngest ones (age two), the focus of the activity is on the impact of teacher-delivered readings as well as verbalization incited by images accompanying the text, starting at age three it

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becomes appropriate to ask the child to repeat what he has heard in his own words. His memory is assisted by the pictures. It is through the dialogue that develops with each of his attempts that the teacher reconstructs passages which because he did not understand them he was unable to memorize or were erroneously understood. Starting at age five, debate about text interpretation can accompany rigorous work relating to comprehension. To be avoided are long periods of time spent formally analyzing what is indicated on the cover. However, based upon cover illustrations, children can learn to recognize the books they seek and briefly hypothesize about the possible content of a new book. In any case, it is the teacher’s responsibility to clearly express the answer by reading aloud from the books of which the children have tried to guess the content. When a teacher reads a text to his students, he does it in a clear manner with a correctly cadenced voice without hesitating to use the most efficient means of expression. Contrary to what he does when he tells a story, he is not allowed to change any words of the text, so that students can be made aware of the permanence of the printed word. This goes to show how much, at any chosen moment, the teacher must be completely aware of the level of language difficulty at hand, or of any unknown references the book might make.4.4 Awareness of the Sounds of Language The system of alphabetic writing is founded essentially on the relationship between distinctive units of oral language (phonemes) and graphic units (graphemes). One of the difficulties in learning to read lies in the fact that the phonetic components of language are difficult to perceive for small children. In effect, the child processes enunciations in order to comprehend their meaning, not to analyze their components. Therefore, it is important to facilitate his understanding of the words he hears or says in teaching him to focus his attention on the formal aspects of the message. We know that poetry relies on formal components, rhythm and pitch, as much as it does on meaning. It is in this vein that we introduce young children to a new relationship with language: nursery rhymes, singing games, songs, poems; elements which present opportunities to attract the child’s attention to distinctive units of language. The syllable is an important point of reference for learning units of language. Identifying the syllabic constituents of an enounced phrase is the first step in becoming aware of phonemes in the language. It must be noted that these are orally-understood syllables, and that depending upon the region, syllables in pronounced language may be cut differently (one must simply always use the same style). One of the easiest ways of giving children a ‘feel’ for syllables consists of pronouncing words rhythmically and clapping the hands at each syllable, for example. This can be done quite naturally in a song and can easily be accomplished in poems or nursery rhymes as well. This can be taken a step further by using games which aim at elongating a one-syllable word, then diminishing it, inversing syllables or finding corresponding first-syllables based upon the last syllable of the previous word. These games can also be done with nonsense syllables, in the sense that the goal is to focus the attention away from the meaning. The next step, essentially beginning at age 5, is to have the child discover that language has syllables that are similar. Here again all systems of assonance can be employed (rhymes at the ends of words in poetry and songs, assonance at the beginning of a word…). Games consist of finding words that rhyme, using simple poetic structures, transforming words by playing with syllable substitution, introducing supplementary syllables, etc. In playing these games the child discovers that one can break the syllables themselves, and ultimately compare words that differ only by one syllable. However, there is to be no engaging in phonetic spelling exercises which are too difficult for children who do not yet know how to readGenerally, all of these activities should be kept short but frequent and must be used in games with clear rules or in times of artistic activities. 4.5 From Graphics to Writing As soon as they are capable of symbolic thought and with the help of verbal interaction with adults, children discover the power of expression and communication through traces left by some of their motor actions. Little by little they acquire control of their movements and gestures, and they hone their skills in manipulating objects and surfaces, exploring the many possibilities for graphic activities: drawing, abstract design, and writing.These three aspects of graphic activity are developed throughout the Preschool years, without ever confusing one for another. In drawing, the child organizes lines and forms to create

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representations or to express feelings and communicate them. Graphic design utilizes series of simple lines either connected or disconnected, square lines or curves, and alternations of colors and color families which can be structured into motifs. Writing is an activity that is both graphic and linguistic in which neither component can be dissociated, particularly in the first cycle of learning. Through these diverse activities, the teacher allows the students to pass from an act of spontaneity to one of deliberation, according to their needs and wishes but also within constraints set by the adult. Verbalization of activities gives meaning to what is produced and makes it communicable, it also provides a point of reference so that students may establish their position within the succession of learning. Graphics and MovementDeveloping and enriching the relationship between graphics and movement rely equally on the process of maturation and on the teacher’s active attention. From the innate pleasure of movement, specific to early years, the child progresses to a more conscious pleasure and he begins to master concepts of realization and representation. During this evolution, he behaves like an explorer creating forms. The school must offer him conditions conducive to this behavior, conditions without which his spontaneous development would be rapidly retarded: a wide variety of tools, different supporting materials and supplies at his disposal, a progression of proposed activities, encounters with specific works and diverse graphic outlets. Throughout these activities, the child is lead to control, little by little, the way he handles tools and the pressure he exerts upon a surface when using them. He discovers and reinforces his motor dexterity while finding lateral points of reference. An awareness of the child’s behavior in different activities will allow the teacher to determine whether the child will be right- , or left-handed, so that greater attention can be directed to corresponding aspects of motor skills. It is important to offer him real alternatives and make him conscious of results obtained as a function of movement and of the hand he happens to engage. Be he right- or left-handed, he must learn to hold instruments without clenching the hand (using the thumb and index finger and the support of the middle finger), to work within the surface before him by extending the forearm (correctly placed), all while adopting adequate posture. In this stimulating environment, the child is able to discover new possibilities, control the act of writing, trace basic forms which he can then progressively refine and elaborate to be used freely in diverse situations. Depending on how he holds instruments, instruction will be needed in efficient basic movements (going up, going down, turning in one direction, connecting, stopping), and in the observation and analysis of forms and their reproduction. The observation and analysis of forms is certainly one of the most delicate aspects of graphic activity. They are processes of perception which will remain difficult until Elementary School. Even there, verbalization plays an important role. Reproduction of graphic motifs assumes that the child has learned to choose the right gesture suited to the proposed situation. This test calls into play complex motor and perception processes and necessitates physiological and cerebral maturation only recently acquired, between the ages of five and six for most children, which will not be completely developed until the end of Preschool and must therefore be pursued in Elementary School. Drawing ActivitiesThese are explained in the section "Sensitivity, Imagination, Creation".Graphic ActivitiesGraphic activities are very often used, in Preschool, with the unique goal of training the child’s hand for writing. This is to reduce its value. Graphic expression can touch upon elements of culture and cultural pathways which for various reasons are not expressed in figures. It is also quite present in decorative arts (weaving, pottery, decorative objects…). It uses chains of simple lines, angular or curved, continuous or broken, with alternating colors or color families which can sometimes be divided into motifs. It is done on graphic paper using the watermarked lines as a base, utilizing these lines to work on ideas such as repetition, alternation, patterns or multiple facets of symmetry. The child can be introduced to this rich universe as soon as he has sufficient motor control of his arm and hand for holding a writing instrument and controlling the dynamics of his stroke. In every case, true training is necessary and must concentrate on three aspects of the activity: correction

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of basic gestures and movements, observation and analysis of models, their reproduction and possibly their modification. Writing ActivitiesWriting activities require graphics and motor skills which cannot be dissociated from linguistic learning. The child must be capable of progressively tracing writing while discovering the function of the alphabetic code, understanding it and beginning to master it. (see § 4.6.).On a motility level, beginning to write reinforces the ensemble of skills developed by graphic activities. At the same time it requires some specific skills: the capacity to perceive lines characteristic of a letter, analyze them, describe them and reproduce them. Just as in other activities of symbolic interpretation, the teacher calls the child’s attention to the distinction between the object, its representation in drawing, its name and the writing of its name. During these exchanges, children express their desire to write well before they are able to reproduce letters and words. This temporary inability can be turned around via the mediation of the teacher, who writes under dictation. It is important, nevertheless, to favor any attempts by the child at autonomous writing, however imperfect they may be. Recourse to writing in block capital letters facilitates the activity by proposing forms which are easier to reproduce. This still necessitates vigilant supervision, notably to make sure of directional accuracy and the correct placement of letters in order. It is by observing what he creates that the child, guided by the teacher, arrives at an understanding of where it is inadequate or unfinished. Little by little, through this guided exchange with the teacher, he grasps his first knowledge of the alphabet and the alphabetic code, and integrates for the first time the rules of written communication. The parallel use of a computer keyboard, in which the keys are identified by capital block letters, allows the use of newly discovered letters without even having yet learned to write them. It can reinforce writing lessons in a quite joyful way. Cursive writing (4) is called for when the child must reproduce chains of words or phrases. It emphasizes the necessary breaks of words in writing. It must therefore be proposed to all children in Preschool as soon as they are capable. Cursive writing necessitates the capacity for observing particularly complicated models since, in this case, the letters are only slightly individualized (one single line can design two letters). It requires complex graphic/motor movements composed of continuous specific lines according to a predetermined order and a precise directional slant (left or right). Mastering the different types of lines, putting them together correctly to form each letter, following the trajectory of writing by connecting those letters together – this is what constitutes the first step. Progressively, in mastering the lines, the child is brought to write on one line, then, if possible, at the end of Preschool, in between two lines. Evaluation of these skills at the beginning of Kindergarten gives the teacher an idea of how his students are progressing and of how to adjust his demands in accordance with their capacities. Learning to write is a long journey which only just begins in Preschool and continues throughout the Fundamental Learning Cycle, culminating in a sufficient level of written autonomy. Teacher observation of what children produce is vital. It allows for the identification of the way in which they are processing information, the way in which they are evolving at an age where disparity is not negligible. The teacher thus has the means to put into place necessary pedagogical differentiation, to repeat some aspects with some children, to offer more for students ready to go beyond expectations, or on the contrary, discover unexpected difficulties and take a second look at what has or has not been accomplished. 4.6 Discovering the Functions of the Written CodeIf explicitly learning to read is not a part of the Preschool program, discovering the functions of the code for writing is one of its important objectives. It can be considered that beginning at age four most children have begun to express interest in the writing that surrounds them. They must be aware of three different phenomena while appropriating traditional mechanisms. The first conquest is certainly understanding that the written word is linked to the oral word and not to the person or the object that it represents, and that by consequence, the characteristics of the written word, its length for example, are in relation to the oral characteristics of the word and not its meaning (“train” is not a longer word than “bicycle”). Illustrated word-pictures can be excellent supporting materials for frequent discussions about what is written in a word and for

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comparisons of the relationships between what is written and the oral length of the word, as opposed to its meaning or physical characteristics. The second task is to become aware that writing is composed of words, each separate from the other, while speaking is composed of continuous pronunciations, rhythmic and with breaks that rarely correspond to the ends of words. One can help a child to make this leap by writing in front of him, while saying aloud what is being written, asking him where he sees such or such word or letter that has been read. The third task, a progressive one, develops the idea of the writing code, of an alphabet: it creates a relationship between graphic and auditory elements. The pronoun is often the favored method of the first encounter. It is the same for words which come up most often in classroom activities, like the days of the week. The child first recognizes them in vague approximations, without knowing how each of the letters they contain plays its specific role. When he tries to reproduce them, he invents successive systems of writing. It is important to give him time to gain knowledge of the principles of the alphabet and give him the means to do so. Figuring out how to write one simple word using the building blocks progressively acquired in classroom activities is the end result of these ‘writing workshops’. It is in writing, not reading activities, that children can finally “see” the letters that distinguish the words. In this respect, overall recognition of written words on stickers is an insufficient exercise. Writing activities, insomuch as they individually identify letters, furnish important material for the construction of alphabetic principles. This is similarly true of copying activities, provided that what is copied is also verbalized. In copying a word (in capital letters for the youngest, and in cursive letters as early as possible, and in any case, before the end of Preschool), in describing a written word, in using the names of letters to distinguish the differences between words, children appropriate important knowledge that they can then reutilize at times when they try to find the way to write a word which is not right in front of them to copy. Not all children are able to comprehend alphabetic principles in Preschool. They must therefore continue to work on this perspective in Elementary School. The transmission of information as to what has been covered and what knowledge he has obtained, at the time of his progression to Elementary School, can not be neglected.

5 –Children Whose Native Language Is Not French

It must not be forgotten there are many children for whom French is not the native language and whose familial linguistic environment may vary with regard to their own (use of one language within the family, use of French with the children, use of an ‘inter-language’ somewhere between the family language and French…). The access to language in a multilingual environment is not in itself a handicap or a difficulty, particularly if the speakers of each language are well-identified and adopt clear attitudes in addressing the child. In this regard, school teachers represent the French standard in a multilingual situation and must uphold this position.Situations in which one of the two languages is socially devalued with respect to the other (we can speak here of ‘linguistic status’) often penalize the child. The school must play a role in balancing this effect and demonstrating that, though French is the language being used at school, it does not mean that speaking another language in the family environment is a sign of cultural relegation. With the smallest children, it is not necessary to put in place a method of teaching French as a second language. Communication situations tied to daily life in the classroom are usually quite sufficient, as long as they take place in a context where multilingualism is not maligned and the child’s participation is regularly solicited. In certain cases, when the native language is a real part of daily family or neighborhood life, it is not uncommon to see that, when the family speaks to the child, it uses a limited number of language functions (in accordance with actions or to give orders). In these cases, it is potentially useful to avoid a state of bilingualism in which the two languages are not developed at an equal rate. It would then be necessary to find a solution for reinforcing the native language, at least in two directions: use of evocative language (reminders, plans, and imagination), and awareness of auditory realities within the language.

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6 – Evaluating and Analyzing Difficulties

The evaluation of oral language is a particularly delicate matter, and can only be accomplished by daily observation. It is useful in this respect for the teacher to keep a log in which he notes, whenever they occur, any striking events concerning the progress or regression of each student. Regular evaluations of learning applications can be added to this journal and will allow for better monitoring of the success and efficiency of various programs.Precise evaluation tools (observation charts or language tests) are available to teachers. They deal with the different phases of language acquisition in children (beginning of the last year in Preschool, first year of preparatory…). They measure what has been accomplished and what remains to be done, and they guide the teacher in concentrating his efforts in the direction of this or that student. Effectively, language acquisition and progress are linked to many factors, and it should be noted that a homologous class remains the ideal setting for this type of learning.

7 – First Experiences with Foreign or Regional Languages

The study of a language is begun in the final year of Preschool and will be pursued in cycle 2. The objectives for language study are detailed in the cycle 2 curriculum. The planning of activities is carried out by Elementary School teachers who receive students from preparatory classes to ensure learning continuity. Certain aspects of this program are visible in Preschool. 7.1 Training the Ear for Phonological and Accentual Perception The student becomes systematically accustomed to listening to specific sounds of the studied language, recognizing them, and reproducing their rhythms, phonemes and intonations.He is particularly sensitive to unknown phonemes in the French language, and to linguistic traits not pertinent in French such as length of pronunciation of vowels, succession of stressed or non-stressed syllables, different rhythms… The activities best adapted for this field of study are: - Memorization of phrases, songs and nursery rhymes; - Imitation of different rhythms by accompanying spoken or reproduced sentences with the tambourine- Games with language sounds.7.2 Acquisition of First Utterances, Cultural Elements of the Country or Region in Question The student acquires a certain ease for speaking about himself or his environment, and for maintaining simple social relationships and participate orally in daily classroom life. In parallel, he discovers certain realities and cultural facts in relative to the country or countries where the language is in use, concerning the lifestyles of other children of the same age and in relation to other areas of the program. 7.3 Familiarization with Cultural and Linguistic Diversity Depending upon available classroom resources, in the school or in its immediate environment, the languages spoken by children for whom French is not the mother tongue are valued. Utterances, songs or nursery rhymes can be presented in these languages, particularly at times of celebration (children’s birthdays, school festivals…) and the easier ones of these can be memorized. Sporadic intervention by speakers of these languages is encouraged.

(1) The Preschool teacher is usually female. French grammar is driven in most cases by the use of the masculine to introduce abstract ideas. In “the teacher”, “the master”, as with “the students” or “the child”, the generic use of these terms in the masculine does not imply a sexual distinction. In other uses of terms designating professions, it is on the contrary recommended to make a distinction between the masculine and feminine names of functions performed by real people. (2) Order n° 90-788 issued September 6, 1990 relating to the organization and function of Preschools and Elementary Schools, Official Journal dated September 8, 1990.(3) When a child compares, classifies or arranges while explaining what he is doing, in a framework of adult-guided dialogue, the properties of objects take on progressive consistency. It is important to engage in these activities in situations that resemble daily life as closely as

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possible (straightening up an area, reorganizing storage or shelving in a play or library corner..) while taking care to not let these activities become too contrived. (4) If sufficient practice and work is completed with block capitals, it would not seem necessary to impose upon students the tracing of lowercase block letters (or of their substitute handwriting, that which we call “script”). These characters do not allow the student to easily determine the boundaries of words. They must be reserved for reading purposes. It will, however, be necessary to learn equivalences between the different fonts or families of characters.

Skills To Be Acquired by End of Preschool

1 – COMMUNICATION SKILLSThe child should be able to:- Answer an adult’s question in an understandable way (by the end of the first year of pre-school – 3 or 4 years old)- Take the initiative in a verbal exchange to carry it beyond the first response- Participate in group discussion. As a component of this skill, the child should be able to listen to others, wait for a turn to speak, and stick to the topic at hand

2 – SITUATIONAL LANGUAGE SKILLSThe child should be able to:- Understand ordinary instructions in class- Explain what the group or a fellow student is doing (in an activity, a task, etc.)- Speak for a puppet or marionette

3 – NARRATION AND STORYTELLING SKILLSThe child should be able to:- Relate in a group event in an understandable way (a field trip, a class activity, an incident …)- Understand an age-appropriate story and retell it in his own words- Identify the characters in a story- Retell a known story based on a series of illustrations- Invent an original story with appropriate characters, at least one event, and a clear ending- Be able to recite or sing at least 10 nursery rhymes or hand games and at least 10 songs or poems

4 – WRITTEN LANGUAGE SKILLS 4.1 The Function of Writing The child should be able to:- Understand the function of a traffic sign, an advertising poster, a book, a notebook, a computer screen (and should be able to give examples of the kind of texts that might be found in these locations)4.2 Written Language and Literature SkillsThe child should be able to:- Dictate a text to an adult, speaking at an appropriate rate of speed and asking for reminders to check understanding and, if needed, modify enunciation- In the context of collective dictation to an adult, restore syntactical structure to a grammatically incorrect phrase, suggest improvements to a text (by replacing nouns with pronouns, making connections between sentences, restoring temporal unity …)- Remember and mention, on the subject of common human experiences, texts that have been read aloud or retold by the teacher- Briefly retell a story containing fictional characters encountered in story books, comic books or stories studied in class4.3 Skills Involving Acoustic Properties of Spoken LanguageThe child should be able to:

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- Speak a text in rhythm- Recognize a given syllable in different places in a spoken word (beginning, middle, and end)- Create rhymes or assonances4.4 Graphics and Writing SkillsThe child should be able to:- Write his or her first name in block capitals and in cursive- Copy words in block capitals and in cursive with or without the teacher’s help- Reproduce a simple design, explaining what he or she is doing- Reproduce the image of an object, or a real or imaginary person - By the end of Preschool: copy a line of text in cursive writing. The student should be able to hold a pen or pencil correctly, keep his paper in the correct position and maintain the direction of the writing4.5 Skills Involving the Principle of the AlphabetThe child should be able to:- Recognize, by the end of the first year of pre-school (3 or 4 years old), his first name written in block capitals- Indicate each succeeding word in a written sentence after it has been read by an adult- Recite the letters of the alphabet- Suggest the spelling of simple words, taking parts of words from examples displayed in the classroom

LIVING IN SOCIETY

OBJECTIVES AND PROGRAMSLearning to "live together" is a primary objective for a Preschool which provides every child with an educational setting of collectivity governed by explicit rules and structured by responsible adults. Thanks to the relationships he established, in daily situations as well as in organized activities, the child discovers the usefulness and the pleasure of cooperation with his classmates. He also learns that the privileges and constraints of a group can be assimilated. In finding his comfort zone of distance regarding interpersonal relations, he recognizes his own identity and begins to build his own personality. The child must be assisted in identifying and comparing attitudes as they apply to school activities, outings and group situations; be it games with classmates or an individual practice, attitudes vary. He must be lead to an awareness of reference points he can fall back on and rules to respect in every case, but he must also be exposed to various ways of reacting and means of expressing himself, allowing him to better adapt to diverse situations.

1 - Welcome

Before beginning Preschool, a toddler has not necessarily had any experience with collective life. He has evolved within a network of restrained relationships, often limited to a few familiar people upon whom he depends. When he enters Preschool, in the company of numerous other children of his age, he discovers the demands of being part of a group. Teachers facilitate his adaptation and help him to take advantage of this new experience by organizing the delicate transition and notably by welcoming parents and child together for a first contact with the new places and faces.

The child and his family discover, before the first day of school if possible, the classroom and its surroundings. They meet the adults of the school. The quality of this welcome depends first and foremost upon the way spaces are arranged, interior as well as exterior. The first moments experienced in the group set an all-important tone. In the classroom, the spaces are grouped in contrasting settings, with work tables in some places and play corners which are more isolated and serve as places of refuge. Permanent and functional workspaces such as the reading corner or the painting area are clearly identifiable. The paths to places of hygiene, specialized rooms, resting areas and the cafeteria are to be strategically indicated and easy to remember. All

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equipment must be age appropriate with particular attention to safety, hygiene, comfort and esthetics. The teacher helps the child to progressively ‘get his bearings’ in the classroom and in the school (interior and exterior spaces). He explores little by little his immediate environment (neighborhood, nearby park, cultural centers). The day’s structure alternates between periods of collective activity and times reserved for more individualized pursuits.

2 – Developing Individual Personality within a School Community

With the help of adults, the child finds points of reference within the group, and establishes his place within it little by little, even before understanding or appropriating its rules. In this line of development, he builds his identity as an individual capable of positioning himself in relation to others and affirming his self-respect as well as respect for others. 2.1 Finding His Way The daily event of greeting and welcoming, a completely separate class time, is an opportunity for exchange between the child and other children, but also between children and adults. It is important that at this moment of contact with school the child be able to ‘get his bearings’, to find his way using reference points attributed to him (coat racks, lockers or cubbies) and move spontaneously to collective areas designed for this specific time of day. Points of reference or landmarks which mark specific temporal events also facilitate an ever-growing autonomy and eagerness for activities proposed: the calendar displaying concrete elements for finding the days, the symbols or objects that distinguish moments in the day by relating them to each other… Throughout the day, according to instructions given by the teacher, the child identifies the nature and role of assistance afforded by each adult in his environment: parents, teachers, agents of the Preschool, teachers’ aides, other adults with whom he has contact. In return, each child is named and recognized, encouraged to find his place within the constituted group and to take advantage of a place of action and expression. He expresses himself through guided activities, participates in exchanges and discussions, and formulates personal forages in the most varied of domains: drawing, physical activities, discovering the world… 2.2 Learning to Cooperate Little by little the child perceives himself as a member of the group. Times of group activity lead him to share his time and attention with the teacher who, while being available for each individual child, continues to give everyone instruction and encouragement. Each day, reciting nursery rhymes or poems, listening to stories read and told, watching puppets, singing together or in a round, etc., are occasions for sensing that one shares his feelings and emotions with his classmates – that one laughs and has fun with them. Games are equally important times for establishing group cohesion. Beyond his own participation, the child acquires a taste for collective activity, allowing him to confront and exchange his point of view with that of others (for example, the younger ones recite to the teacher what is taking place, the older ones tell of how a group activity took place). To become a student is to participate in common projects, to take and progressively share responsibility within the larger group. If cooperation between pairs exists in partner activities, it should also be encouraged in small group work. Experience with diverse forms of relationships helps the child create his personality, his identity; he begins to conquer autonomy. Hence, he may begin to demonstrate initiative, presenting personal solutions to presented problems. 2.3 Understanding and Appropriating the Rules of the Group For a great majority of children, Preschool is the first place where they discover social collectivity regulated by conventions. First, the rules of daily life are explained by the teacher, who indicates the rights and obligations of the school community: waiting one’s turn, sharing objects, putting things away… When the child’s age permits, these rules are elaborated upon collectively and occasionally negotiated. They constitute constant reminders of the respect due to others. Because they are stable and explicit, rules become references which enable the child to develop his feeling of belonging to a group.

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Appropriation of life’s rules comes through reiteration of regular activities (getting together in a group, sharing social occurrences…). These can be varied in manner and timing. Whenever the children appropriate a custom, it must evolve or be replaced by another, to continue the process. Thus Preschool correctly transmits via real-life situations some of the rules, values and principles of life in society: the right to be considered an active entity and to benefit from equal treatment in all circumstances, the obligation to pay attention to others and help them, and the right and the obligation to defend oneself without putting others in danger; acceptation of effort and perseverance.

3 – Communicating in Diverse Situations

Communication is established in the classroom well before students master verbal expression (see, “Language at the Heart of Learning”). It is through these exchanges involving the whole student body that groups, pairs and alliances are formed, re-formed or erupt into conflict. Progressively, with the help of adults, the child learns to speak before reacting, to make himself understood and to negotiate rather than try to impose his will or submit to others’. He thus establishes his place in the class. 3.1 Dialogue with Classmates and Adults The diverse forms in which activities occur, starting in the first year of Preschool, provide opportunities for structured communication. The child learns to react to solicitation and later to take initiative with short dialogue. The teacher strives to facilitate such exchanges in making sure that no one is left out of the verbal interaction process. He tries to prolong the duration of them, such that each child begins to sense the importance of true dialogue. Certain situations (getting dressed, returning to calm preceding naptime, recess, outings and field trips) facilitate personalized language exchanges with available adults. They are privileged occasions for solidifying dialogue which calls mutual trust into play: the child is incited to communicate; the speaking partner responds by returning commentary or asking him to explain what he means. He progressively enters into a more strongly socialized use of language. Tutoring between children (particularly between children of different ages) is encouraged in numerous activities. This form of flexible assistance between classmates, without neglecting a rigorous organizational aspect, can occur occasionally or regularly, can intervene in different areas of activity and concern a varying number of children. In exchanges such as these, in the context of a game or a task to be accomplished, there can indeed be opportunities for instilling good habits of autonomous activity. 3.2 Discovering the Uses of Controlled Communication The teacher establishes guidelines for conditions of communication within the larger group, and organizes whose turn it is to speak. He makes the rules of communication explicit, and incites each child to respect them: listening, speaking in turn, keeping to the topic of exchange and seeking to enrich it. Every nonverbal form of communication is also welcome, and each child’s turn to speak is recognized and guided toward incorporation into the forum of exchange. Progressively moving beyond sporadic and individual dimensions, communication within the group is a part of a larger process of reflection integrating the contributions of its members. Living collectively is also sometimes accepting to not be heard or immediately understood. It is accepting to wait for an adult’s response to intercede in the interest of the group or the child himself.3.3 Taking One’s Place in Discussions Collective life centers upon discussions allowing for examination of concrete and socially valuable issues. This type of exchange supports personal expression, emotions and feelings. The teacher guides the group’s thought processes in order to allow each child to develop his own manner of seeing or considering things. Facts, current events or aspects of school life are all subjects which can be approached, if known by a maximum number of students in the class. Notions or values such as living, respecting others, being aware of danger, protecting nature, or friendship are useful topics for examination. This is also an opportunity to develop a link with stories or tales read or recited previously. Any problem behavior which may arise can actually provide an opportunity to remind children of the rules that all must respect in order to ensure smooth functioning of the school and resolution of

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conflicts. Using language to comment on events (in the school or in society) puts the child in a position of becoming familiar with his circumstances in life and understanding causes and links between facts. It is important to make him aware, if possible, of the underlying meanings of experiences, thus allowing him to exercise rudimentary critical thinking. School is a place for listening to one another. It is characterized by the quality of relationships established between accessible and available adults. The rules must be put into place; the rights of the individual are preserved therein. The child learns in this manner how he might generate a refusal when faced with situations of possible mistreatment by adults or other children. He must know how to protect himself. Familiar with his rights and obligations, the child is confident.

Skills to be Acquired by End of Preschool

The child should be able to:- Participate in an activity, with behavior that takes into account the rules of collective life- Identify and understand the function and roles of the various adults at school- Respect the rules of collective life (respect for others, for materials, for the rules of politeness) and a few simple rules of daily interaction (listening, cooperation, taking initiative), and be able to apply these to his own behavior with respect to schoolmates

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND EXPRESSION

OBJECTIVES AND PROGRAMSUntil the age of five or six, physical activity using the whole body is a means for action, for exploration, expression and communication, in the harmonious development of the child’s motor skills, well-being and intellect.

1 – Fundamental Motor Skills

It is during this period that the child builds the basis for a repertoire of motor skills. This basis is composed of fundamental aspects of motility: - Locomotion (movement): walking, running, jumping, crawling, rolling, sliding…- Balance (stable postures) and manipulation: holding still, leaning, tilting, pushing…- Projection and reception of objects: throwing, catching...These actions are the basis for all movement. They can be found, alone or in combinations, in the form of all physical activities that are proposed in Preschool. For example, the action of running is found in athletic games (running in a straight line as quickly as possible), team sports (running in zig-zag fashion to escape an opponent), dance (running to express a feeling or state of being), and orientation or directional activities (running toward a specific point). The building of these skills and the creation of a true ‘motor vocabulary’ is accomplished in steps. First acquired in their simplest form, the skills are little by little diversified and enriched: for example, walking, which previously could only be done on flat and stable surfaces, is progressively possible on surfaces increasingly narrower, higher, inclined, unstable, etc… In the next step, actions are linked with other actions, first in contrast and juxtaposed, then combined in actions of greater complexity and variety (for example, running and throwing, running and jumping). It is in exercising freely, then in more guided fashion, that children gradually build these skills, diversify and develop them, begin to coordinate them and tie them together. The skills are not developed in a vacuum, for their own sake, but in the context and practice of physical activities which make them meaningful. Thus situations proposed by the teacher must allow children to progressively ‘get a feel’ for each activity, discover and explore spaces in increasingly greater distances, move themselves there with or without assistance, manipulate familiar objects, confront various obstacles, express themselves with their bodies, encounter other children and communicate with them through play.

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All of these actions, the effects of which are particularly visible and perceptible (upside-down positions, diverse modes of movement, physical sensations of loss of equilibrium, change in speed, breathlessness) procure various emotions. They meet the children’s innate need to move around, and the pleasure they experience when in movement. Additionally, different corporal experiences, by helping a child to better understand his body, his physical capabilities, his reaction to physical effort, contribute to a true education in good health. Along these lines, it is in engaging in activity that the child gradually learns to take calculated risks, all while paying attention to safety, be it his or others’. He does this in pedagogical situations in which the level of objective risk is controlled by the teacher (nature of the environment, materials and rules of the game or adapted action). Finally, in participation with others in activities containing different rules, roles, and new conflicts to be resolved, children progressively learn the usefulness and the constraints of group situations. Therefore, in Preschool, Physical Education pursues three objectives: - facilitate the building of fundamental motor skills (locomotion, balance, manipulation); - allow for an initial contact with diverse physical activity (social references); - ensure acquisition of skills and knowledge useful in understanding the body, respecting it and keeping it in good health. In this sense, this area of activity brings with it a unique and important contribution to the development of the individual.

2 – Corporal Experiences and Language

Physical activity procures diverse and intense sensations and emotions. To express these verbally is to be able to put words to one’s feelings, share one’s impressions and better understand what has been experienced and what is to be done about it. Children must therefore be provided with the opportunity to speak about their activities: to say what they want to do, name actions, situate themselves in space and time, formulate a question, express emotions, communicate with others to develop a game, give their opinions. Drawing can be an important recourse in the sense that it allows for identification and order of gestures or events within the continuity of action. It is important to specify that these moments of verbalization, possibly relayed in writing by an adult, must take place for the most part within the classroom, before and after sessions of physical activities during which the primary objective remains the development of motor skills.

3 – Motor Skills in Conjunction with Other Areas of Activity

Physical activity in Preschool, by virtue of the diversity of experiences proposed therein, facilitates the construction of certain knowledge bases targeted in the domain of “Discovering the World”. This is particularly true of those activities which directly concern the body, its functions and functioning, health, the different aspects of primary elements (earth, water, snow…) and the physical qualities of matter and materials. Physical activity also permits experiences with time and space, structured by action. Its use in conjunction with the domain “Sensation, Imagination, Creation” is therefore essential. Effectively, the child is brought to exercise his power of expression and call upon his imagination, it is his perception and the action of his body that act as conduits (putting in play different senses, action upon matter, using objects or instruments…). Situations encountered in diverse physical activities can give rise to the realization of individual or collective artistic projects: Working with diverse and varied musical or sound-based supporting materials, these activities also contribute to Music Education. Rounds and games with dance put children in touch with cultural foundations which must be established in order to constantly expand their horizons. Dance, activity both physical and artistic, using the body as an instrument of expression and communication and calling into play ‘poetic movement’ is, from this point of view, exemplary. It allows children to direct their own imagination as well as gain familiarity with forms and works of choreography through video, books and live performances.

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4 – The Role of the Teacher in Children’s Activity

In Preschool, the child needs time to absorb spaces and materials, to understand symbols, to complete actions, refine his movements, find new answers, exercise, and interact with others. Without organization and assistance, he risks spending more time waiting his turn than taking action himself. Action, for children, must represent an opportunity to explore spaces around them, manipulate objects and use materials, play different roles in succession, explore ways of mobilizing the body and its parts, this notably by progressively working on laterality, experimenting with different types of physical exertion, particularly during races, battles and games… This assumes they have at their disposal a sufficient quantity of material (an object per child for smaller material: balls, balloons, ribbons, scarves...).Situations are designed and organized as games. They allow children to freely explore the setting. The teacher guides or helps the child if need is felt, he suggests new solutions to presented problems, in short, he interacts with him constantly. The need for movement in children is real. It is therefore imperative to organize a physical activity session daily (from 30 to 45 minutes approximately, depending on the nature of the activity, organization desired, intensity of action, time of year, behavior of the children…) These sessions must be scheduled so as to respect the child’s rhythm: the middle of the morning (optimum level of concentration) is the most favorable for activities involving risk-taking and discovering new situations; the end of the morning is more adapted to calmer activities (singing games, well-known games…); the beginning of the afternoon is not an ideal time; the latter part of the afternoon is acceptable, with the older ones, for all activities not involving excessive risk. Whenever possible, it is judicious for children to practice physical activities outside, in order to be exposed to different sensations and find other points of reference. It is only through planned and organized activities throughout Preschool that Physical Education takes on true meaning. The Preschool program must take great care in adapting didactic situations to the age and level of development of the child, in creating a dynamic allowing him to progress beyond what he knows how to do. It must control the fact that every motor skill is called upon and well-developed. It must vary the types of activity and the situations in which activities can be put into place and must allow for the discovery, in an orderly fashion, different places, materials, and games which let the child become familiar with the multiple facets of the world of human activity around him.

5 – Physical Activity for Toddlers

A young child’s first activities are performed ‘for fun’ and are usually tied to the feelings and emotions felt. It is therefore about letting him play, which is to say letting him feel his abilities in the world and among all that surrounds him. Progressively, as a function of the produced effect, the toddler adds an intention that defines more specifically the action and then he may begin to organize and build upon it in a manner more refined, and better-adapted to the setting. Situations offered to him must facilitate:- Movements of displacement (locomotion), which satisfies the toddler’s need to understand his body and to affirm the equilibrium or balance he has only barely conquered. He is lead through these movements in familiar environments at first, then gradually in ones less well-known or even foreign. Various activity spaces are progressively delineated, notably for games of pursuit or chase. To encourage specific actions (walk upright, on all fours, run, jump, climb, descend, roll, crawl…), the space shall be structured with the help of objects of demarcation (foam blocks, large carpets, inclined planes, tunnels, mini-ladders…) inciting the action or on the contrary forming obstacles to it. Actions of displacement can also be facilitated using a pushing or rolling apparatus (carts, tricycles, scooters); - Increasingly fine adjustments with objects and materials of different sorts (boxes, foam cubes, balls, balloons) which can be manipulated, pushed, pulled, transported, demolished, thrown;

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- Hand games, displacements and ‘danced’ movements, games of expression, imitation of characters, animals… which are very rewarding situations for infants and toddlers. The child is helped to structure his action and displacement with the aid of music, songs and nursery rhymes. The teacher first allows the child to freely explore the spaces and materials presented without seeking to create too great of a complexity in the way the setting is arranged. In effect, the place of discovery must not be too vast if children of this age are to easily find points of reference. During activities, the teacher must be situated as closely as possible to the group of children, in the middle or among them if necessary, in order to fully play his role as instigator, regulator or helper. He may at the same time help children with temporary difficulties (spotting unstable balance by offering his hand, reassuring the more nervous child with encouragement, suggesting a movement to make…) without anticipating children’s initiatives or substituting responses for their attempts. Verbalization by the teacher of what the children are doing plays an important role in their comprehension of actions. Responses are first sought on an individual basis, leaving time for exploring, feeling, finding new ways of doing things, imitating another child (imitation at this age is a manner of entering into communication). Little by little interaction between students is established, allowing each to find his place within the group and begin to participate in communal activity.

Skills To Be Acquired by End of Preschool

Most skills relating to physical and corporal activity are closely linked to the situations in which they are carried out, and are geared toward a level to be achieved. These skills are the same for all three cycles, but they are practiced in the context of different activities, and a different level of achievement is expected depending on the age of the child. The detailed list of skills to be learned by the end of Preschool is presented below. In some instances concrete examples are provided. The application document provides a more complete description of these skills; they are illustrated with examples of the level to be achieved over a greater number of physical activities, and include additional commentary. Other, more cross-disciplinary skills are presented in a second section.

1. SPECIFIC ACTIVITY-BASED SKILLSA variety of physical activities expose Preschool-aged children to specific corporal experiences. For each activity, the intended goals and resulting sensations and emotions are different depending on the setting and space in which they take place (with or without an element of uncertainty, with or without interaction with others…). The aim is not to present a reenactment of competitive sports that the child already knows (through family, social environment, media …) but rather to adapt these activities making them appropriate to children of their age, and to ensure that the activities have meaning. For example, Track and Field means running, jumping, throwing, trying to beat your own record …Through the various activities, children build four types of specific skills which, combined, provide as large a repertoire as possible of basic physical action.Because they are complementary, each of these four skills should be experienced by the child every year, in the context of various activities over several sessions (5 or 6 minimum). Over the course of each week, and for a period of at least 2 or 3 months, two to three specific skills should be taught through varied activities. For example:Monday: carrying out an action that can be measured (track and field activity)Tuesday: adapting movement to different environments (gymnastics)Thursday: adapting movement to different environments (movement on a bicycle or scooter, for example)Friday: carrying out artistic or esthetic activities (dances or dancing games)A more complete example of activity planning is presented in the application document. Skills are illustrated for selected activities in the accompanying diagrams.1.1 Carrying Out Actions that Can Be MeasuredThe child should be able to:

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- Run, jump, and throw in different ways (for example, run fast, jump far from a running or a standing start)- Run, jump or throw in varying settings and using different materials (for example, throwing different objects)- Run, jump or throw to “beat one’s own record” (in time or distance)Application:Track and field activitiesExamples of skills to be attained by the end of Preschool in Track and Field- Run fast in a straight line for 4 or 5 seconds- Throw a heavy object while remaining in the launching zone- Jump as far or as high as possible from a standing or a running start1.2 Adapting Movement to Different EnvironmentsThe child should be able to:- Move in unfamiliar ways or in ways that present a challenge for balance (jumping, climbing, rolling, rocking, walking on all fours, turning upside-down)- Move (walk or run) in environments at first familiar and then progressively less familiar (playground, a public park, wooded area)- Move using somewhat unstable vehicles (tricycle, bicycle, scooter, roller skates…)- Move over unstable surfaces (water, snow, ice, sand…)Application:- Progression towards gymnastic activities in a room equipped with appropriate material such as large obstacles encouraging different forms of movement- Orientation activities such as finding one’s way in familiar environments (school), semi-natural environments nearby (park) as well as more distant ones (woods or other natural setting)- Rolling and sliding activities (carts, bicycles, tricycles, roller skates, ice skates, skis …)- Water activities (swimming pool): wherever possible, swimming will be offered to the 5-year-old class by way of an introductory unit of at least 10 weeks.- Climbing activities on rocks or a climbing wall- Riding (ponies)Examples of skills to be attained by the end of pre-school in physical adaptation:- Pre-gymnastic activities: be able to go from one point to another in different ways (rolling, crossing obstacles, jumping) by taking calculated risks and, if possible, ending up on one’s feet - Orientation activity: in a public park and in sight of the teacher, children working in groups of two should be able to find objects that were placed shortly beforehand during an exploratory walk with the teacher- Riding activity: bicycle (ride in a straight line, speed up and slow down, turn, ride up or down a slight slope, stop within 4 meters- Water activities: move forward a few meters in a large pool by actions of the arms and legs, with or without support such as a kickboard or float1.3 Competing Individually or As a TeamThe child should be able to:- Face a single opponent in a wrestling game: pushing pulling, holding, falling together, immobilizing- Cooperate with team-mates and compete with an opponent or an opposing team in a collective game: carrying games, throwing balls or other objects, running to catch or to escapeApplication:- (With older children especially) games of direct opposition: wrestling- (With younger children) team games (including traditional games with or without balls): chasing games, carrying games, throwing balls at a target more or less far away- (For all ages) these same activities can be carried out in a variety or environments, and with the children playing different roles

Examples of skills to be attained by the end of Preschool in team and individual activities:- Wrestling games: a child should be willing to commit himself to direct contact in order to immobilize an opponent

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- Team sports: with a team, be able to carry objects from one point to another while avoiding capture by a classmate playing a defensive role1.4 Artistic or Aesthetic ActivitiesThe child should be able to:- Express through physical gesture and movement different images, characters, feelings, states of being- Communicate sentiments or emotions to others through physical action- Express himself freely following a simple rhythm (which may or may not be musical or use an instrument)Application:- (For all ages) dance, mime, dancing games, games using small props (working towards rhythmic gymnastics using ribbon, hoops and scarves)- (With older children) gymnastic activities (artistic aspects), circus activitiesExamples of skills to be attained by the end of pre-school in artistic physical activities:- Dancing games: (move and gesture following music, singing, and the movement of other children- Dance: construct a short sequence associating two or three distinct movements. Memorize a dance sequence, learn gestures, speed and direction

2. CROSS-DISCIPLINARY SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGEThese skills are not acquired simply for their own sake. They serve to inspire a desire to learn more, and the willingness to act within spatial and temporal structures. The task for the teacher is to help the student assimilate attitudes, methods and skills that will help him master not only a specific activity, but life within the group in general.It is through a well-adapted pedagogic approach that children learn to measure their potential, to get to know other children better, to accept and then control their own emotions, to interpret environmental clues and signals in order to carry out their own actions, to understand rules and put them into practice. To this effect, situations established by the teacher should allow each child to select his individual level of difficulty, make numerous attempts in complete safety, try again in case of failure, see how others act, and receive help through example or advice.It is thus through various physical activities experienced with the rest of the class that children demonstrate their capacities for taking action (daring to take risks knowing they are safe, mastering their own emotions), for planning out an action over the short term and identifying and taking into account the effects of their actions (noting simple clues, finding points of reference in time and space, noting their own progress), for behaving in a group by following rules (participating in collective action, understanding rules, listening to and respecting others, cooperating).By building skills through participating in different activities, children acquire a broad range of knowledge. They learn about themselves, about practical ways to carry out different types of action and about appropriate behavior in a class or other group. They also learn about specific activities, the tools involved and the rules to follow. Cross-disciplinary skills and related knowledge can be approached through all physical activities. They are presented in more detail in the application document, with specific examples of implementation for certain activities.

DISCOVERING THE WORLD

OBJECTIVESIn Preschool and Kindergarten, the child realizes that his immediate experience doesn’t satisfy his vast curiosity. He discovers the richness of the world that surrounds him: objects as well as living beings. When playing, the child moves forwards by trial and error thus building his first layer of knowledge.He manipulates, observes, attempts to use an object, an instrument. He wonders. He identifies realities, represents and names them; he distinguishes the qualities of the objects and object collections he compares, classifies, organizes and counts. He learns to conduct actions, foresee

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the results, anticipate events and explain them. He recounts his experiences, verbalizes his actions, and listens to the teacher’s comments about them in discussions. He obtains initial answers his numerous questions, and slowly, but more clearly, puts them into words.He thus begins to adjust to the constraints of logical thought. He learns to use specific and temporal markers to structure his observations and experiences and then realizes that cause and effect are linked. The teacher demonstrates that it is possible to see outside his point of view, and helps him to grasp the notion of rational thought.Preschool and Kindergarten thus provide every opportunity to discover the world actively and recreate real-world situations. Knowledge enrichment relies on hands-on experience, but it must also include the study of conventional documents (paper and virtual) used with the assistance of the adult who reads, explains and comments on texts, images or diagrams. From a very early age, the child is exposed to many images, analogical or digital, fixed (photography, posters, and books) or animated (video, TV, movies…). At first conscious only of the impressions they leave upon him, he soon learns to perceive them as documents. He draws, produces and uses diverse representations of his experiences as well as symbolic designations. He creates texts to relay his activity (dictation to the adult). The more precise his representations the more he employs a precise lexicon and increasingly complex syntax, better adapted to describing spatial, temporal and causal relations, and thought processes.Thus the child learns to represent the world and acquire knowledge. As in the other cycles, the process is based upon a questioning method guided by the teacher and leads to further investigation where students are the leaders. This investigation is the result, in Preschool and Kindergarten, of a line of questioning derived from the children’s activities. Not questioning for its own sake, rather guided pathways to knowledge and know-how. Even if very basic, the latter constitutes important progress for the student.

PROGRAMIt is through general activities and, of course, non-disciplinary interaction that the teacher guides children to explore the following themes (the headings have been arranged solely to make reading easier):

1. Sensory Awareness

In order to establish sensory awareness, it is important to first guide the child toward an initial analysis of his environment, based on classification of his perceptions. It is in using all of his senses that the child identifies objects and the events he perceives. To help him to better discover the world, therefore, is to develop his awareness of the five senses and their use in distinguishing different realities, enriching his ability to classify or organize them and describe them through language. With this goal in mind, he is presented with situations geared toward:- Exploring tactile qualities: rough, smooth, soft, prickly, hot, cold, etc…- Tactile exploration of shapes and surfaces with both open and closed eyes.- Exploring gustatory and olfactory characteristics: textures, tastes, smells, etc…- Recognizing elements of sound including its reproduction.- Exploring objects’ visual characteristics: colors, intensities, contrasts of shiny and dull, light and dark.Observation of light effects (games of light and shadow, mirror games), and vision distortion (with simple optical instruments such as glasses, colored glass tubes) allows the child to perceive surrounding objects in different ways.

2. Exploring the World of Matter

A first intuitive concept of matter can be attained through making the distinction between objects and the substances of which they are made, based on their characteristics and properties. Acting upon these distinctions, the child reproduces and represents what he observes. Activities such as modeling, sculpting, cutting, dividing up, mixing, assembling, fixing, transporting, decanting and transforming can be carried out by using various materials.

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In this manner, he broadens his knowledge of the world by discovering the properties of certain types of matter such as wood, dirt, stone, sand, paper, cardboard, linen…. He becomes aware of less visible realities such as wind, and so realizes the existence of air. By linking water, rain, snow and ice he assimilates an initial, very modest level of abstraction and understands that those diverse manifestations all refer to the same substance: water. He compares and mixes beverages, syrups, paints.This type of exploration leads to dialogue with the teacher allowing him to locate, classify, and arrange objects and their properties.

3. Discovering the Living World

The different aspects of the discovery of life can only be approached through interaction with, and observation of, reality which responds to the child’s curiosity. In Preschool and Kindergarten the essential objective is to spot and name what he observes. His observations lead him to realize how diverse the living world and its different environments are, while identifying some of the common characteristics of plants, animals and his own person.3.1 Observing the Characteristics of Life FormsYoung children have a privileged relationship with animals. Consequently, they quickly discover some of the characteristics of life: an animal is born, grows up and dies. The observation and description of nature, associated with a particular plant or animal, provide an opportunity for learning the main functions of the living: growing, nutrition, reproduction and locomotion (for animals).In the domains of breeding, farming and gardening, organizational and maintenance observations are a unique resource for verbalization and dialogue, even for the youngest and most timid students. Written observations (dictated to the adult) provide tools for memorization, structure of spatial and temporal relations, and stating causality links. All of these experiences are springboards for debates, attempts at representation (through drawing, photography), which then themselves become new topics of discussion. It is during such exchanges with the adult that organized questioning, clear representations and eventually knowledge are built.3.2 Discovering Different Environments -- Introduction to Environmental IssuesOnly after the local environment has been explored and recognized is it possible to encounter more complex realities. The child is lead to discover and observe the local environment (the classroom, the school, the neighborhood…) and then spaces less familiar (parks, wasteland, forests, ponds, fences, zoos, countryside, sea, mountain, town…) Characterization of these different places according to their position (especially their altitude) is possible with the older children. Observation of man-made constructions (houses, shops, monuments, roads, bridges…) implies the same progression.For the older children, an initial appreciation of landscape as an environment marked by human activity becomes possible. They can compare, during a stroll for example, the landscapes seen and their photographic possibilities.These situations provide an opportunity for a concrete introduction to a responsible environmental attitude: respect for the milieus of life, maintenance of the grounds and school garden, care of animals, impact of certain behaviors upon the classroom environment (conservation, waste triage for recycling, spotting of nuisances). They are situations that inspire questions about the world and they are occasions to search for more information (with the teacher’s mediation) via photographs in printed or digital format, in documents and documentaries, or on internet sites.3.3 Discovering the Body -- Introduction to Health and Hygiene The discovery of his body in its entirety and as a sum of its different parts, and the designation of the latter, are a source of interest for the young child. Every day and in a very concrete way, respecting all diverse cultural habits, the child learns to follow elementary hygiene rules:- Body cleanliness (hand washing)- Classroom facilities (tidying up, keeping things clean)- Food and nutrition (regularity of meals, menu composition)A unit on child abuse is scheduled at least once per year. An introduction to hygiene and health allows children to understand the necessity of respecting intimacy and the integrity of his body and others’.

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4. Discovery of the World of Objects – Safety Education

Actions with objects, lead by the teacher, are not purely hands-on activities. They appeal to the child’s thought processes and lead to his grasping the concept of a system and its components. The use of various technical objects in functional situations (school life, food and cooking, communication, games…) allows the child to first discover their uses and then to develop user skills. Situations such as these permit him to attempt to answer simple questions: what are the objects for? How does one use them? Where do they come from? Sometimes the child can only pantomime what he is unable to say. The teacher must encourage him to make more precise gestures, to find the words that go with them, and finally say or symbolize what he understood. The goal of these activities is a precise one. The child becomes aware of the object’s uses and parts. He identifies whether works or not (a methodical analysis of functioning and basic breakdowns is reserved for Elementary School). Object making additionally contributes to this first discovery of the technical world. The sequence prepared by the teacher allows the pursuit of: construction projects, choice of appropriate tools and materials, specific technical actions (fold, cut, paste, assemble, activate…), and workshop organization. The following skills are covered:- Assembling and disassembling (construction games, models)- Using battery operated devices like flashlights, toys, tape recorders, etc… (For obvious safety reasons the children will learn distinguish these from manually-operated devices).- Programmable objects.Risk awareness has an important role in this domain:- Risks on the street or road (pedestrians and vehicles);- Risks of the familiar local environment (dangerous objects and toxic products) or the distant one (major risks).

5. Spatial Location

Situating oneself in different spaces, moving among them with or without constraints, representing located objects, coding movement, and using language and spatial markings, are skills acquired throughout Preschool and Kindergarten. It is not only a question of learning to situate oneself in ordinary space. Finding one’s way through a text, a document, organizing objects from a collection in order to master quantity, making sure that none was removed or added or that all have been counted; all of these are skills which need to be developed.Suggested situations and problems to be solved must give the child the opportunity to escape the exclusive application of his own point of view, and must lead him to the application of others’. It is only when he is relatively comfortable in surrounding world structures and is able to explain them verbally that total awareness of his relative position is possible. However, this is rarely fully accomplished during Preschool and Kindergarten. For the young child, locating objects in space starts with building an oriented image of his own body. He organizes the universe in which he evolves, distinguishing what is in front, behind, under or above him, and with greater difficulty what is on his left or right hand side. He completes these locations opposing what is far from what is close, introducing dynamic description to characterize what is getting closer to him from what is moving away in order to know whether he has reached the place towards which he was going or if he has left the one he is coming from… Constructing a personal spatial reality calls for the use of simple language for locating objects, people and their moves (see “Language at the Heart of Learning”). Representing spatial relationships is still difficult throughout Preschool and Kindergarten. Indeed, it implies that the child has accepted another constraint, graphic spatial orientation. Models are an important step before attempting drawing. The child must have many occasions to play with representations (keeping in mind that the production of a representation is, in this case, easier than its reading) without requiring lasting results. Activities involving spatial concepts in Preschool and Kindergarten also concern the sculptor or builder’s approach (representation of volumes and their positions, installations) the painter’s (representation of depth through the relative size of objects and the use of color contrasts …), the

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photographer’s (centering) and the writer’s (description of realistic or imaginary spaces). These are registers that can be explored in connection with corresponding activities. This is also the case for discovering, essentially through Children’s Literature, far-away or unknown territories.

6. Concept of Time

Time for the little one is cyclical, characterized by the regular return of expected events, and it is widely held that a break in these rhythms immediately disturbs the young child. In Preschool, the child learns to master cycles in daily life by anticipating them or, on the contrary, by remembering them. In Preschool, the child learns the words that name these cycles, which can be different from the ones used at home. Progressively, he separates the events from the moments at which they take place and manages to place chronological order to very different activities or events.The temporal organization of his activities is built around oral language skills, which determine the “now”, and thus distinguish the “before” from the “after” (see “language at the heart of learning”). The present becomes consistent when it can become a “today” that allows the child to distinguish “yesterday” from “tomorrow”. In this manner he grasps the concept of a social duration, perceived at first as what separates two expected moments (“the day” separates the moments between waking up and bedtime, “the morning” is what is in between the moment that the child gets up and the moment that he eats lunch, “the afternoon” is from lunch time to “mommy time”…). Slowly, the teacher allows him to put those moments into chronological landmarks of social time (sequence of moments of the day, sequence of the days of the week or of the month, sequence of months of the year). It guides the child to connect different systems of points of reference: moments of the day and hours (even with the very young ones, a clock allows to depersonalize the durations and the points of reference, constantly used by the adult), days of the week and alternation of school activities (the calendar plays the role of the clock), months and seasons, months and vacation…During each school activity, it is important to emphasize the transitions separating two identified moments, connecting them to the system of time organization specific to the school community (time schedule, planning) and connecting them as well to those used in our society (time, date, etc…). The same is true for time that passes. The child must gradually be able to express his subjective understanding of durations (long/short, often associated to boring/pleasant) and with landmarks he can share with the community (typical school rhythms: half-morning, recess, nap, story telling), then finally, durations assessed by the clock.The scheduled organization of time and the routines dictating transitions from one moment to the other cannot be underestimated. These are critical to temporal learning.The use of tools for chronological locations (calendars) and the measurement of time periods (hourglass, clepsydras, clocks…) is a solid way to impart a better appreciation of time. Regular use of these tools (via routines) is encouraged as early as the first Preschool year.Generally speaking, it is important to consider that temporal structuring and spatial structuring are inextricable. For example an important part of distance awareness is linked to a notion of the time needed to go from one place to another; therefore speed needs to be taken into consideration. For the child, such phenomena remain obstacles to a clear comprehension of temporal realities. They are part of the spontaneous situational occurrences that must be questioned before being cleared up.In Preschool and Kindergarten, progressive time structuring must be fed by the story of past events (or by the account), and by the discovery of past objects or realities (heritage). Children have difficulty telling the difference between immediate and distant past. As it happens, the most important teaching tool in this area to present opportunities to describe or represent what is no longer, to underline the difference between past and imaginary events. Elements of a culture passed on by the voice of the teacher, by books and various media, will be organized and structured in Elementary School.

7. Discovery of Shapes and Sizes

During his daily activities, the child manipulates objects of various shapes and sizes. By examining the characteristics of these objects, the child quickly discovers simple and opposing

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categories, allowing their classification: little/big, heavy/light, round/sharp. By enlarging the observations to include multiplying comparisons, the teacher helps him distinguish various criteria (shape, size, weight, capacity…) and establish classifications for categorizing. He is guided through new designation or recognition strategies with various games. He can then build or make objects taking into consideration their various properties. An approach via the sense of touch (for example, blindfolded) complements the visual approach.Games or activities of this nature can lead to:- Differentiation and classification of objects according to their shapes, mostly taking into account the characteristics of their outline: straight, curved, flat, round, etc.;- Assembling reproduction of simple shapes;- Comparison of objects according to their size, weight or capacity.Although the names of certain shapes are introduced around this time (square, triangle, rectangle, circle), teaching mathematical vocabulary is not to be a primary goal.

8. Introduction to Quantities and Numbers

Infants are already capable of distinguishing quantities. However, when the child begins to talk, even if he may be using the names of numbers, he does not necessarily connect the words to the concept of quantity; the activity of counting can be difficult for quite some time.In Preschool and Kindergarten, the child faces problems concerning quantities. For activities of comparison, equalization, distribution and sharing, he employs a general and subjective system of estimation (more, less, same, many, not many), then later he relies on one of matching or quantification. Nevertheless, teachers must remain cautious, in particular with the youngest children, since their perception of collections is still stronger than that of the actual quantities.Gradually, during various opportunities presented in class, either via games or through solving problems given by the teacher, the child is introduced to different methods of problem-solving, and simultaneously acquires new tools for counting collections of objects:- Recognition of the number of objects in little collections, based on immediate perception (direct recognition of “three”, without necessarily counting “one, two, three”);- Comparison of object collections to natural collections (for instance, recognition of “five” like being a quantity corresponding to the number of fingers) or to landmark collections (number of spots around the table, dice spots…);- Counting by using the counting rhyme which is progressively taught and completed. In Preschool and Kindergarten, numbers need to be given meaning, by using them in problem-solving activities such as games, life situations, pantomimed situations or recounted situations. These problems are chosen such that numbers appear as useful tools to:- compare and memorize quantities- Memorize and communicate information on quantities, orally or written, the written works being first those that the children produced, then the usual numbered writings.- Create a collection with the same, greater or lesser amount of objects than another collection- Compare sizes of objects using an intermediate object- Locate positions in an organized list of objects- Organize series by using the counting rhyme.At the end of Kindergarten, the child faces problems where numbers can be used to anticipate the result of an action performed on quantities (increase, decrease, collection, distribution, sharing) or on positions (moving forward and backward). The children do not need mathematical formalities (+,-, =) to solve problems. These conventions will be introduced in Elementary School.Most often in Preschool and Kindergarten, numbers are “said”. Their transformation into written form is progressively introduced through children’s propositions during communication activities. An initial link is established between oral names and written numbers, for example, using a numerical line or a calendar. The necessary process of naming numbers in their right order can be memorized with nursery rhymes, but must not be introduced too early. It must be remembered that learning the counting rhyme is not “learning how to count”; that this will not suffice for counting a quantity beyond visual recognition. To count, the child needs to link words (“one”, “two”, “three”…) with objects in a collection, without forgetting any objects, and without counting the same object more than once. Counting becomes increasingly difficult and rigorous,

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which means that the child must realize that the last word he uttered refers to the whole quantity (and not just the last object he indicated).Quantities in these activities can vary according to the skill level and the problems at hand. For example, if in a problem, the child needs to determine the result of the addition of an object to a collection, the quantities must remain small. In other cases (comparison of collections, for instance), they can certainly be higher. The teacher must choose quantities appropriately according to the desired goal.

Skills To Be Acquired by End of Preschool

1. SKILLS RELATING TO THE SENSESThe child should be able to:- Describe, compare, and classify elementary perceptions (touch, smell, taste, sight, hearing)- Associate a sensory impression with the sense organ that produces it

2. SKILLS RELATING TO MATTER AND OBJECTSThe child should be able to:- Recognize, classify, order, and name materials and objects; know their nature and use- Use battery-powered devices (flashlight, games, tape recorders)- Use programmable objectsIn conjunction with artistic education the child should be able to:- Select the tools and materials appropriate to a situation or to a particular task (folding, cutting, pasting, assembling, implementing …)- Use simple building materials, build simple models- Use trial and error to learn how to make simple mechanisms work

3. SKILLS RELATING TO THE LIVING WORLD, THE ENVIRONMENT, HYGIENE, AND HEALTHThe child should be able to:- Reconstruct the major steps in the development of a plant or animal- Put together a picture of the human body, a plant or an animal that has been taken apart (as a puzzle)- Recognize signs of animal or plant life, relate them to the principle biological functions: growth, nutrition, locomotion, reproduction- Find characteristics of a given environment- Know and apply rules of personal hygiene (hand washing …) of neatness (picking up after one’s self, making a room neat…) and of nutrition (regular meals, balanced diet)- Take into account the dangers of the street (pedestrians and vehicles) as well as those found in familiar environments (dangerous objects or behaviors, toxic products) or more extreme ones (major risks)- Identify an unusual or dangerous situation; know to ask for help; understand how to be rescued or help rescue another

4. SKILLS RELATING TO THE SPATIAL ENVIRONMENTThe child should be able to:- Find objects or follow directions with respect to their own position- Describe relative locations or movement using spatial references such as a variety of stable landmarks- Describe a less familiar space (lawn, vacant lot, forest, pond, hedge, zoo)- Follow a course of action in response to oral instructions (step by step). Describe or display a simple course of action.- Know how to reproduce the organization in space of a limited array of objects (by manipulating or representing them)- Be interested in unknown spaces discovered through documents

5. SKILLS RELATING TO TIME

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The child should be able to:- Recognize the cyclical nature of certain phenomena; use landmarks relating to the rhythm of the day, the week, they year; situate events with respect to each other (distinguish sequences from simultaneity)- Understand and express the difference between past and present or present and future by correct use of temporal and chronological units- Compare events with respect to their duration- Express and understand, with respect to an event or a story, the temporal location of each episode with respect to a given starting point as well as the relative position of episodes (simultaneous, prior, post) by using temporal and chronological indicators correctly

6. SKILLS RELATING TO SIZE AND SHAPEThe child should be able to:- Differentiate and classify objects with respect to shape- Recognize, classify, and name simple shapes (square, circle, triangle)- Reproduce a set of simple shapes by following a model (puzzle, tiling, assembly of a solid)- Compare, classify, and arrange objects with respect to size, weight, or what they contain

7. SKILLS RELATING TO QUANTITIES AND NUMBERSThe child should be able to:- Compare quantities using either numerical or non-numerical strategies- Put together a collection containing the same quantity of objects as are found in another collection (visible or not, near by or far away) using either numerical or non-numerical strategies, either orally or with the help of writing- Solve problems relating to quantity (increase, decrease, combining, distributing) using known numbers but without recourse to Arithmetic- Recognize as a unit and express small quantities (from 1 to 3 or 4)- Recognize as a unit and express quantities organized into well-known shapes (spots on a die, fingers of the hand)- Know counting songs at least up to 30- Count a set of objects by counting out loud- Associate the name of known numbers with the appropriate digit, using a number line

SENSATION, IMAGINATION, CREATION

The “Sensation, Imagination and Creation” program is based on two artistic practices involving constant interactive activities, such as seeing and feeling for the first practice called “Sight and Movement”, and hearing and speaking for the second practice, “Listening and Vocal Expression”. The programs entitled “Fine Arts” and “Musical Education” in Elementary School will continue the work of these two programs.Young children act with their bodies. Their awareness of the sensitive relationships between themselves, their environment and the world is growing as they grow. While children learn to express and classify their feelings and sentiments, they also discover how to use a sensory approach for learning rather than a rational one.Artistic activities are linked to activities in other learning areas, which they may sometimes even complete or extend. Artistic activities are very useful for expression and discovery, and they are extremely beneficial to the learning process in general.Children discover new skills of observation, expression and imagination as time allows them better control of their movements, voices and bodies. Time also increases their capacity for choosing adequate material and rudimentary techniques. The teacher’s role is to encourage dialogue and comparisons, to provide children with the means to carry out artistic activities and projects.Primary school offers initial artistic experiences. The children’s natural curiosity is fed with the discovery of well-known artists and their work, giving them references. The teacher’s role here is to encourage children to express their reactions when confronted with artistic work, and to find

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links between different inventions, artist’s solutions and their own productions. The children are familiarized with artistic works presented in different situations, and they can see different aspects of the same work as they are able to understand its particularities. They can then start to appreciate visual and musical culture.

Sight and Movement

OBJECTIVES In Primary school, children discover and develop their creativity when they are confronted with situations soliciting their imagination, encouraging their capacity of invention, and widening their expressive possibilities. The activities offered allow them to explore and practice with different art materials (drawing, painting, collage, fabrication of objects and images…). Sometimes, the pleasure of discovery can be the only purpose for children to trace, draw, and play with materials. This type of situation helps the children to improve basic skills such as coordination of movement for specific purposes, improved recognition, and modification or revision of their creations. Indeed, the children slowly acquire knowledge and experience within a dynamic of play, work, freedom and restraint.A pre-artistic education is built through the introduction of artist’s creations while the children work on their own creations. These experiences are rooted in children’s desire to learn: curiosity is fed, and interests are developed. Artists and works introduced are related to whatever the children happen to be working with at the time. Cultural references help them to understand a work of art in its context, and transfer knowledge about a particular work, artist, or artist’s personal approach.The teacher’s role is to provide the children opportunities to talk about the process used by the artist, acknowledge its effects, and express the ensuing sensations. These opportunities encourage the children to observe, build their vocabulary, improve the way they approach works and acquire new and different ways to make and/or see things.

PROGRAMActivities are developed on four different axes:- Drawing, approached as a graphical expression associating a movement and its representation on a supporting material.- Multidimensional compositions, approached with creation of objects and manipulation of different materials (2 or 3 dimensions).- Pictures, used as a support for discovery activities and documentation for different projects.- Collections, developed so that children decide between and choose to take over images and objects.Not only do all of these activities increase children’s appreciation of art but they additionally serve to increase and improve verbal expression.

1 - DrawingPrimary school encourages children’s natural enjoyment of drawing, and it is through pleasurable activities that children are free to develop an individual personality. Spontaneous drawing can be a manifestation of children’s awareness of symbolic functions, and although children see drawing as an activity of movement, expression and playtime, it also contains a linguistic element (see 4.5).For instance, children can create their own language and codes by using drawing as a form of language. Drawing is a complete activity; children practice artistic movements to produce forms that communicate meaning, they play with elements, organize surfaces, and represent or express something. They discover and experiment with different tools and drawing processes, which are used as conduits for their imagination. Drawing and painting are very different from writing activities. Writing is directly related to language. However, the skills used and improved upon while drawing, such as controlled body movement and visual appreciation, are helpful skills for mastering the writing process.Artistic activity (motility/visual activity) matures and develops, with encouragement from the teacher, and young children gain an awareness of the communicative power of drawing. The

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teacher’s role is to promote these first drawing experiences verbally, without making any comments on the children’s inner thought processes. The teacher has the additional responsibility of making sure children escape stereotypes by facilitating exchange, and providing opportunities for contact with diverse works of art.These activities and situations help children to:- Experiment with different tools for better adapting their movements to the intended goal. These experiences are offered to the younger children through games and play time.- Practice a wide range of artistic styles such as free drawing, stamping, copying, painting, pastels, ink, markers, colored pencils, etc…- Make choices for different intents and purposes; for instance, between tools or colors for the younger children, or between different techniques for the older ones.- Organize a page layout and represent different settings, characters, and stories. The spontaneous urge to draw is important at a young age. In the classroom the children are surrounded by optimal conditions to exercise their creativities. The teacher’s role is to slowly introduce opportunities for the children to express their imagination and build their vocabulary. All drafts are kept, and should occasionally be used for support or as references when children work on linked but more elaborate projects later.Children can draw using different approaches: they can be positioned on the floor, at an inclined drawing table, outdoors, etc… They can also be referencing their drawings to a story, an object, a feeling, a field trip, etc... All their drawings are later assembled and organized with different methods such as files, notebooks, booklets, etc…2 - Visual ArtsVisual Arts activities enhance children’s discovery process with technical methods for expression, fabrication and object manipulation in two or three dimensions: painting, collage, assemblage, modeling, etc… The link between these processes and drawing is important and will be explored through the different types of techniques listed above.These activities allow the children to:- Explore and experiment with qualities and types of materials while working with them. The material can be ink, paint, papier-mâché, clay, modeling clay, sand, earth, wood, stone, plastic, etc… - Transform some materials by adjusting movement to their physical and visual qualities.- Combine shapes, colors, materials and objects- Discover and experiment common environmental elements using their plastic qualities- Overcome the problems and remember the experiences and the results even if not expected first.- Create a composition following an assignment, a self-desire, a project, etc…Exploration games and manipulations - which lead to reactions of surprise and marvel - must be encouraged and nurtured at a young age. For young children, the pleasure is simply to create and to observe themselves creating. The teacher’s role is to organize challenging and well-adapted activities, and to place the children in a position of learning while preserving the simple pleasure explained above. Children will almost naturally overcome difficulties while playing. They will create new forms and organize them progressively in coherent and controlled groups.3 - Observation and Transformation of ImagesIt is very important to introduce diverse images when children are open and motivated by this type of activity. The teacher’s role is to help the children to focus and observe, and to explain to them and help them express their perceptions. Children will recognize, through the universe of pictures and images, many personal and cultural references (which produce emotions); this will challenge their creativity. They can then relate images found in their environment to the pictures they already use. Experiments build their visual experiences and their capacity to create images.The activities are related to specific knowledge of characteristics, materials and their functions. A diversified array of pictures is offered for this purpose: pictures related to children’s classroom topics, posters and pictures from the environment, drawing and paintings from books, reproductions of paintings, pictures from documentaries, movies and computers.These activities progressively lead the children to be able to:- Locate the image’s origin - Describe the images with adequate vocabulary

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- Compare images- Use an image or a part of it to create a new oneThe teacher’s role is to assist the children in their discoveries and their comprehension of the world using diversified and regularly updated images. This approach can be enriched with a narrative approach using albums as supporting material, and it can also develop into a visual approach using the power and meanings of images. Both of these approaches call for activity involving manipulations, observations and productions.4 - Collections and DisplaysThe school must give children opportunities to become acquainted with pictures and objects of an emotional or esthetical nature. These opportunities are facilitated by children’s innate desire to keep pictures, objects, event souvenirs, etc… The teacher’s role is to provide children with the supporting materials and tools for starting their own collection and expand it. The teacher encourages children to express what motivation lies behind their choices and their desire to collect.In a classroom a collection or a mini-museum can be initiated through a project or a special class event. The collection will then become an opportunity for the entire group to share and experience common cultural knowledge, and will help the children connect their work to the collectibles. A collection or a display opens children’s minds to artistic expression through its diversity, shapes, and glimpses of different world cultures.These activities encourage the children to:- Choose a picture or an object for the interest that they recognize in it- Group and organize pictures or objects in a personal or collective way- Be able to re-use their collection for a new individual or group projectBasic picture books can be created with the children to enhance their ability to comment on works, and can be later read and discussed in small groups or used for a class presentation.A small collection can be set up in the classroom from time to time. For example, a furniture top can be used to display some “precious” objects. Personal collectibles such as picture books, postcards, stamps or draws collections usually follow class projects. Time will then be set aside to provide the opportunity to talk about their collections, when presenting them to the class or when a new object is introduced to the whole classroom’s collection.5 - Artistic Activities and Verbal LanguageSensorial activities are supported by language which helps to describe and name the sensations, and progressively to relate them to each other. The verbal language assists the actions, allow a verbal expression, and objectify the experience. The teacher’s role is to help the children precise their expressions in establishing a dialogue, and encouraging interactions. The teacher’s role is to teach children how to:- Recall facts and sensations linked to the experience- Present and comment upon a drawing and its realization, an object or a picture taken from picture books, museums or collections.- Express their feelings when confronted to a picture or a work art, and be able to listen to others reactions.The creating activities give opportunities to the children to associate their desire to do with their desire to see, to think and to share.

Skills To Be Acquired by End of PreschoolThe child should be able to:- Adapt gestures to material constraints (using tools, supports, or materials)- Overcome difficulties encountered in the course of a project- Make the best of the expressive potential of a given material- Make choices among known materials and procedures- Use drawing as a means of expression and representation- Make a composition in two or three dimensions according to what he or she wishes to represent- Recognize images of varying nature and origin- Identify the principal features of an artistic object (picture, artist’s production, student work)- Establish a relationship between two objects (a student work and the reproduction of an artist’s work, for example) using shape, color, sense, or manner of production

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- Express verbally what he or she is doing, seeing, feeling, thinking- Act cooperatively as part of a group project

Listening and Verbal Expression

OBJECTIVESThe “Listening and Verbal Expression” component involves corporal activities and language. These two elements quickly offer children ways to communicate and express themselves. Listening and speaking skills are very malleable in young children. This malleability is used in Primary School musical activities to build vocal and listening skills into tools for developing sensory intelligence.The teacher’s role begins with recognizing children’s abilities when confronted with the world of sounds, and moves on to facilitate a broadening of these abilities. The teacher’s role is also to nourish and support the children’s musical universe and listening enjoyment with opportunities to assimilate musical experiences, invent a sounds, and listen to diverse types of music. The activities corresponding to these two purposes are mainly corporal, and rely on a constant interaction between listening, speaking and reacting.Each educational sequence in this area revolves around activities such as listening, production, and transformation or invention. These activities and the ensuing discoveries will help children to appropriate diverse musical milieus.These activities are also remarkably helpful in other areas of education. The French Language and other languages used at the school (see 4.4 and 7.1) are backdrops for various vocal games in which rhythmic skills, accentuation, good pronunciation, and sound structure play an important role in giving children a sense of language complexities. These activities universally call upon sound memory, different forms of listening attention, and the concepts of space and time. Singing activities help children realize that they belong to a group, it helps them understand the concept and demands of teamwork, and gives them an opportunity to experiment with their autonomy while playing different roles within the group.The activities are divided into three groups: vocal activities, listening activities, and activities involving musical instruments. Activities involving Dance are traditionally included in the practice entitled “Corporal Action and Expression”.

PROGRAM1. Vocal Activities1.1 Acquisition of Nursery Rhymes and Songs The nursery rhymes and song repertoire is enriched year after year. It includes French songs, as well as songs in dialects or other languages. The repertoire is composed of traditional songs, but it is also enriched by contemporary songs.The teacher’s role is to favor songs with short musical phrases and simple structures rather than more elaborate songs. Learning and memorization processes must follow the procedures explained in the application manual. These procedures are based on daily use. The children sing during singing sequences, but also during other activities to punctuate the different periods of the day.1.2 Vocal GamesVocal games help children discover their voice, and realize how wide their vocal range can be. They also build the basis for an adult voice, and give them opportunities to use the voice differently than in the daily life. The exploration of the voice range through vocal games associated with corporal activities increases possibilities for self-expression. These games can be centered on:- Sounds, screams, sounds found in the environment which can be reproduced or changed.- Taped or recorded music including parts used in the vocal games - Songs or poems extracted from nursery rhymes, poems, songs from different cultures.Musical phrases are highlighted with rhythm, and are enriched when the words and sentences have been explored through vocal and corporal games. It is easier for children to memorize phrases when there are associated body movements.

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1.3 Creating Songs, Vocal ProductionThis activity is meant to facilitate more elaborate projects such as book background tracks, poems, and some other vocal activities. In Primary School, the choir can amplify class work. It creates interaction between different age groups and places the children in situations which enhance their capacity and pleasure for singing along. It also provides opportunities to the teachers to work with their peers on group projects, and eventually in team-teaching situations. However, group benefits can be weakened by an oversized group, so it is important to keep the groups relatively small.2- Listening ActivitiesListening activities are used primarily to develop sensory perception, and sound memory, but they are also useful in establishing some basic musical cultural references. The pedagogical plan in this area is composed of two steps:- Listening sessions, repeated and integrated into various activities incorporating listening, singing, acting, playing, imitating, evolving, creating, etc…(all these elements must be included in each sequence in order to see progress).- Listening sessions associated with emotional or esthetic moments, so that the act of listening is also endeavored for fun and not exclusively during scheduled time; with sessions including concerts, meetings, shows, and introduction of new music styles.Children will memorize sound structures, particular lyrics or sounds, and will be able to compare, reproduce and identify them through these regularly-offered listening sessions. They will start by recognizing obvious contrasts and will slowly be able to discern more subtle differences. They will also discover the musical value of silence. Elements such as contrasts, differences and silences are often used in memorization sessions. Children will learn to characterize these elements by comparing, and often by imitating them vocally or with body movements. These experiences give them specific and simple vocabulary which helps them designate the characteristics of a musical extract. The teacher’s role is to help them find the similarities, and then compare. His role will also be to justify the repetition of the listening sessions, and give simple and quick answers to children whenever they have questions.At the end of the Primary School coding activities, some listening sessions can be implemented using songs which include body movements.The listening activities focus on:- Listening to sounds in their surrounding environment. Children will try to locate the sources of sounds, find or try to explain their causes and what generates them (objects or instruments, voice…).- Listening to classroom or other classrooms’ productions. The children will listen to a group (concert) or any type of registered sounds/music.- Listening to musical extracts as diverse as possible (different styles, contemporary or not, different countries, cultures, etcetera).- Listening to live music as often as possible (musician guests, concerts, concerts given by other students from Elementary or Middle School)The teacher’s role is to encourage children’s reactions during listening activities. They may first have some “dance” type reactions during the auditory experience which is natural for young children, and some more sophisticated reactions (such as imitation) later. Spontaneous spoken remarks shared with the teacher help children understand the diversity possible personal reactions, and notice some constants repeated in musical organization. They will slowly discover rhythmic components with help and encouragement and repeated, progressive guidance, and they will be able to appropriate them. They begin to recognize musical phrases, repetitive lyrics, and some instruments. The realization of choreography is important for two reasons: corporally, it calls upon different levels of listening skills, and at the same time it calls into play basic body language.When these musical elements are acted upon, experienced, recognized and identified by the children, they will contribute to more complex activities and build skills for understanding new musical realms.3 - Activities with InstrumentsThese activities are directly linked to the development of children’s body movement and the enjoyment of any new sound sources. There are many ways to best take advantage of them:

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- Exploration of various possible object sounds and corporal movements- Experimentation of movements to produce or reproduce sounds; creation of original sequences- Comparison of simple musical instruments to find specific sounds, and group classifications based upon results of comparison- Translation of spontaneous body movements into instrumental moves - Reproduction and creation (in rhythmic area notably)- Progressive combination of percussion with nursery rhymes, singing games, and songs.These activities develop listening and attention skills and also teach better control of pulsation, rhythm, and nuance. Furthermore, they increase opportunities for interpretation and creation. Children are then more equipped to react to varied, diverse music, and they begin to alternate roles in group situations.

Skills to be Acquired by the End of PreschoolThe child should be able to:- Memorize a variety of rhymes and songs- Perform a song or a rhyme expressively as part of a small group- Experiment with his voice to produce a range of pitch, tone, nuance, or volume- Keep a beat physically using a sound-making object, follow changes in tempo through imitation- Recognize and reproduce simple rhythmic patterns using instruments or gestures- Coordinate a sung or spoken text with gestures or a simple instrument- Keep his or her place in group musical activities, perform very briefly alone- Listen to a short piece of music and then express and discuss his impressions of it- Use a few simple graphic symbols to represent and describe a musical phrase- Use body movement spatially in varied and original ways, as a function of the rhythmic or musical characteristics of a given piece- Make suggestions about musical creation or invention, using gestures, voice, or sound-producing objects.

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CYCLE OF FUNDAMENTAL LEARNING - CYCLE 2INTRODUCTION

The Fundamental Learning Cycle begins in Preschool (the final year) and in many ways, borrows its methodology from the latter. It is continued through the first two years of Elementary School (First and Second Grades) where the objective is to transform the initial experiences with writing techniques into rigorous and solid learning. Ensuring a smooth transition between these two phases is a delicate goal for teachers who, in one school or the other, have the responsibility of guiding their students toward the mastery of reading, writing and counting. If the Fundamental Learning Cycle begins in Preschool, it is because the essential path a child takes to appropriate a culture of writing (Mathematics included) reinforces his capacity to modify relationships to language: it is through verbal means that one learns not only to read and write, but to count as well. It is therefore extremely important that Preschool teachers encourage the children in their care to develop an interest in language, not only for what it can express but for the manner in which this expression can be accomplished. One very important element in the final year of Preschool is this difficult transformation of language which is not so much taught as it is allowed to be developed. Teachers in Elementary School must adhere to this philosophy. In many ways, the two years of this Cycle which are entrusted to them are merely the prolonging of Preschool and the continuation of its methods. The attention given to oral language is still crucial. Additionally, whenever the organization of sectors of the school permits (and it is desirable that this be the case), the two schools carefully develop projects to facilitate a smooth transition between the two phases and provide a common PROGRAM of activities. The passing from Preschool to early Elementary School is without a doubt an important and necessary point of rupture for the child. He discovers, at this juncture, various new possibilities for relationships with adults and more complex social dynamics with his classmates, a more demanding connection to knowledge, and a growing need for autonomy. However, in other aspects, a rupture slightly less troublesome but also underestimated occurs between Cycles 2 and 3, at the time when changes in his attitude and behavior transform him from child into student. It is from this perspective that the Cycle 2 program upholds certain continuity between Preschool and Elementary School. Noticeably, the teaching is organized over large areas of activity rather than by discipline or subject matter and a number of these areas are in direct line with those from Preschool. This is most obviously the case in the area of “Mastery of the French Language, even if the relative roles of oral and written language are reversed. This is also the case with “Living in Society” which preserves the same directionality: taking the child through a progressive adaptation to collective life and its constraints, but simultaneously allowing him to develop his own personality. It is the case as well with “Discovering the World”, which remains, as it was in Preschool, the favored domain for education based on curiosity (the world of Man or Nature, of the living or the mechanical, the real or the virtual), and at the same time the occasion for an initial structuring of knowledge: time, space, matter and causality. Between “Mastery of Language” and “Discovering the World”, already familiar from Preschool, the domain of “Foreign or Regional Language” in Cycle 2 becomes the object of specific and structured study. It is a question of driving the child to encounter for the first time the practice of a language other than standard French. Emphasis is placed on the ability to discriminate between different tonalities, sounds and new words he discovers either by listening to examples or through the simple pleasure of imitating them. It is also about enabling him to discover that there exist other horizons, other countries, other ways of living, and that in this case again, curiosity can become knowledge. The areas of “Artistic Education” and “Physical Education”, approached in Preschool, now constitute a separate entity making full use of newly acquired maturity on the part of the students: new motor skills become possible and open the door to the use of new tools and more complex techniques; children’s autonomy and strength of expression are preserved in a setting where their creativity is allowed to be developed with greater means and better mastery.

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The situation in the domain of “Mathematics” is in greater contrast. Of course, starting in Preschool, the child begins to quantify his world by way of ordering and numbering. He has identified specific forms within space or surroundings. He has discovered that one can classify or arrange objects by extracting some of their properties. He has become aware of the power of his own judgment and the rigor which must be observed when using it. However, in Elementary School, at the same time as he is learning to write, a totally new experience is offered to him. There, he truly begins the study of Mathematics and mathematical models. On the one hand, the child becomes more aware of the power numbers afford him in his choices, decisions or actions in real situations. On the other, precisely at the same time as he is beginning to understand the functions of the alphabet, he also gains access to the intelligence of a system of writing for numbers, to relationships that the latter allows him to explain, and to all the possibilities of calculation which are now open to him. Armed with a pencil and a few instruments, the student in Cycle 2 learns to uncover a whole new universe. It is in this sense that the instruction of Mathematics and that of written language work together so profoundly within the Fundamental Learning Cycle and why, for centuries, they have constituted the backbone of education. There is no question that the skills acquired in one domain reinforce those acquired in the other. In this respect, if “Mastery of the French Language” is a manifestation of the continuity between learning in Preschool and learning in Elementary School, it is also the area in which there can be found the greatest separation or division. The appropriation of primary writing techniques points the child from the outset of the Cycle to the exercise of autonomy, still difficult for him to comprehend but rich with promise. Intervention on the part of the teacher is no longer his only means of access to the world of written forms of culture and knowledge. Henceforth the student is able to read with ease, understand simple texts and write a dozen lines, mastering problems of vocabulary, syntax and spelling. It is understandable therefore, that learning to read and write may appear to be the major educational events of these years, previously characterized as those leading up to the age of reason. One can also imagine the worries that may arise when, along the way, difficulties present themselves. Certain children are not able to conquer learning to read and write during the course of the Fundamental Learning Cycle. The causes of this failure can vary widely and can often be difficult to analyze at the age in question. Occasionally there is talk of the possibility of dyslexia. Specialists consider that a diagnosis of this type can rarely be formulated before the age of eight. Certainly during the course of a child’s five year check-up, the family doctor may be able to alert the parents and the school to a particular weakness in this area and may suggest keeping an eye on the problem. However, it cannot be deduced with certitude that any given child will or will not be able to read or write. It is therefore the responsibility of the pedagogical team of this Cycle to consider that, in this domain, the need for patience must accompany that of vigilance. Other children, without presenting any specific problems or issues, have a longer road ahead of them than most, during the preparatory phase of learning (in particular in the acquisition of the concept of the alphabet). These are the children who risk failure simply because they were not given time to make use of the proper instruments. The transition between Preschool and Elementary School, the differentiation of work in the first months of First Grade and the personal guidance accorded to children concerned, are thus crucial. As with many other circumstances, a positive outlook surrounding a child with learning difficulties is imperative. Problems of comprehension are more frequently encountered in schools serving children of families who themselves have difficulties in mastering the language or who for whatever reason have remained at a distance from educational culture. In this case, it is by way of oral and other activities that knowledge can be constructed to reverse this effect. It is therefore extremely important that time consecrated to this end not be reduced, and that efforts to this end remain closely tied to the primary objective of Cycle 2: successfully teaching children to read and write. The Preschool student was able, without knowing how to read, to absorb a rich literary culture. In Cycle 2, contact with Children’s Literature must remain a priority. To the extent that students still do not read well enough to attempt long and complex works, the techniques and methods from Preschool must continue to be used.

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If this introduction describes in extreme detail the difficulties encountered by teachers, it is in no way intended to discourage them from realizing their goals, on the contrary it is intended to encourage them to strive to improve the results obtained by the end of Cycle 2, indispensable to the positive pursuit of education. The importance placed upon the area “Mastery of Language” in this PROGRAM testifies to its decisive impact. The constant establishment of links with other domains illustrates how the mastery of language is, particularly in Cycle 2, the true core for all other axes of learning.

Required Curricular Hours

Several fundamental principles were described in the preceding general introduction. The following hourly curricular requirements are listed on per week basis but must remain flexible. The Cycle’s pedagogical team can thus establish a rigorous program, with periods of greater or lesser intensity as a function of any particular school year. The teacher retains instructional freedom allowing him to take into account the specific needs of his class. One of the gages of success lies in the regularity with which these activities are proposed to students: they must read and write every day during a specified time not only in phases of discovery but also in phases where knowledge acquisition is solidified and stabilized. In Cycle 2 where the emphasis of mastering language is placed upon learning to read and write (almost one hour each day for each of the two disciplines), as soon as the student becomes capable of first signs of autonomy, he should begin to enjoy rereading alone those texts that have been covered collectively in other areas (“Discovering the World”, etc…) and writing or copying with his own hand any produced texts connected to the exercises. There, again, it is the regularity of the activity that counts: readings and writing activities must be proposed every day (at least for half an hour).

SUBJECT AREAS MINIMUMHOURS

MAXIMUMHOURS

Mastery of the French Language 9 hrs. 10 hrs.

Living In Society 30 min. (weekly meeting)

Mathematics 5 hrs. 5 hrs. 30 min.

Discovering the World 3 hrs. 3 hrs. 30 min.

Foreign or Regional Languages 1 hr. 2 hrs.

Artistic Education 3 hrs.

Physical Education 3 hrs.

DAILY ACTIVITIES MINIMUM HOURS

Reading and writing (produced or copied) 2 hrs. 30 min.

MASTERY OF LANGUAGE AND OF THE FRENCH LANGUAGE

OBJECTIVESThe Fundamental Learning Cycle should allow each student to learn to read and write in French, while becoming familiar with major aspects of written culture. This is a first step, beginning in Pre-school, on the road to the introduction to language via evocation (remembering past events, formulating ideas, verbalizing imaginary situations), and the familiarization with the concept of language itself, and the culture of writing. The regular use of oral literature and audio recordings for young children is a decisive element, as is the accumulated knowledge and experience in various other areas of activity. These objectives are far from being fully attained when the child

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enters Elementary School. They should be targeted with the same determination, not only in first through third grade, but also in fourth through sixth grade and the beginning of Middle school. This work continues, particularly in Kindergarten, with patient preparation for learning to read and write, by learning to hear and distinguish the different sounds of the French language (phonetics), and learning to understand how the letters (graphemes) represent these sounds. For many children, this phase is not completed by the time they enter Elementary School. Thus, one should not consider the first years of Elementary School as the beginning of a new learning level. In fact, the work begun in Kindergarten is merely continued and completed therein. Teachers must take the greatest care to assess the level of language acquisition of students entering Elementary School, and when the level of competency at the end of Kindergarten is determined to be insufficient, they should not hesitate to continue the same basic language acquisition activities into the early Elementary School years. The door to success with written language lies in completing the full Cycle of fundamental language training, and does not stop with the work done in early Elementary School.Learning to read and learning to write are perfectly complementary. The two skills are inextricably linked; they mutually reinforce each other. If, for the purpose of clarity, they are treated separately here, it is nonetheless essential that in the classroom they be approached within the same exercise sequences, in alternation with a well conceived plan. Learning to write is one of the best methods for learning to read.In each of these skill areas, structured knowledge in each of the subject areas of the upper Elementary grades, the works of Children’s Literature listed in bibliographies made available to teachers, and the various materials and printed documentation, adapted for this age group, constitute the cultural base without which speaking, reading and writing would be but mechanical skills with no significance.

PROGRAM

1 – Mastery of Spoken Language

The mastery of spoken language is the principal focus of Pre-school and Kindergarten activities. However, it must also remain a focus of attention during the entire Fundamental Learning Cycle. This skill is reinforced in many communication situations which are the foundation of school and class life, but also in instances explicitly designed for the development and structuring of each student’s language skills.1.1 Taking Part in the Network of Daily CommunicationIn Elementary School one half hour per week is allocated in the schedule to formalize the time for discussion about collective life (e.g. “living in society”). It is best to direct the students in such a way that no student is left out of discussions, and all students learn to listen, not only to teachers, but to each other, and to accept the direction of the discussion, which for the most part at this stage, is the teacher’s job. Insomuch as the major challenge resides in the ability of students to understand the exchange of ideas taking place and to continually advance the collective thought process, the teacher must be particularly attentive in guiding the discussion. There is also a place in language training exercises for less formal discussions. These must, however, benefit from the same attention to guidance.1.2 Entering into Didactic DialogueDialogue established between teacher and student throughout the Cycle of language acquisition is another important means of communication as a part of the learning program. The student must learn to draw from these exchanges to help fill in the gaps, formulate explanations for incomprehensible elements, recognize a mistake and correct it. Increasing the discussion group to several students can be advantageous, provided the teacher does not lose sight of the goal of allowing each student to restructure his utterances and rectify the manner of expressing them based upon teacher input.1.3 Continuing to Learn to Speak and Understand FrenchUpon entering Elementary School, students still have difficulty attempting to describe something that has happened with which their conversation partner is unfamiliar, or explaining a phenomenon that may be slightly complex. Generally, when they venture into a formulation

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involving several steps, without the help of a mediator, their conversation remains quite clumsy. This is also the case when they try to understand an oral presentation of this type. In these situations, it is through recourse to dialogue that the teacher progressively helps the student to build better understanding and a better level of expression. Developing the Ability for Longer Utterances and Understanding Complex DialogueIn order for the student to progressively acquire greater autonomy in language use, and so that the student may undertake longer and better-structured utterances, it is useful to organize specific activities which build upon those used in Kindergarten. Here again, reconstructing an incident that transpired in the past should be considered a priority. This results in the use of oral storytelling, overlapping with an improved understanding of spoken texts.Facilitating Understanding of Narrative Texts (listening, story reformulations)The introduction to audio books or illustrated storybooks can be, at the Elementary School level, an effective means of achieving this goal. Alternating between teacher readings and various student reformulations of the material presented in the child’s own words, along with a dialogue addressing the difficulties encountered, followed by the reading of another passage by the teacher, and another oral reformulation by a student (by means of a dictation to the adult, for example), is a process by which to achieve greater familiarity with the texts. The teacher might require that students take a progressively larger role in this exchange, so that they learn to better structure their desired utterances and better understand longer or more complex texts.Facilitating Understanding of Explanatory Texts (group listening activities)The same theory applies to explanatory texts and similar procedures can result in better comprehension of various types of documentaries (films, books, magazines, multimedia…). In the initial stages of the Fundamental Learning Cycle, the ability to understand the information presented by understanding the teacher’s sounds and spoken voice, and the support provided by pictures and drawings, are critical. Once again, speaking and understanding are intertwined: going through a text together, generating dialogue based on key elements of information, a partial synthesis requested of the students and repeated by the teacher, and a final summary, which could again be in the form of dictation, from students to teacher. This is the fusion of the mastery of spoken and written language.Spoken and Written Language Mastery – Concurrent LearningGenerally, in the first learning Cycle, students have not yet sufficiently mastered the written word well enough to question their own ability to understand the text they are reading. Early reader training books take this into account by avoiding any complexity in the narrations. If it is wished that students continue to develop strategies for improving understanding of longer and more complex texts – and it is essential that they do – then the teacher must make it a high priority to read such texts aloud.1.4 Describing ImagesPictures, in all formats, fixed or animated, are frequently used in the acquisition of reading skills as the equivalent of a written message that the child cannot yet understand. Thus, a reading lesson almost always begins with the exploration of a picture. This use of pictures stems from the idea that pictures are immediately understandable and accessible by the child, and this is true.Within the framework of artistic activities, students in early learning stages begin to use images more thoughtfully. Pictures are used on a daily basis in a variety of classroom activities. It is important that every time images are used, they serve as a basis of careful group discussion, in order to verbally elaborate upon the message they convey. This will provide the opportunity to confirm the identification of numerous elements of the language of pictures, and at the same time explain the meaning of descriptive words, clarify actions suggested by the relationships between objects and people portrayed in the picture, and wherever possible, compare and contrast this picture with other pictures the child has already encountered, and finally, begin to interpret the point of view of the photographer, illustrator or film-maker. However, this approach must not be limited to a strict translation of pictures. Rather it should simply ensure that students begin to build a common foundation of understanding and that they become capable of easily progressing from comprehension of the picture’s meaning to being able to describe it verbally.1.5 Organizing and Developing Vocabulary

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Beginning at age six, children become more attentive to new words they discover when others speak or read to them. Through their participation, adults allow children to increase their accuracy and provide frequent opportunities to employ these more or less spontaneously learned words. In this manner, discussion based upon text comprehension again plays an essential role.Attention to the construction of words allows for more rapid vocabulary development in that each newly acquired element opens the door to understanding and producing new words based on the root word. The playful manipulation of numerous prefixes and suffixes offered by the language opens the door to inventions of new words; it is then up to the teacher to clarify whether the word is a real one or not. Here again, it is not a question of formally describing the lexicon, but rather playing with vocabulary and by doing so, developing an appreciation of the language.1.6 Speaking AloudAmong the numerous texts, prose, or verse that students in 4th, 5th and 6th grades discover via the teacher’s voice, some of these texts, for the interest they generate and for their literary qualities, merit being memorized. Memorization begins at the end of the preliminary task of understanding the text and a discussion of the possible meanings. Learning the text is done in class, as in Kindergarten, which is to say, in a group. Preparation for the explanation necessitates discussion, some trial and error, criticism, and decision-making. It is preferable at this age to favor group explanations rather than individual explanations (see “Music Education”). Theatre can offer the opportunity for a more detailed project. This can also be the case with a collection of prose and verse texts. Poetry should be given as central a place in Elementary School as it occupied in Kindergarten.Reading aloud is another important part of diction. This may be brought into focus as soon as reading skills are sufficient, and requires preparation similar to what is done for texts that are to be memorized; the reading aloud comes into play simply as a memory helper.It is important not to confuse the task of explaining a text to a listener with that of reading aloud, which constitutes an important part of learning-to-read activities in the early learning Cycle. In the latter, the objective is merely to begin to establish correct emphasis in groups of words (in French, the emphasis is strongest on the last syllable in a group of words) as well as becoming familiar with the normal intonation curve in a sentence in order to find its meaning.

2 – Reading

To learn to read is to learn to engage two very different activities at the same time: one which leads to the identification of written words, and one which leads to understanding their meaning in verbal (texts) and non-verbal contexts (text aids, communication situations). The first activity is specific to reading. The second is not unlike that which leads to spoken language, although the conditions of written communication differ (absence of an interlocutor, permanence of the message) and written language has specific, literal syntax and vocabulary rarely present in the spoken language. For the experienced reader, the two activities are almost simultaneous. The first activity has become automatic, liberating the reader’s intellectual resources for the second task, which can therefore benefit from more thorough attention. In the early reader, the process of identifying words is still not efficient, and is sometimes too slow for the memory to retain the known words through to the end of the passage. Comprehension remains difficult and must be intensely followed, in particular when students undertake long or complex texts. However, with increasingly efficient skills in word identification, the young reader is able to exit the Fundamental Learning Cycle with a fundamental level of autonomy. Both aspects of learning to read must be taught. This calls for a specific program of activities throughout the entire learning Cycle. Most learning-to- read “methods” today offer a well-balanced program. Using a quality reading textbook as a basis helps to ensure critical success in this delicate endeavor, especially for inexperienced teachers at this level. However, a textbook must not, under any circumstances, be the only book the students encounter. Frequent collateral reading of early-reader literature, aided by regular reading aloud by the teachers is also necessary; it remains the sole means of working through comprehension of complex texts.2.1 Understanding the Alphabetic Principles of WordsTo identify words, the young reader must have appropriated the principle that governs alphabetic rules and regulations of written language in French: letters, or groups of letters, (graphemes)

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most often represent distinctive oral language units (phonemes) assembled by syllables. The child progressively builds this knowledge base starting in Kindergarten (see section, “Language at the Heart of Learning” in the Preschool PROGRAM), but has not yet fully understood the complexity of the principle, at the outset of Elementary School.The teacher must therefore obligatorily evaluate the students in this area before even attempting to teach reading. One may, by example, ask a writing question (“If you wanted to write this word, how would you write it?”), progressively complicating the task and observing the manner in which students work – their capacity or not for identifying phonetic elements that make up a word, their capability of proposing a grapheme or symbol for a phonetic unit, knowledge of the names of the letters and their values.Generally, for all students, and for those who are still far from comprehending the alphabetic principle, a program of study must be put into place in order to:- Improve recognition of distinctive elements forming words: syllables, introductions to words (consonant preceding the vowel), rhymes (vowels and consonants), and progressive phonetics- Solidify the base of words students can correctly spell, permitting construction of phonetically correct writing of a new word; reinforce the analysis of sound elements (syllables and, in part, phonics), practice the writing and spelling of them, and facilitate comparisons of new words to these already acquired words;- Continue and develop the “Spelling Problem Resolution” exercises (“how does one write such and such word?”) leading to the efficient implementation of initial competency.2.2 Reduction of Written and Oral Sounds to their Simplest ComponentsParallel to the work of alphabetic decoding of words, it is critical that students benefit from organized and progressive instruction allowing them to rapidly improve in the area of word identification.Segmentation of text into individual wordsIn Kindergarten, the first approach to the written code is most often via endeavored through word study rather than in texts. In Elementary School, texts quickly become the preferred aid in the task of reading, and the student must learn to identify the words that make up the text. However, the word is not an obvious reality in oral language, it is only clear to those who already know how to read and write. It is thus extremely important, beginning in the first weeks of reading instruction, to reinforce the intersection between written words (graphic units, separated by blank spaces) and units corresponding to the oral sequence. For example, the teacher might identify and indicate the words in a text being read aloud. This first step in the task of segmentation is an important phase in learning to read.Segmentation of Words into Syllables and PhonemesThe segmentation of utterances is carried on at the word level itself and accentuates the work of analyzing distinct elements. In Kindergarten and in the beginning of Elementary School, this takes the form of a game. But at the Elementary School level, analytic ability becomes more assured and more precise. With this in mind, it is advantageous to repeat exercises focusing on categorizing sound units at different levels, developing rules for sorting, putting groups in place, seeking out new elements that might enter into the proposed groups. In the same way, it is important to have students transform words, playing with their components: segmentation, naming the components, modifying them by shortening or lengthening them, and inverting them (first syllables, then phonemes). Strict phonetic analysis seems to be as much a consequence as a cause of learning to read. This is therefore a necessary first phase.2.3 Two Methods of Identifying WordsTo identify a word, the reader must link visual information (the written word) to knowledge that has been previously acquired learning to speak, the sound structure of the word (the representation of the phonemes that make it up) and its meaning(s). Two means of attaining these results are possible: the direct method and the indirect method. The young reader should learn to efficiently use both methods. They reinforce each other when used frequently, and are also reinforced by writing exercises.Word Identification by the Direct MethodThis type of identification is possible if the reader already possesses, in memory, a spelled out image of the word. In this case, the word is practically instantly memorized, both visually, and

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when heard aloud (semantically). We know today that the reader doesn’t lean on the shape of the word to identify it, but rather on a very rapid perception of the letters that compose the word.

Word Identification by the Indirect Method (Word Decoding)One can also identify a word for which one has not memorized the visual picture by using the indirect method, word decoding. In this case, letters are assembled to compose pronounceable syllables; the word is pronounced and compared to other similar words for which one has already memorized a sound image. The important variations that exist in French between written syllables and spoken syllables make this identification system somewhat challenging.2.4 Learning to Identify Words Inferentially (Deciphering) In order to be able to identify words inferentially, students at the elementary level who have begun to understand how the alphabet works must also memorize the relationships between graphemes and phonemes, and learn to use them correctly.Most teaching methods propose two manners of approaching this which are initially complementary: the analysis of whole words broken down into their smaller units calling upon previously acquired knowledge, and synthesis, based on their constituents, of syllables of real or invented words. Both types of activity are taught via numerous writing exercises, which allow for the reinforcement and memorization of such relationships. Analysis of Graphic Material and Synthesis of Identified Units In the first case, each word that is presented is analyzed by way of analogy with catchwords (in "manteau", I can see "-man" from the word "maman", the letter "t" from "table", the "-eau" from "beau"). Each recognized graphic unit, however long or short it may be, can be written or spelled out and has a phonetic value that is clear (I pronounce [mã], [tø]).Secondly, auditory material recognized in this way should be gathered together, syllable by syllable, to make up a word that relates to an acoustic image in the student’s memory. The main difficulty lies in the assembly of the syllable based on the phonemes from which it is constituted: the passage from [t] and [o] to [to] is difficult to learn without guidance and in most cases requires that the equivalent also be learned.This is why it is important to have students practice the art of synthesis through memorization of the main syllable construction between vowels and consonants in various possible combinations. It is through writing more than reading that these regular constructions are stored in memory: the production of syllables based on a consonant or vowel, the writing of syllables during dictation, the splitting up of a regular written word into syllables, etc. Analytical Difficulties Related to Spelling Irregularities of the French LanguageAnalysis itself becomes gradually more complex as the reader encounters irregular words involving double consonants, letters with an inferential phonetic value (“u” following the letters “c” and “g”…), grammatical value, such as the “nt” in the third person plural of the verb, or a lexical value (”gt” of “doigt”…). These realities should not be ignored in analysis, as they offer important support for the identification of words (it is their silent letter that allows us to distinguish “rat” from “ras” or, in many cases, a plural form from a singular one). They should be integrated and refer to familiar recognized catchwords.Analysis becomes even more complicated when it involves ambiguous splitting of words or unusual contextual situations. This is the case, for example, where breaking up into oral syllables no longer corresponds to breaking up into the most common written syllables, such as the various uses of “n” or “m” (“animal” as opposed to “angine”). There again, guidance is essential so that the novice reader might rapidly appropriate first distinctions offered to him, and be able to apply these to similar situations. There is a risk, of course, that he will encounter irregular coding, which will, in turn, be introduced by the teacher.Complementary Reading and Writing ExercisesThe complementary relationship between reading and writing remains, in this case as in others, an excellent means of reinforcing what has already been learned. To write down a word that one does not yet know calls for synthesis, which completes analysis. Dictation is not the only way to accomplish this. Word games allow comparison of similar phonemes (for example, distinguishing between [d] and [t], different graphemes that refer to the same phonemes (“o”, “au”, “eau”), context rules (such as those that distinguish between the different ways of writing [s] or [z], or breaking up words into ambiguous syllables.

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Activity Program The acquisition of these skills is at the heart of most teaching methods for reading. The quality of programs available should guide the choice made by teachers. Some leave this knowledge to be acquired in a haphazard fashion by way of students’ reactions to words they encounter (as in the case of the “natural” method proposed by Célestin Freinet), yet others (in particular textbooks proposed by editors) organize the process gradually, combining the increasing complexity of activities that comes into play both in the analysis and in the synthesis with the increasing complexity of the relationship between graphemes and phonemes. In both cases, it is important to assist students to memorize this information, thus allowing them to rigorously structure them and frequently review them.Certain methods propose refraining from teaching inferential word recognition (whole reading methods, idea-visuals…) in such a way as to prevent certain students from becoming blocked by this phase of deciphering, which is reputed to be inefficient for the processing of the meaning of texts. Today it is often considered that this choice brings more disadvantages than advantages: it does not allow students to quickly acquire direct spelling recognition skills, as they are held back by a meaning within a context that is theirs, rather than the context read in the text. We should, however, consider that most of these methods, given the broad place that they occupy in writing activities, manage to teach, in a less obvious manner, the relationship between graphemes and phonemes. It is up to the teachers to decide upon the path that will lead all students most efficiently to acquiring all the skills set by the curricular programs (the ability to decipher unknown words comprising a large part of the latter).2.5 Learning to Identify Words DirectlyAt the end of the fundamental skills acquisition Cycle, students should be able to use the direct word recognition method with confidence. This allows them to apply practically instant word identification and makes comprehension easier by freeing the memory on the one hand, and by allowing for confident and full information acquisition on the other. This accessibility assumes that students have memorized the spelling form (and not the overall image) of many words and that they have had the benefit of serious and regular training. It is, however, quite normal that they cannot actually read by way of this method continuously, because most of the texts they are discovering include little-used words that, either they do not know orally or in written form, or that the spelling of which has not yet been memorized.Identification of Function Words Words whose spelling is memorized first are of course those that are seen most often. These are usually the most frequently used in language, in the case of most function words, and not just those that have been the subject of frequent use in the class drills. Function words are almost imperceptible in spoken language (children do not easily separate the article from the noun that follows it, the auxiliary from the verb...). They must therefore be highlighted in all segmentation exercises of written texts.Beginning in the first year at Elementary School, one can begin to apply classifications that bring out similarities in written forms (the "c" of the demonstrative articles, the "s" of 3rd person possessives...) or by grouping together words that belong to the same category (essentially defined by the substitutions that are allowed: as a qualifier, as a preposition...).Identification of Nouns, Verbs and Adjectives The identification of written words not falling under the category of function words is attained through an overall broadening of children’s general vocabulary (their mental lexicon) and therefore, through the general knowledge that they acquire. During the Cycle of fundamental skills acquisition, this knowledge is often constructed orally during activities that involve “Discovering the World” or "Artistic Education" or even through reading Children’s Literature. It is therefore essential not to neglect these areas, particularly for those students who do not benefit from exposure to varied cultural activities outside of school. However, the identification of written words also raises the basic problems of reading and requires supervision and guidance, most particularly where the novice reader is concerned. As in the case of function words, articulation between reading exercises and writing exercises plays an important role. Every time the student writes a word, he memorizes the graphic components in a much more confident way than when he reads it.From this perspective, all copying exercises are important. They favor the memory storage of the

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spelling of words and assumes that the child will quickly learn to not to be satisfied with a letter-for-letter transcription. Once again, the processing of the source text relies on the activity of segmentation and analysis of graphic material (where to cut the word when one cannot memorize all of it, how to memorize the noun and its qualifier at the same time, the auxiliary and the verb, etc.).Drawing Students’ Attention to Word FormationAttention to grammatical marks used in writing is acquired early: at as early as five years old many children spontaneously ask themselves about the role of “s” in plural forms. In Elementary School, these phenomena should be pointed out as a matter of course, both in reading and writing, by treating them as small issues to be resolved (discussion about their distribution, their role, the comparison of different ways of marking the same phenomena...) and by focusing attention on each of them as they occur. It is not a matter of simply completing grammatical analysis exercises, and even less about locking children into using vague terminology. On the contrary, it is helpful to play with instructions both orally and in writing, in such a way as to make students aware of the effects of a particular mark: what happens when we replace a singular qualifier with a plural qualifier? A verb conjugation’s ending? Its tense? The main objective is to develop for all children a clear awareness of the effects produced by each change on the significance of the statement. We can then assume that this work contributes greatly to facilitating the identification and processing of words in reading texts, in context. Particular attention is paid to gender and number in the noun phrase, the plural of the verb and the most regular persons. We then start to draw attention to some verb tenses in the past (composed past tense and imperfect). The same applies for links introduced between words, and how they are derived from each other ("sable", "sableux", "sablonneux", "sablière", "sablage", "sabler", "ensablé") that should give rise to many exercises so as to render their production familiar and, with the teacher’s assistance, to subject them to more rigorous control and precise significance. As illustrated above, one can search for all words derived from a simple word, play with a suffix or a prefix and make up words based upon these while asking oneself which words already exist in the language and which ones do not ("coiffure" as opposed to "peignure"), or else attempt to find the simple word from those that are derived, while closely checking the results. This does not involve etymological exercises, but rather brings children to use the available graphic information.2.6 Understanding TextsThere are many common factors between comprehension of written texts and comprehension of oral statements which induce close communication situations (monologue, absence of reference points...). This means that everything that allows for the deeper comprehension of oral language also prepares the student for better comprehension of texts. This also means that while the student does not have sufficient capacity for identifying words, training in comprehension should be carried out in two directions: orally for long and complicated texts, particularly on literary texts adapted to the age of the children involved, and in writing for shorter texts which do not contain references to knowledge or experience that the children have not acquired.Understanding Literary TextsAs taught at the Kindergarten level, literary texts (picture albums first, followed by news items and short stories) should be at the heart of activities in Elementary School. More often than not, these are encountered via stories read aloud by the teacher. Students then try to reformulate the text in their own words. It is up to the teacher to propose cuts in the text, to allow students to grasp the successive stages of the story, to construct the necessary synthesis, and to attempt to anticipate what will happen following what has already been read aloud. Interpretation errors and forgotten details will send the students back to re-read passages that are not understood. Re-reading passages will not be sufficient for overcoming all difficulties. There must also be dialogue between the teacher and his students, so that while relying on what is already known, he can provide precise illustrations of what is not yet clear. This work cannot be done only in a large group setting. It must be covered step by step with each child in such a way as not to leave behind those who may be farthest removed from any type of literary culture. Even if the summary remains beyond the grasp of most of the students at this age, an important part of the work of comprehension must rest on the construction, based upon read text, of a synthesis that is as brief as possible: who or what does the text talk about (theme), and what does it say (discussion)?

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Orally, it cannot be considered sufficient to simply expect students to understand the information provided literally in the text. They must be lead to be involved in finding the implied information at hand (comprehending gaps in a message supposes that we have the knowledge required to retrieve the information). This requires that the teacher question the students in detail about the inferred information, including those things that may seem very obvious. This is the only way that all students will manage to understand the texts they are reading.Beyond this, it is also important to guide the students toward acquiring an interpretive attitude: the meaning of a literary text is never given in full, but rather it leaves room for personal intervention on the part of the reader (or in this case the listener). It is through discussion of the text read out loud and later read by students, that the various possible interpretations can be compared. These must also be evaluated without neglecting to refer back to the text itself, in order to ensure that interpretations remain compatible with the text. By plunging into this interpretative work the student is also brought to respect the text itself. Authors of Children’s Literature, who in this respect should not be distinguished from other writers, weave many links between the texts they write and those that constitute the cultural context of their creation. This means that one does not really understand a book, even a simple picture album, without picking up on these subtle links that make a book a piece of literary art. Literary texts in the Fundamental Learning Cycle, as with other Cycles, must be selected with care and organized into sections that allow the reader or listener to find a character, theme, type, author, illustrator, etc. Through this process, and only this process, the habit of picking up books is gradually appropriated into a culture.It is important that the books chosen be numerous and varied in content. Reading in class must be complemented by personal reading at the school library or in the family home. Borrowing books from the school or neighborhood library should become a habit and a need. The teachers explain to parents the role of mediator that they can also play between the book and the child. If they are hesitant to read aloud, they can also explore the illustrations and strike up a conversation about them. The essential goal is for the child to discover that a book can be looked upon in many different ways, linked to various cultural references, shared with his friends as well as his family or teacher.Another way to ensure the full comprehension of a text is to introduce it in conjunction with a writing exercise. This often consists of continuing a text for which only the beginning has been provided, transforming an episode of a story, changing a character, transporting the main character into another world... Children’s Literature offers many examples of plot structures and diversions of this type. As writing is still quite difficult for the students in the fundamental skills learning Cycle, it will be necessary to rely upon dictation by an adult or, gradually, writing exercises based on previously prepared materials. Group exercises are, in this case, preferable to individual work, which is still a challenge at this age.Understanding Documentary TextsDocumentary texts can be the subject of comparable work. These too are difficult to address through individual reading during the Fundamental Learning Cycle. A collective and supervised approach would seem preferable. It is important that documentary texts fulfill their function as reference material and that they form a step in the process of building knowledge, supported elsewhere by direct real experience (see "Discovering the World").The documentary text can be leafed through like a picture album (it includes numerous illustrations, charts, tables…) and is also read aloud by the teacher. It should require the same attention to the significance of its contents. Quite often, a documentary text is used to answer a particular question. It assumes that the student is equipped with a research strategy supported by lists of contents, indexes, titles and subtitles. The answers found remain difficult to interpret, as they often refer to other information that is found in different places in the text. Inference plays a larger role in this type of reading than in narrative text. In order to resolve the problems posed by gaps in the text, it is appropriate to make the reading of documentary texts something of an event in the building of ordered knowledge, rather than an act of autonomous reading.Documentation that is electronically accessible poses other types of problems to the extent that the hypertext link has a tendency to fragment information even further. Supervision of children must be stricter here than for printed books and the effort required for synthesis should always lengthen the research.

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As with literature, conjunction between reading and writing allows students to deepen their comprehension of documentary texts. The opportunity can be provided by way of excursions, growing plants, an experiment, a meeting or testimonial, etc. During the Fundamental Learning Cycle, drawing remains a preferred means of recording information. It can also be the support for organizing ideas, and organizing a document. The text tends to complement this initial representation and completes it. At this age, documentary text remains a narrative text. This is a standard and enriching step in gaining access to explanatory texts.Gaining a Better Understanding of Texts While ReadingThe understanding of texts, while reading, is commensurate with word recognition ability. Once this becomes semi-automatic, the reader can process vocabulary and syntax in a coordinated manner, connecting what he discovers in the text with knowledge he as acquired previously, in such a way as to build a confident representation of what he has read. As he advances in his reading, he must also synthesize the information gathered, in a way that links new and old information. This usually happens by way of a condensation of the already processed text components.In the Fundamental Learning Cycle, it is important to gradually have students acquire efficient strategies for understanding the successive phrases of a text and their interaction. Two types of activities can be planned: those that render the student more sensitive to the purpose of syntax in the comprehension of the phrase, and those that allow him to control the quality of the comprehension being built. The two can be accomplished by highlighting situations in which students are asked to anticipate the end of a phrase in a text where they have already read the first words, respecting the syntactical structure of the statement (criticism of erroneous solutions is an important aspect of this awareness), or by proposing semantically probable continuation within the current context and then obviously criticizing any improbable continuation.Some syntactical structures are difficult to understand. This is the case, for example, for passive phrases that many children understand as if they were active phrases. It is also the case of complex phrases including relative pronouns or conjunctions. Interaction on the part of the teacher is important in every case. He must anticipate the difficulties encountered and guide the children to a place where they may find the answer by activating their attention, suggesting points at which they might stop and by checking what has really been understood.The reader must also construct successive representations of what he is reading and articulate them amongst themselves. This would assume that one can extract from the text coherent sets of information and that these be memorized through considerable work involving selection and condensation. This additionally assumes efficient processing of all the marks that ensure cohesion of the text: punctuation, articles, noun substitutes (pronouns, synonyms), connectors, signs of verb tense. Then again, it is by encouraging students to re-state in their own words what they have just read, then selecting the important information and memorizing it, that they begin to better understand the text. By attracting their attention, during the reading exercise, to signs of coherence encountered and ensuring their proper interpretation, students gradually grasp hold of their usage.As we have already seen, learning to understand phrases and texts requires supported discussions, and rigorous control of attempts through exchanges between the student reader and the expert reader. The silent and solitary reading situation should then be considered as the end result of a lengthy task that calls into play extensive oral exchange about read texts. Reading aloud, as it allows one to consider what the reader has read, allows for dialogue and correction. It is the best possible instrument for learning.

3 - Writing Texts

Writing and reading are closely linked in all activities in the Fundamental Learning Cycle. However, specific periods should be reserved for activities that lead students to be able to produce a short but structured written text autonomously by the end of this Cycle, be it a narrative or an explanatory text. This is possible provided that any difficulties are addressed in such way so as to not present them all at once and to separately exercise the various components of text production. In fact, until the basic abilities (writing out letters, grasping the essential points of spelling) are acquired and have become automatic, it is difficult for a child to fully concentrate on

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finer skilled activities such as the manipulation of information, text organization and filling out of statements. By highlighting writing projects, based on real communication situations, it is possible to accentuate these components one by one while the teacher manages the others.

3.1 Graphic (Writing) ActivitiesIn Kindergarten, the child has learned to master the basic motor skills required for writing. Whether he is right-handed or left-handed, he usually holds his pencil or pen without clenching the fist of his hand, he knows how to position his paper carefully at the end of his forearm, and he masters the main lines and respects the direction of rotation, in order to facilitate the gradual development of rapid and legible handwriting. The fine motor skills that he displays when writing and drawing are expected due to his general mastery of motor skills. Many children have not yet arrived at this level of skills mastery when they enter Elementary School. Graphic art activities remain an efficient means of developing the motor skills required at this level.At Elementary level, the student should be able to write carefully and legibly in handwriting (lowercase letters and capitals). Teachers can avail themselves of helpful examples published by the French National Ministry of Education. These have been designed to allow the student to assimilate the graphic characteristics of each letter of the alphabet and gain a facility of movement that allows him to write quickly yet legibly.The computer keyboard is one of the instruments students learn to use at the Kindergarten level. It helps familiarize the child with the alphabetic structure of our writing by reinforcing the individualization of the letter. While it is necessary for the keyboard to be explored freely at Kindergarten level, in the Fundamental Learning Cycle the student is assisted in understanding the different uses of the alphabet that he can apply through demonstration of how typing functions can be used more efficiently through the use of both hands, and through the use of the thumb.Through the discovery of other styles of the act of writing or other graphic movements, particularly in the field of visual arts, it is possible to articulate the instrumental uses of writing along with its aesthetic value. Projects involving the manuscript edition of published texts allow students to explore the many faces of calligraphy. The same is true of software printing policies of word-processing when an electronic edition or printed edition is required. 3.2 SpellingThe objective of the Fundamental Learning Cycle is to equip students with sound phonetic spelling skills, with the capacity to make the agreement between the subject and the verb in all regular situations, and the instinct to check agreements between gender and number in the noun phrase (close to the article). The spelling of most frequently used words, even irregular ones, must also be mastered (this is particularly true in the case of function words).These skills are quite different, and assume specific learning situations (dictation cannot resolve every issue). With respect to lexical spelling, one must distinguish between the ability to copy a word perfectly (that is to look at an index to re-use it) and the ability to write a word for which one is not yet sure of having mastered the spelled form, unassisted. In text production situations, it is important for the student to be able to choose between the two procedures and to rely on either acquired skills or a word glossary. To a certain extent it is necessary to encourage him to form a clear idea of what he does not yet know. It is just as important that he ask himself “spelling questions” and that he think out loud about the way in which one can spell a word. Interaction with the teacher is very important in this case. He should require thoroughness in the phonological analysis of the word, and allow the student to build initial references and rules for choosing between the different possible spellings for the same sound. Work carried out on the building of a lexicon (derivatives) should be used again in first writing exercises (for example, when finding silent letters).With respect to so-called grammatical spelling, the difficulty lies less in the memorization of rules than in attracting the student’s attention. It is important for a student to quickly discover that the appearance of a word such as “les" or "des" in a statement should immediately lead to a careful examination of the words that follow it. The various signals that are likely to trigger agreements should be retrieved and be the subject of specific attention in the class and reviewed continuously. For the noun phrase, students are generally, at the end of the 2nd Cycle, capable of making the agreement with the first word that follows the plural article. They achieve this with greater difficulty on the second. Verb agreement with the subject becomes difficult when it is not

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heard it as in first group verbs. These spelling skills are not truly mastered until they become automatic. It is in this light that they should be approached. Spelling review of texts remains difficult for the students in the 2nd Cycle. They may, however, be introduced to this important practice by first noting the points in the text in which there were errors, and by bringing them out verbally and discussing all possible solutions.Generally speaking, one should not choose to work on spelling problems when the child’s efforts are being concentrated on the writing activity itself. One can, however, maintain attention to spelling through spontaneous writing when the effort of conception and formulating into words is shorter (title for a drawing, very short text, deferred copy, etc.).3.3 Applying Knowledge and Organizing Texts More difficult than organizing the successive parts of a text is the application of the skills required for writing which present the 2nd Cycle student with the most challenges. He knows how to fill out information within the framework of a dialogue with an adult, but has greater difficulty achieving this alone. The application of skills should remain a collective activity supported by the teacher. It often assumes in-advance oral work, during which possible contents for the writing exercise are discussed. The use of drawings (as an instrument to apply skills or memorize material) can be equally efficient to the extent that it offers a stable support for discussion.The two types of text that are most likely to be approached during the 2nd Cycle (narrative and explanatory) are closely related to three types that are very familiar to the students at this level: the account of an event that they have experienced, the literary narrative and the documentary text. The account might easily introduce a narrative or documentary. Its basis on actual experience allows one to establish with precision the most pertinent moments amongst all the memorized components and put them in order depending upon the text that one wants to produce. In each of these cases, the application of skills will be even more assured as it is based on cultural references which are regularly reinforced through literature and documentary texts. Organization of texts at this age cannot be seriously considered as the expansion of an advanced plan. It would be preferable to have situations where portions of previously expanded text must be placed in order, to foresee the resolution of events or information based upon drawings or pictures that represent them. Here again, one can gradually build skills by approaching these problems through modification exercises applied to previously written texts, such as the draft or transformation of an episode.3.4 Putting Ideas into WordsDuring the Fundamental Learning Cycle, putting ideas into text form is still reserved for dictation by an adult supervisor or extracting copied fragments of text from textbooks. However, the students should also begin to write texts autonomously, in which all components have been set down and organized in advance. The efforts required of the child, to build phrases, find words, know their relationships and note their spelling, constitute a new connection with language. Once again, the teacher must be ever-present and assist with each student’s attempts by pointing out difficulties that are imperceptible, providing any missing information, and suggesting a solution for syntax or spelling problems.It is generally agreed that by the end of the 2nd Cycle, with rigorous preparation, each child should be able to write a text of about twelve lines in length (narrative or explanatory text) while correctly managing any syntactical or lexical problems.3.5 Editing TextA writing project usually ends with a handwritten or printed edition of the text, whether in a group effort or on an individual basis. This is an important aspect of text production which must not be neglected. In particular, one should ensure that editing procedures are in harmony with the targeted reading audience. Liaison with artistic activities allows students to include writing as part of an elaborate project of expression and design.

4 – Assessing Acquired Skills

The French Ministry of Education’s National Proficiency Tests at the start of the 3rd Cycle are designed to take stock of results obtained at the end of five, or often six years of schooling. They provide precise points of reference in the different areas involved in language mastery:

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- Comprehension of oral language, both through ordinary daily school life (understanding instructions) and through working with long texts read aloud by the teacher (Children’s Literature, documentary texts);- Mastery of direct word identification (such identification should have become automatic for commonly used words as well as for less common words with regular spelling) and indirectly (deciphering of rare words and words with irregular spelling);- Comprehension of written language, which at this age should be considered to be restricted to knowing how to autonomously find information in a text which is part of the cultural environment and the child’s range of knowledge (the use of reading to discover new knowledge falls more clearly under the PROGRAM of the 3rd Cycle);- Error-free copying of short texts;- Autonomous writing in which words are correctly spelled or through prepared dictation of the most common words, respecting verb and subject agreements and the noun phrase (where they are regular);- Production of short texts including various obstacles, under teacher supervision;- Confident use of the main linguistic tools that give texts cohesion (noun and pronoun substitutes, connector words, articles, verb tenses);- Confident use of vocabulary and the ability to understand new words in context and through the application of some derivative phenomena.The existence of a National Proficiency Test Program does not prevent the teachers in the Fundamental Learning Cycle from organizing their own evaluations during the course of the Cycle, which may draw attention to any difficulties certain students may encounter, as they arise. These are simply a means of continuously checking the appropriateness of the activities being planned and the teachers assigned thereto, particularly at the start of a didactic sequence or a new phase of skills learning (start of First Grade), but also each time a new stage is begun. Many assessment tools are made available to teachers through the Program and Development Administration.

Skills To Be Acquired by End of Cycle

1 – MASTERING ORAL LANGUAGE 1.1 CommunicationThe child should be able to: - listen to others, ask for explanations and accept the direction of the discussion chosen by the teacher, - express his point of view and reactions in a dialogue or a debate while keeping to the subject of the discussion, - propose different ways of rendering aloud a memorized text or delivering a text while reading it. 1.2 Mastering NarrationThe child should be able to: - narrate an event, an account, information, or an observation while making himself clearly understood, - propose relevant corrections relating to the coherence of the text or the choice of words (syntax, lexicon), while addressing an adult (with a narrative or an explanation),- highlight the significance of an illustration found in an album while explaining his interpretation using elements from the image or the situations that it suggests, - recite a poem or a short text among those learned by heart during the year (ten), interpreting it.

2. READING AND WRITING2.1 ComprehensionThe child should be able to: - understand explicit information from a literary text or a documentary text appropriate for the age and culture of the pupils, - find answers to simple questions in a printed documentary text or on an Internet site, - identify the theme of a literary text (whom or what it is about),

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- read aloud a short passage by correctly places emphasis on word groups and the melody of the sentence (reading prepared in silence), - reread, alone, a storybook previously read in class with the assistance of the teacher. 2.2 Word RecognitionThe child must have understood and retained:: - the alphabetical system of encoding writing, - regular correspondences between graphemes and phonemes. The child should be able to: - propose a workable alternative (phonetically correct) for writing a regular word, - decipher a word that one does not know, - identify instantaneously the majority of common short and long words (up to four or five letters). 2.3 Text ProductionThe child should be able to: - write independently a text (narrative or explanatory) of at least five lines that answers clear instructions while managing the problems of syntax and vocabulary correctly. 2.4 Writing and Spelling The child should be able to: - spell the majority of common short words (articles, prepositions, conjunctions, adverbs…), - write the majority of the words respecting the phonetic characteristics of encoding, - copy without error a text of three to four lines by copying word by word and using a cursive and legible handwriting, - use typographical sentence marks (periods and capital letters) correctly, begin to use commas, - in a situation of spontaneous writing or under dictation, respect the agreement in number and gender in the regular nominal group (determinant, noun, adjective), - in a situation of spontaneous writing or under dictation, respect the agreement in number and gender between the verb and the subject in all sentences where the regular syntactic order is followed.

LIVING IN SOCIETY

OBJECTIVESPreschool places great emphasis on the delicate balance between the development of the individual and the acceptance of the collective nature of school life. Cycle 3, Elementary School, aims to develop an awareness of the values without which various collectives or societies influencing the child’s daily life would have no meaning. Because Cycle 2 deals with educating children who have just begun to accept points of view other than their own, it serves as an important transition between these two stages. It is the teacher’s responsibility to structure a collective existence, and to explain at greater length than in Preschool the rules which allow for its harmonious continuation. Students begin to accept that they must consider their own actions from the point of view of their classmates, if not from an even more general point of view. They discover that the constraints of collective life are in actuality the guarantee of their freedom, and that sanctions, when called for, are not taken arbitrarily by adults but are merely the applications of freely accepted rules. They learn to refuse violence, master conflicts, and debate any problems encountered by taking their place at group meetings which are allotted for in their schedule. In Cycle 2, it is still a bit premature to speak of « Civics », in the sense that the disciplines forming the basis for that subject – History, Geography, experimental sciences – have not yet been studied. However, progressive access to reading and writing, and greater exposure to the outside world will allow students to better understand what it means to live collectively, and more deeply appreciate the significance of constraints imposed by community life: abiding by the group’s rules, conversing with classmates and adults, listening to one another and accepting that one might not be immediately heard, cooperating. In the meanwhile, in the early years of Elementary School, the PROGRAM remains voluntarily modest concerning the skills which are expected to be acquired, and it must always be applied and carried out with respect to activities in other domains.

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PROGRAM

1 – Continuing to Develop the Individual Personality within a School Community

In Cycle 2 the child becomes more and more conscious of belonging to a community, which implies an adherence to shared values, rules and relationships. On the one hand, he begins to perceive those principles of which we do not speak but are understood and generally imposed; conditions necessary for the freedom and development of every individual. On the other, he becomes aware of the organization of a group, and grasps the concept of what could be considered a mutual collective contract, after discussion, negotiation and compromise. A handbook of rules must be established and discussed at the very beginning of Elementary School. As soon as seems possible, the teacher will have the group decide, collectively, upon classroom regulations. He facilitates an understanding of the conditions required for successful debate (see “Language Mastery ») and has the students acknowledge the self-discipline that each individual must display in order to obtain that success. One hour per every two weeks should be allotted to the rule book, in order to convey the seriousness and importance of the undertaking. Throughout Cycle 2, the child’s sense of responsibility grows. He builds his sense of identity around seeking a balance between what he must do, what he can do, and what he is forbidden to do. Every situation encountered in the course of fundamental learning should have as an additional goal the development of a responsible attitude.

2 – Self-development and Understanding Roles in a Group through Fundamental Learning

Learning to read and write inspires a child to question the world around him just as he questions himself; it drives him toward seeking new knowledge, even outside the realm of the school. Reading is effectively the appropriation and enrichment of one’s personal universe, moving toward the unknown and sharing with others discoveries that are continually being renewed. When he begins to study a new language, and thus the culture it expresses, the student in Cycle 2 adopts a new way of thinking and existing, he learns about ‘otherness’. Regional language studies highlight the uniqueness of his homeland and its past, while the study of foreign languages broadens his horizons and outlook on the approach to others. To submit to mathematical reasoning and the results of scientific experimentation is to discover modesty and rigorousness. To participate in the choir, or play a team sport, is to submit to rules and act upon them, for a common goal. Once exposed to more systematic and structured forms of knowledge, a child can begin to understand the rules of hygiene, and personal or communal safety; these form the basis for an education in health awareness. The child has already been exposed to some aspects of health and hygiene in Preschool. In Elementary School he can begin to comprehend the reasons for the practices he has been shown, and the habits he has formed. At least one informative program concerning child abuse should be organized annually.

3 – Beyond the School Horizon

There are numerous occasions in Preschool for children to leave the school and go out into the “real world”. In Elementary School with multiple subjects and areas being studied, from first glances at art or literature to the study of the world, external experiences can now be amplified and structured. The street, the neighborhood and the community are transitional spaces to be visited at increasingly greater distances from the classroom. The student can be lead to discover other actors in society who have important roles in daily life: traffic policemen, bus drivers, librarians, sports trainers, cultural mediators… Women and men occupy these positions equally, which was not always the case in the past. They deserve respect and obedience. Everywhere, rules are necessary. The student must not see these as constraints but on the contrary, as a way to ensure liberty, well-being and safety for all.

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Particular attention must be paid to road or street safety regulations, not in the form of abstract knowledge, but as a natural offshoot of daily situations experienced by the child, at the carpool or school dismissal or during field trips. His growing aptitude for reading, writing and counting allows there to be a link between this aspect of education and his study of the fundamentals. The respect for the environment and surroundings is not limited to the classroom or the school, it extends thus into spaces that belong to everyone. Furthermore, the student becomes progressively aware that he belongs to a national community, through historical accounts told by his teacher and through his discovery of the geographical idea of France. The teacher explains the significance of some of the symbols of France and the Republic: the national anthem, the flag, monuments… The curricular area "Discovering the World", as is the case with the study of foreign or regional languages or literary and artistic education, offers a basis for a broader cultural horizon, first spatially and, to a lesser extent, temporally. The reading of texts, the analysis of images, access to the internet and email allow the teacher to demonstrate the richness and diversity of world cultures and the unity of humankind, which leads the student to grasp the idea of solidarity, an idea beyond the narrow boundaries of the group.

Skills To Be Acquired by End of Cycle

The child must be capable of:- Beginning to feel a sense of responsibility;- Taking part in discussion and debate about what occurs in the class;- Respecting and obeying adults as they perform their normal various functionsThe child must have understood and retained:- That the accepted rules of society are what allow for individual freedom, in particular based upon examples taken from the rules of daily life ;- Basic principles of personal and collective hygiene and their justification;- Simple rules of road safety;- Basic rules to apply in dangerous situations (self-protection, seeking help, choosing correct behavior) - The principal symbols of our Nation and our Republic.

MATHEMATICS

OBJECTIVESCycle 2 provides a structured study of numbers, forms, sizes and their measures, marking the child’s entry into the world of Mathematics. The understanding of numbers, notably their expression in written digits (decimal numbering), and mental calculation in all its forms (memorized answers, calculations) are primordial objectives. Comprehension of spatial relations is reinforced as certain geometric properties are introduced, allowing the child to move beyond simple recognition of forms or objects. Activities dealing with size or height suddenly become enriched by the added possibility of expressing these measurements with the help of numbers. Understanding of money (in euros) is developed by using currency in calculation exercises.All of these types of study rely heavily on the foundations acquired through experiences in Preschool, and on the knowledge that has been gained therein. Presented as efficient solutions to problems, initial mathematical concepts are identified, and then studied with the aim of making them available and applicable in the face of newer problems. Beginning in Cycle 2, students are made aware that solving a problem is not merely jumping to find the calculations needed to answer the question. An explanation is generally required, one which is made up of steps or trials in some organized fashion. The same problem, depending upon when it is presented, the intended students’ skills and the way it is explained or handled, could be resolved either by using personal procedures, or later, by applying an appropriate conventional procedure. In some cases, the process of solving to a problem is designed by the

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teacher specifically for the purpose of using the students’ personal procedures to introduce a new, formal method or system. Practice drills, though necessary for solidifying essential skills, must not obscure the sometimes lengthy process by which students’ knowledge is acquired and progressively structured. To avoid difficulties encountered by Cycle 2 students in appropriating situations from texts, questions may be asked in a game-like setting or in real experiments carried out with objects. Exercises or worksheets must not be substituted for primordial hands-on work. It must be remembered, however, that the manipulation of objects in and of itself does not constitute mathematical activity. But the questions arising out of, and the intellectual activity derived from it will enable students to approach more theoretic problems when no objects are present. In this sense, it is preferable to place students in situations where they must anticipate a solution and then verify it through experimentation. The ability to search, to conceptualize, to reason and explain, are as much developed in periods of individual or small group work as they are in times of exchange and direct interaction, which places a still greater value on the diversity of methods used to solve the same problem. Group research activities based on real-life situations, and the thought processes these engage, rely heavily on strong oral language skills. In Cycle 2, the use of words precedes that of mathematical symbols: they are closer to the students’ natural working language abilities and thus better suited to expressing ideas. In-depth study of the language and the conventional symbols specific to Mathematics must be undertaken with caution, so that it takes place meaningfully for students and does not stifle their spontaneous expression. Implementing writing skills is obviously indispensable, particularly in research exercises. Frequently in Cycle 2, printed research documents serve as reference materials as a basis for group interaction during which students have the opportunity to initiate debate and assert preferences (listening to others, relinquishing control of the situation, drawing on experience to mediate propositions). At the end of this Cycle, the practice of writing in its more elaborate forms reinforces the idea that the overall goal of group work is a resolute approach. Evaluation of students’ progress and weaknesses is not limited to reports issued at the ends of terms. As a tool for regulating the teaching processes, evaluation is on the contrary integral to planning, as it ‘takes stock’ of students’ work and analyzes their errors. Reference documentation for each subject, precise and detailed, with attention to skill acquisition by Cycle, sheds light on learning styles and gives direction to pedagogical activities. This documentation, available to all teachers, is an indispensable complement to the program currently in place.

PROGRAM

1 – Using Numerical Data

In Cycle 2, students acquire a sense for numbers and operations by solving several important categories of problems: - Expressing and memorizing a quantity, a position in an ordered list, the result of measurement;- Comparing quantities or sizes, notably when groups or objects are at some physical distance from each other;- Predicting what the result of a given operation on numbers, positions or sizes will be (increasing, decreasing, joining, overlapping, displacing...).These problems can involve groups of objects, positions, and later, lengths or masses. They should be able to be solved by individual methods, and, for some types of problems (identified in the list of skills to be acquired by the end of the Cycle), through the use of existing or established classical procedures. The personal or individual methods students may use to solve a problem are extremely varied: they might be based on a student’s drawing or schema, and might include counting backwards, forwards, the use of addition, subtraction or multiplication. The use of calculations (mental or in writing) is encouraged. In some problems, using calculators allows students to perform some types of calculations that they would not be able to complete without assistance.

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Throughout the Cycle, students come to rely more and more often on known procedures to solve certain types of problems. The process of identifying which operations are required (addition, subtraction, multiplication) becomes easier and less time-consuming. Previously, most of these problems were solved by personal or individual methods, before the introduction of formalized equations (in writing, as in a + b, a b, a * b). Throughout this first phase, oral language and common vocabulary (“and”, “times”…) are most often employed to describe operations.As to addition and subtraction, it is preferable to teach the conventions ‘a + b’ and ‘a b’ simultaneously, such that a + b is not the automatically chosen method.

2 – Understanding Whole Natural Numbers

By the time they reach Cycle 2, students have already reached a certain level of competency in using numbers. This competency must be reinforced and solidified: mastery of oral counting, relationship of spoken to written numbers. Based on acquired Preschool skills, beginning in Cycle 2 many activities can be situated in a numerical context, and relatively expanded (up to 20 or 30) without necessitating a total mastery of written numbers. In the initial stages, students become aware of the fact that numbers allow us to solve problems (see previous topic). Then, progressively, they begin to comprehend basic decimal numbering, which is essential for learning to calculate. The ability to grasp the value of a number based upon its position in numerical writing constitutes a primary objective for Mathematics in Cycle 2. The vocabulary associated with decimal numbers (tens, hundreds) is always described using expressions such as “pack of ten, pack of one hundred”, in other words in terms more easily understood by students. The beginning foundations for numerical study are established in Cycle 2. On the one hand, students build their knowledge of numerical comparisons, engaging both cardinal (4 is less than 7) and ordinal (4 is located before 7 in the series of numbers) systems of comparison. On the other hand, they expand on basic familiarity with relationships of addition and multiplication, using common numbers in exercises of mental calculation.Using currency (in euros) as a basis for activities, particularly for practicing making change, reinforces not only comprehension of the number system, but knowledge of coins and bills in current circulation. Knowledge of whole natural numbers (lesser than one thousand) entails:- Counting the units in a group, particularly in groups of tens or hundreds;- Decimal numbers: values of digits as a function of their position, sequences of numbers;- Relationships of written designations (in digits and in letters) and spoken numbers;- Orders of numbers: comparison, arrangement;- Arithmetic relationships between numbers: doubles and halves of common numbers…

3 – Performing Calculations

Mass-diffusion of new calculating tools has lead to a re-examination, starting with Cycle 2, of the importance placed on various methods of calculation, and the goals associated with using and teaching with them. Mental calculation (memorization of results, and calculations ‘in one’s head’) should remain the principal method. Specific techniques and operations are not to be abandoned, but their use is reserved for such time as students have acquired the necessary fundamentals for understanding them. For certain activities, calculators are made available to the students. They are used as a calculating tool, particularly in solving problems, for example once the student has determined which type of calculation is called for but is unable to perform the task quickly and reliably and would risk losing his train of thought. In Cycle 2 students master the basics of mental calculation, particularly in the area of addition. Corresponding skills must therefore constitute a primary developmental goal, notably through exercises involving calculations performed ‘in one’s head’, those that rely on cognitive thought. Progressive appropriation of memorized answers, along with the use of procedural operations, are methods often applied to oral Mathematics, which implies that one must not exclusively employ written exercises. All procedures used must be thoroughly explained and must serve as the object of student collaboration. This provides another opportunity to reiterate that various

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types of methods can be applied to solve the same problem. Memorization or the rapid reconstruction of addition tables (from 1 to 9) and their use in calculating complements and differences calls for a lengthy learning process – one which for that matter will not be completed by the end of Cycle 2. In this learning process, drills and repetition, as indispensable as they may be, simply do not suffice. Furthermore, if an answer has been forgotten, ideally the student must be able to reconstruct it. In this perspective, at first, answers are rationalized and explained by students, drawing on their sense of addition and subtraction and then with increasing frequency, relying on known answers. Learning to identify ‘points of reference’ is an important aspect of this method: using doubles, the commutative properties of addition (3 + 8 is like 8 + 3), complements of 10… Solid skills are a great advantage, and are moreover essential, as much for a strong sense of numeric structure as they are for freeing the student from labor-intensive thought processes so that he might more quickly and easily analyze and solve any given problem. From Cycle 2 onward, students are confronted with calculations of addition, subtraction and multiplication. At first, these are approached using internal (‘in one’s head’) processes, derived by the student using mental calculation and numerical knowledge, in other words, without imposing any particular method. The operational technique of addition (placed in columns) is the only formal process required by the end of Cycle 2. The context of making change (currency) is useful in drilling calculations using numbers such as 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100. Knowledge in the area of calculation involves primarily:- Tables of addition: construction, utilization, memorization ;- Complementary amounts to the next tens;- Multiplication tables: construction, utilization, beginnings of memorization; multiplication by 10;- The operational technique of addition;- Mental or internal calculation: organization and treatment of calculations with addition, subtraction and multiplication, either purely mentally or with the help of written operations;- The use of calculators.

4 – Geometry and Spatial Concepts

The structure of spaces, approached in Preschool, must be developed throughout the academic experience. It must remain a priority in Cycle 2 and should be the object of teachers’ full attention in tandem with other disciplines such as P.E. and Geography. In Cycle 2, in encountering geometry problems, students first grasp the basic properties perceptually and can then be introduced to the use of instruments to verify hypotheses formed. For example, drawing a square by choosing four points among a group of given points, children at the beginning of the Cycle simply recreate what they think is a square, whereas by the end of the Cycle they verify, using appropriate tools, that the lines satisfy the properties of a square (for example: length of the sides and corners at right angles). Thus a connection is created, little by little, between properties, specific vocabulary, and instruments. The essential component in working with geometry is to help students identify properties by solving problems around real objects: solids, simple figures or combinations of solids and figures; activities based upon reproducing, arranging and recopying. The use of these objects necessitates varied techniques (tracing paper, piles, cut-out shapes…) and a familiarization with at least several instruments (ruler, right angle, compass, rectangles…). Passive observation of figures or rote definitions cannot be substituted for the indispensable hands-on methods. Knowledge relating to space and geometry is primarily concerned with- Relative position of an object (in relation to itself, to another object, or to objects between them), the description of positional movement; - Use of models and plans;- Identification of squares or groups of squares on graph paper;- Geometric properties and relationships: parallel lines, right angles, axes of symmetry, equal lengths ; - Proper use of instruments (length measurement, right angles, rulers) and of techniques (folding, tracing, graph paper);

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- Solids (cubes, rectangular blocks): recognition, reproduction, description - Plane figures (triangle, square, rectangle, circle): recognition, reproduction, description;- Vocabulary associated with spatial relationships and the properties of two- and three-dimensional figures.

5 – Size and Measurement

In Cycle 2, having briefly examined them in Preschool students continue to study the concepts of length and mass. They begin to understand the idea of volume by observing contents in different receptacles. They learn to tell time and distinguish between dates and durations, using calendars and clocks. The concepts of length and measurement take on greater meaning when dealing with problems of a real nature, situations students have already experienced: direct or indirect comparison of objects (relative to one type of measurement: length, mass or volume), using measurement tools. This is an opportunity to reinforce connections between numeric and geometric concepts, as well as ideas presented under the topic « Discovering the world ». Objects to be measured must be of varying dimensions and matter, and the choice of appropriate instrument is an important factor. The instruments used can either be ‘invented’, according to the problem at hand (for example, using string to measure the length of a round object…) or standard instruments of measure: ribbon and tape measures, rulers, scales and marked weights. Knowledge pertaining to size and measurement involves: - Identification of types of sizes (length, mass, volume, duration); comparison of objects, - The measurement of these sizes using instruments: graduated rulers, Roberval Scale or by direct scale reading, calendar, clock, etc., - Standard units of measure (m, cm, g, kg, hr and min), and the choice of unit most appropriate for the measurement at hand.

Skills To Be Acquired by End of CycleIn the application document there is a more detailed version of the aptitudes enumerated here, with accompanying notes. General core competencies apply to all mathematical activities and must be acquired by end of Cycle: - Engage in a personal problem solving procedure and bring it to conclusion, - Give a verbal account of the step used, with the possibility of referring to one’s "research sheet", - Accept that there are other procedures than one’s own and try to understand them, - Write the answer to a question, - Identify errors in a solution.

1. UTILIZATION OF NUMERICAL DATA 1.1 Problem-solving Using an Expert Procedure- Use enumeration for the comparison of two quantities or to calculate a quantity equal to a given quantity, - Use numbers to express the position of an object in a list or to compare positions, - Determine, by adding or subtracting, the result of an increase, a reduction, or putting together two quantities, - Determine, by adding or subtracting, the position reached on a graduated line after a displacement forward or backward, - Determine, by multiplying, the result of the union of several identical quantities or values. 1.2 Problem-solving Using a Personal Procedure- In situations where a quantity (or value) undergoes an increase or a reduction, determine the initial quantity (or value), or find the value of the increase or reduction, - Determine an initial position on a graduated line, before carrying out a displacement (forward or backward) to reach a given position or to determine the value of the displacement, - In situations where two quantities (or values) are joined together, determine one of the quantities (or one of the values), - In situations where two quantities (or two values) are compared, determine one of the quantities (or one of the values) or the result of the comparison,

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- In situations of equitable division or distribution, determine the total number of objects, the amount of each share or the number of shares, - In situations where objects are organized in regular rows, determine the total number of objects, the number of objects by row or the number of rows, - In situations where several identical quantities (or values) are joined together, determine the total quantity (or value), one of the quantities (or values) or the number of quantities (or values).

2. SKILLS USING NATURAL WHOLE NUMBERS 2.1 Verbal and Written Designations of Natural Whole Numbers (below 1,000) - Count and manipulate quantities, counting one by one or grouping in tens and hundreds, - Understand and determine the value of the figures according to their position in the decimal writing of a number, - Produce oral and written sequences of numbers by increments of 1, 10, 100 (forward and backward, starting from any number), and in particular, quote the number which follows or which precedes a given number, - Associate quantified and oral designations of numbers. 2.2 Order of Natural Whole Numbers- Compare, arrange, and situate numbers (in particular between two consecutive tens or two consecutive hundreds), - Locate numbers (or locate the position of a number) on a line graduated in increments of 1, 10, 100. 2.3 Arithmetic Relations between Natural Whole Numbers- Know the doubles and halves of numbers of everyday usage: double of the numbers lower than 10, whole tens lower than 100, half of 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 20, 40, 60, 80,- Know and use the relations between numbers of everyday usage: between 5 and 10; between 25 and 50; between 50 and 100; between 15 and 30, 30 and 60; between 12 and 24.

3. CALCULATIONS 3.1 Automatic Calculation- know or reconstruct very quickly addition tables (from 1 to 9) and use them to calculate a sum, a difference, a complement, or break up a number in the form of a sum, - Quickly determine the complement of a number to the ten immediately above, - Know and use the multiplication tables by two and five, know how to multiply by ten, - Calculate sums in line or by addition arranged in column. 3.2 Mental Calculation- Organize and treat additive, subtractive and multiplicative calculations on whole numbers, - Solve problems with simple numerical data mentally.3.3 Instrumented Calculation- Use a hand-held computer appropriately (in particular, in order to obtain a result when one does not have an effective method of calculation).

4. GEOMETRY AND SPATIAL CONCEPTS4.1 Location, Orientation- Know and use the vocabulary related to the relative positions of objects or the description of displacements (in front of, behind, between, to the left of, to the right of, on, under, above, below), - Locate an object, a person relative to oneself or another person or another object, - Locate objects of a real space on a model or a plan, and conversely, locate in the real space objects placed on a model or a plan, - Locate and code boxes and nodes on a grid. 4.2 Relationships and Properties: Alignment, Right Angle, Axis of Symmetry, Equal Lengths - Perceive these relationships in or on an object, a set of objects, or in a drawing, in order to reproduce it or describe it, - Check these relationships or draw layouts using instruments (lengths or right angle gauges, ruler) and techniques (folding, replication, graph paper),- Use correct vocabulary: aligned, at a right angle.

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4.3 Three-Dimensional Objects: Cube- Differentiate these solids from other solids, - Use appropriate vocabulary: cube, rectangular solid, surface, edge, top. 4.4 Two-Dimensional Objects: triangle, square, rectangle, circle- Differentiate these figures among other plane figures, - Verify if a figure is a square or a rectangle by referring to its properties (lengths on the sides and right angles) and by using instruments, - Use appropriate vocabulary: square, rectangle, triangle, circle, side, top, right angle, - Reproduce or finalize a figure on graph paper, - Check if two figures can be superposed using simple techniques (by actual superposition or tracing).

5. SIZES AND LENGTHS 5.1 Measurement and Mass - Compare objects according to their length or mass by a direct or indirect process, - Use a scale in cm. to measure or build a segment or a broken line, - Use a measuring tape or a dressmaker’s ruler in measuring activities, - Use a Roberval or direct reading scale to compare masses, to carry out simple weighing, or to produce objects of a given mass, - Choose the correct unit to express the result of a measurement (cm. or m. for a length, kg. or g. for a mass), - Know common units and their relationships to one another: cm. and m., kg. and g. 5.2 Volumes (Content) - Compare the capacity of two containers using a reference container, - Know the common unit: liter (L). 5.3 Registering Time- Know the days of the week and the months of the year and read the information provided by a calendar, - Know the relationship between hour and minute, - Use a calendar, an hourglass or a stopwatch to compare or determine duration, - Choose the appropriate units to express the result of the measurement of duration (day, hour, minute, second).

DISCOVERING THE WORLD

OBJECTIVESIn Preschool, the student has acquired a rudimentary understanding of rational thought, linking causes to effects in chosen activities led by his teacher. In the Fundamental Learning Cycle, he solidifies his understanding of reason and can apply it to a larger field of experience. The teacher guides the student in a coherent acquisition of these skills, and helps him become aware of the permanence and stability of matter, of distinctive criteria for living and non-living things. He learns to use technical objects in a reasoned way. Space and time become homogeneous frameworks for situating skills and information. Under his teacher’s direction, the student learns to identify, beyond his immediate surroundings, new spaces at increasingly greater distances from himself; he discovers the existence of other time periods or eras and he observes worldly phenomena of both material and living nature. He learns to ask himself questions, to react in a thinking manner. He manipulates objects, constructs, observes, compares, categorizes and experiments. He moves beyond initial representations by confronting what is real. Thus, he is able to understand that which surrounds him and the materials in that environment. He tests himself and develops a sense of the practical. The teacher facilitates a structuring of his thoughts and actions by way of projects involving construction, which develops his sense of innovation and invention. The diversity of humanity within space, and even more so within time, must be appreciated by students, but it is difficult to make these ideas the object of formal and organized learning. At this intermediate phase, literature and visual arts remain the most efficient methods by which to

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communicate such themes. However, exposure to them in some form contributes to an overall capacity for observation. Activities in the area of "Discovering the World" support many transversal learning concepts. These activities provide the opportunity for students to confront ideas in group discussions, seek answers to their questions both about real situations or about printed information, gain initial skills in particular types of writing: taking notes, writing lists, using tables, documents of explanation or analysis with the help of the teacher (see “Mastering Language”), As in other Cycles, this approach centers on a method of guided questioning by the teacher, leading to investigation and experimentation carried out by students. Inspired by questions arising from the observation of daily life, student-lead experiments are not intended to be conducted for experiment’s sake; they are meant to open another door to knowledge, and more importantly, to know-how.

PROGRAM

1 - From Familiar to Faraway Places – Spatial Orientation

In Preschool, the student develops an awareness of familiar spaces around him. Throughout the Fundamental Learning Cycle, he practices representation (in the context of drawing). He discovers increasingly distant spaces, from the town or the neighboring village to the more uncommon landscapes from his point of view. On a globe or map and with the help of the teacher, students learn to locate their region, France, Europe, the other continents and some of the larger geographic ensembles. Similarly, using books, films and digital images as a basis, they describe the diversity of these locations and the lifestyles they support (habitat, food, clothing, modes of transportation, vegetation and animal life) by identifying similarities and differences. The teacher helps them to determine some of the factors of differentiation for Man and nature, such as the influence of relief, climate seasons or the state of development and modernization of a particular society. Age-appropriate readings and a basic exposure to works of art provide the opportunity to enrich the cultural frame of reference for these issues. In all activities both oral and written, the teacher continues to develop and structure, just as in Preschool, (see “Language at the heart of learning” in the Preschool PROGRAM, § 3.3), the different types of verbal expression for spatial relationships, in particular in a framework of description.

2 - The Passing of Time

At this stage, it is not quite time to begin to study History. To continue toward the Preschool goal of exploring the various manifestations of time, students can now avail themselves of instruments for structuring and measuring time in a reasoned and deliberate manner:- Discussion of how school activities are scheduled throughout the year, and in the daily or weekly class schedule; - Daily announcement and presentation of planned activities and a summary of the work accomplished daily (having students, for example, participate in the writing a diary/journal): - Use of clocks and calendars.Becoming aware of events of the past, and of the lengthy or brief periods of time separating us from them, is an important goal of these activities, which is why they lend themselves to project-based pedagogy: - Discovery and observation of local township (notable sites or collections in the city or town, neighborhood or homes); - Discussion of past events, developing coherent questions; - Basic initiation to document research: research using photographs from other eras, using post cards from the same location but at different points in time, to trace the influence of man in the transformation of a landscape; - Group collaboration on documents summarizing the information obtained during a common project, in written or digital form (creation of a CD, or an internet website page...).The teacher carefully chooses regional examples, which support a concrete approach, providing

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students with the elements they need in order to comprehend a culture or its environment. Children’s Literature or documentation either printed or on the internet, adapted to the students’ ages, will enrich the cultural frame of reference. In all activities engaging oral or written language, the teacher continues to develop and structure, just as in Preschool, (see “Language at the heart of learning” in the Preschool PROGRAM, § 3.3), the different types of verbal expression for temporal notions (particularly in the context of History).

3 - Matter

In the Fundamental Learning Cycle, the concept of matter, touched upon in Preschool, is examined in greater detail. The permanence and stability of matter in its diverse states is, for the student, a property he easily grasps in some specific cases, but he is not yet able to understand it as a general principle. To widen his field of experience, he is given conditions in which to further his understanding of the conservation of matter. This pursuit continues in Cycle 3 via a more systematic approach to observing gaseous states. Students can be brought to grasp the complexity of phenomena, by playing with transformations of matter in experiments or observational situations: - Use of thermometers at different moments in daily life; - Everyday states of water: ice, liquid, processes of solidification and fusion, in conjunction with temperature measurements; - Awareness of the existence of air, the concept of that matter which is distinct from liquids or solids (the study of the composition of air and transformation to gaseous states will be undertaken in Cycle 3).

4 - The Living World

As in Preschool, the student observes manifestations of life, in observing himself, animals, vegetation. In the Fundamental Learning Cycle, he identifies with greater precision the common characteristics of living things. An appreciation of the diversity of life leads the student to seek criteria for classifying its forms in a general way, eventually allowing him to perform more scientific classification. Education in issues of the environment, briefly approached at this phase, will be more systematically developed in Cycle 3. 4.1 Signs of Life on the Individual Level A child must develop an awareness of certain characteristics of his body in order to be able to understand rules of hygiene: - The child’s body: the five senses, basic movement (role of the skeleton and joints), growth, the teeth, nutrition; - The importance of hygienic norms: daily habits for cleanliness, nourishment, sleep. 4.2 Signs of Life - Animal and Vegetable The objective here is to distinguish the living from the non-living by way of exploring the primary functions of living things. Emphasis is placed on the observation of animals and vegetation in close proximity, then in expanded realms of farming and agriculture, either in the classroom or in a school garden: - Birth, growth and reproduction (the study of which will not be undertaken until Cycle 3) ; - Nutrition et feeding habits (animals);- Locomotion (animals);- Interactions with the environment.4.3 The Diversity of Life in All its Milieus The objective here is to begin to give students an understanding of life through the observation and classification of different animal and vegetable environments: - Observation and comparison of living beings with the aim of establishing classifications; - identifying elementary criteria for classification, and an introduction to scientific classification - After a preliminary study of environmental issues in Preschool, the student becomes aware of the fragility of the balances he observes in living environments.

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5 - Objects and Materials

The student is guided through the analysis of objects and materials by way of activities enabling his observation and use of them, this through structured endeavors lead by his teacher. A few elementary technical projects permit the acquisition of specific knowledge and information in various domains left to the discretion of the teacher. In general the aims are: - The discovery of given objects, their use and manipulation, the safety rules they necessitate; - Research about the origin, use and purpose of objects. In dealing with objects associated with electricity, students are taught to adopt intelligent behavior with regard to risks involved with electrical conduits. Building a simple electrical circuit (battery, lamp, and switch) will aid in understanding electricity as a principle. Analyses of breakdowns (mechanical or electrical) must lead to the identification of relationships between logical thought and practical behavior. The examination of certain objects and their use can be tied to the construction of models: this is an opportunity to better distinguish between sources of energy and the functions of a machine, to explore the characteristics and uses of an axis, a lever…

6 - Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)

As is the case in Preschool, multimedia has its place in the Fundamental Learning Cycle. It is a fertile vector of information as long as the teacher guides the student in its correct usage. Clearly the observations of the real, and the actions taken upon it, are still highest in priority (particularly in considering children who, at this age, can be tempted nowadays to surround themselves with virtual worlds and video games). Nevertheless, information and communication technologies are efficient tools for intellectual work and permit representations of reality of as high a quality as any printed document. They are therefore treated as a necessary complement to direct observation in each instance of working with documents or treating the results of knowledge obtained.With the help of the teacher, students learn to avail themselves of ICT in a rational and reasoned manner. Skills and knowledge outlined in the “Brevet Informatique et Internet (B2i)” – the certificate of competency in computer and internet studies – are a part of the PROGRAM in Cycle 2. They must be acquired by the end of Cycle 3, but, as for Level 1 of this certification process, certain components may be validated as early as the Fundamental Learning Cycle (see Cycle 3).

Skills To Be Acquired by End of Cycle

1 – RELATING TO SPATIALCONCEPTSThe child should be able to: - Situate himself, follow directions and move about his immediate environment, - Start to characterize his local environment, - Describe verbally and locate the various elements of an organized space, - Read and understand the description of a landscape, an environment, - Locate elements studied in class in photographs taken from various points of view, in maps, - Know to recognize the role of Man in the transformation of a landscape, - Locate environments studied in class on a simple chart or a globe. The child must have understood and retained: - The location (on a chart or a globe) of one’s area, France, Europe and other continents, - Several aspects of diversity in the shapes of vegetation, animal life and habitats, - Several characteristics of his local environment.

2 – RELATING TO TIMEThe child should be able to: - Distinguish the recent past from the distant past, - Identify information relating to the past by locating it in a chronological timeline, - Build and use various types of calendars and locate events studied in class,

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- Measure and compare durations, - Be curious about traces of the past and question them in order to interpret them with the assistance of the teacher.

3 – RELATING TO THE STUDY OF LIVING THINGS The child should be able to: - Observe, identify and describe several characteristics of organic life and plants: birth and growth, nutrition, reproduction, locomotion (animals), - Measure and observe the growth of one’s body, - Determine and classify several animals and plants according to morphological criteria. The child should have understood and retained: - What distinguishes organic life from inorganic elements while referring to the manifestations of life in animals and plants: growth, reproduction, nutrition needs (food, water), forms of movement, - Several elementary criteria of classification, - Several characteristics of one’s body functions (growth, movement and skeleton, nutrition, teeth), - the various characteristics of the five senses, - Several rules of hygiene relating to cleanliness, food and sleep.

4 – RELATING TO MATTER, OBJECTS AND TECHNIQUES OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION The child should be able to: - Use thermometers in several situations of daily life, - Measure or compare lengths, masses of solids and liquids, capacities, - Recognize the solid and liquid states of water and their manifestation in various natural phenomena, - Select a tool according to its use and complete a simple construction, - Build a simple electric circuit (without derivation) powered by batteries, - Identify breakdowns in simple devices, - Use several basic functions of a computer. The child should have understood and retained: - That water (liquid) and ice are two states of the same substance, - That water is liquid at a temperature higher than 0 degrees and solid at a temperature lower than 0 degrees, - That matter does not appear and does not disappear, even if, sometimes, it is invisible, - The existence of safety requirements in using objects, as written or symbolized on some of them, - The potential dangers presented by electricity at home, - That computers carry out only the instructions that are given to them.

FOREIGN OR REGIONAL LANGUAGES

OBJECTIVESThe Fundamental Learning Cycle, from Kindergarten to the end of Third Grade, creates the foundation for linguistic learning. It makes a major contribution to the way children assimilate the differences and the diversity of language and culture, with the following three objectives as priorities: - To develop in students indispensable behaviors for learning living languages (curiosity, listening skills, memorization skills, confidence in oneself when using another language) and to facilitate language mastery in this manner; - To familiarize the ear with phonological and accentual realities in a new language; - To teach and facilitate acquisition of the foundations of another language.The Fundamental Learning Cycle is the first step on a linguistic path where the student is brought to acquire knowledge in at least two modern languages other than French. All activities related to modern or living languages encourage and incite the sense of pleasure both necessary and essential to the acquisition of alternative modes of self-expression and communication. They emphasize an active and confident attitude in using other languages.

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They facilitate, through comparison, skills and knowledge of the French Language emphasized in Cycle 2: recognition of distinctive units (phonemes) necessary for learning to read, identification of syntactical constructions and an instinct of thoughtful contemplation of any presented lexicon in order to improve comprehension. Methodology must be adapted to the grade level concerned, primarily through the use of short but frequent learning sessions, usually tied to daily classroom activities. Priority is given to auditory work and tasks involving comprehension and reproduction of sound. Assessment, conducted by the teacher, takes the form of observation as to the behavior, success and difficulties presented by each student. This assessment is to be formulated in a resolutely positive manner. Allotted time for activities in this domain includes short sessions lead by the teacher totaling one hour per week in addition to longer sessions designed to continue the activities ‘a step further’. Students discover that other languages are spoken in their environment, just as they are on a national scale. They are brought to develop a curious and positive attitude toward other languages. Students for whom French is not the native language may, whenever possible, benefit from tutoring or support in their own language in order to take full advantage of their bilingualism. The linguistic skills and qualifications of certain teachers or specialists (bilingual mediators, for example) can be favorably exploited in this perspective. Language learning in the Fundamental Learning Cycle is pursued until the end of Elementary School. The choice of language or languages taught at any particular school is dictated by the necessary continuity of language learning straight through to Middle school. Languages are registered in each Department, taking into account regional contexts and possible methods for ensuring their instruction. Beyond the major languages taught in France, regional and border languages are thus able to be addressed as needed.

PROGRAM

1 – Training the Ear: Recognition of Phonological and Accentual Realities

The student is gradually acclimated to another language by listening for specific sonorities, and by learning to recognize, reproduce and produce rhythms, phonemes and intonations. He is particularly made aware of phonemes unknown to the French Language, to linguistic traits not pertinent to French such as the length of production of vowel sounds, succession of accented or unaccented syllables, rhythms…Activities best adapted to this type of learning are: - Memorization of songs, sayings and nursery rhymes; - Imitation of different rhythms via accompaniment of heard or spoken phrases with a tambourine; - Making distinctions between different types of sentences based on the characteristics of their intonations (for example, declarative, interrogative, explanative…);- Games based upon the sounds of the language.

2 – Developing Listening Skills

Particular importance is placed upon the student’s development of a curiosity and an active attitude toward auditory documents. To attain this goal, activities take the form of: - Listening to very short recitations, taped or live, of which comprehension is is facilitated by repetitive structures and explicit illustrations; - Identifying, within heard texts, the names, words and expressions known by the class prior to the listening exercise; - Searching for the meaning of unknown words by way of clues, furnished in the text or within the context of the reading.

3 - Acquisition of Useful Utterances for Expression in a Particular Language

By means of the opportunities classroom life can provide, through habitual activities and various

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events throughout the school year (birthdays, parties), the student is gradually brought to understand and be able to use in a pertinent manner utterances corresponding to the fundamental language functions listed below (these will be described in detail according to the specific language).The student should be able to:- Speak about himself, state his name and his age, say what he is feeling (joy, hunger, thirst, pain); - Speak about his environment: indicate a person or an object, speak about the weather; - maintain simple social relationships in speech: greeting people, saying goodbye, thanking others, excusing himself, wishing someone Happy Birthday; - Verbally participate in classroom life: say that he knows or does not know something, ask for something to be repeated, express agreement or disagreement, ask for attention from classmates or the teacher. In all of these language situations, equal attention must be paid to the student’s comprehension or formulation of simple questions and his production of responses or initiating speech. This type of language acquisition is facilitated via games by placing students in listening situations and mutual exchanges and in providing ample opportunity for initiating speech.

4 – Discovering Culture

The student discovers the material and cultural environment of children of the same age in countries or regions concerned; he identifies significant traits in lifestyles (habitat, dress code, eating habits, holidays) or in nonverbal communication. This knowledge is deepened by an exposure to authentic audiovisual documentation and school correspondence using information technologies, respecting sound aspects as they relate to written language, as well as by the consultation of maps and globes for situating countries or regions in a spatial context. In the case of studying regional languages, efforts must be made to discover their real and living presence in the region concerned: daily use, media, names of places or specific objects, cultural manifestations adapted to students’ capacity for comprehension. Bonds or links between generations as a result of these languages will be examined and emphasized (interviews with speakers, for example).

5 - Familiarization with Cultural and Linguistic Diversity

Compared to that of non-verbal behaviors, the knowledge of eating habits, dress codes and celebrations of holidays in different countries provides students with a growing awareness of the relative uses of language. Activities involved in this type of learning are brought about in such a way as to encourage research and personal participation on the part of each student. Depending upon resources available in the classroom, the school or the immediate environment, languages spoken by the children themselves are highlighted, in presentations or through memorization exercises using songs, sayings or nursery rhymes in those languages, among others during times of special events (child’s birthday, specific holidays). Occasional intervention by speakers of target languages is beneficial.

Skills To Be Acquired by End of CycleThe child should be able to: - Recognize a question, an assertion or an exclamation based on intonation, - Reproduce statements in a language other than one’s mother tongue, by respecting phonological and accented specificities, - Memorize and deliver tales and songs, - Recognize in one’s local or distance environment the presence of many languages and cultures, - Take part in briefs exchanges in the language that the pupil begins to study, bearing on ritualized activities of the class (greetings, presentations, wishes, thanks), - Locate on a chart the countries or areas where studied language is spoken. The child should have understood and retained:

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- Fundamental linguistic functions, in the language in which the child will continue his studies in Cycle 3 (speak about himself or his environment, maintain simple social relations, and participate verbally in the life of the class).

ARTISTIC EDUCATION

Visual Arts

Artistic education in Elementary School develops an aptitude for expression and a taste for creation based on practical foundations: it facilitates the development of the child’s personality and a sense of fulfillment and autonomy, and it allows for balance between diverse forms of intelligence and sensitivity. It cultivates alternative manners of thinking and behaving, which have become indispensable in modern society. The approach to teaching visual arts places great value on interdisciplinary skills, and consequently provides access to complex symbolic forms which are crucial to many areas of learning at school. Artistic education is ensured either at the school itself or in other cultural locations better adapted to the program, whenever the pedagogical team can arrange to benefit from local resources. It is always left to teachers. Switching teachers and/or decentralizing classes is to be encouraged in this area, if in so doing there is improved use of teacher competency in artistic fields. Artistic education can also call upon qualified guests to intervene. It takes advantage of the associated diverse and evolving pedagogical tools, and allows students to explore, depending on available means, possibilities offered by computers and software, in a manner adapted to children’s’ age and degree of maturity.

OBJECTIVESAs in other Cycles of education, teaching of the visual arts relies on regular practice wherein the child remains the focus. Taking part in sensorial experiences developed in Preschool, the student is brought to encourage his own perception skills, exercise his imagination, explore various procedures and techniques and enlarge his repertory in the visual arts. Eventually, he may choose the method of expression depending upon the project. Curiosity and creativity continue to be encouraged by the teacher. The practice of drawing, in its various functions, is reinforced. Other means of expression are additionally developed. Activities to be pursued involve working with materials and manipulating objects and images; these engage the student to utilize specific thought processes. These activities instill good habits of questioning the world around oneself and allow for confrontation of other points of view. Thus they help the student better understand his environment and formulate his own outlook. Sharing with others facilitates awareness and nourishes a dynamic of creation that is both individual and collective. Student productions are compared with known artistic works and methods, presented in the form of documents or exhibits or excursions. Artistic works are to be chosen from the list of works accompanying this PROGRAM. References are organized chronologically. A list of works established in each academy must allow for full utilization of, and familiarity with resources in proximity.

PROGRAMAn education in the Visual Arts takes its place among the learning begun in Preschool. Activities center around four axes: drawing, artistic compositions, images and works of art. All of these converge to form the basis for an education in observation and perception.

1 - Drawing

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Regular practice of drawing is a priority. It plays upon other forms of expression, sometimes in an anticipatory role (preparatory sketches, explicative diagrams, schemas, compositional study, plan of construction, etc.) sometimes as one element in an artistic composition, and sometimes as a reminder or an account. The student uses drawing as a means of expression unto itself. He takes pleasure in giving form to a story, reconstructing a scene or recording events. Drawings of imaginary or narrative subjects are encouraged. The teacher creates situations which stimulate the desire to draw: literary texts, books read aloud, and cartoons are suitable materials to be utilized. He organizes activities which allow the child to refine his hand, gain control of his movement, push himself to pursue the long-term development of a work, enlarge a drawing, invent its missing parts, etc… Beyond the drawing as a form of spontaneous expression encouraged in Preschool, the teacher guides the student to seek solutions to satisfy more explicit desired effects: enlarge, reproduce, translate or represent, tell a story, evoke, simplify, etc. He places at the child’s disposal all necessary means: documentation, techniques, and materials. He allows the student to discover more elaborate tools and means, such as the use of a projector and slides for enlargement, use of a photocopier to enlarge or lighten, use of a computer to resize or retouch, etc. Just when the child begins the systematic study of written language and writing becomes a daily activity, the teacher must bring him to better master his coordination by working with lines to explore the many facets of graphic creation, whether it be in lettering or decorative arts. Utilization of various tools (feather pens, metal pens, sharpened wood, Japanese paintbrushes…) is combined with trials on different types of materials, formats and sizes. Relationships and comparisons are explored, between materials and different graphic forms of art (letters and words in paintings and sculpture, calligraphy, illuminated manuscripts, alphabets and lettering, graffiti, etc…), or between materials and decorative ones (weaving, pottery, body painting, graphic decoration of everyday objects…).

2 – Artistic Compositions

Sensory experimentation conducted in Preschool serves as a point of reference in the development of two- or three-dimensional artistic compositions. The student acts upon forms (shapes, components), colors (mixtures, contrasts, fades), matter and objects. He puts together a series of operations to achieve a desired effect. Activities proposed to him must aim to develop the principles of organization and composition: repetition, superimposition, orientation, concentration, dispersion, balance, etc. If Primary school provided the child with opportunities to play with objects and forms and allowed him to discover that one can manipulate these, activities in Cycle 2 encourage him to transform one thing into another with greater intention and precision: deconstruct objects, use known shapes and attach them, isolate a fragment and associate elements of different origins by varying means of assembly. Resources and objects in the immediate environment are recognized as reservoirs of materials and forms with which the child can interact (re-use, recycling, montage, collage, assembly, attachment, installation…)

3 – Photos and Images

Images or photographs are at the same time materials, documents and expressive supports. The student must develop the habit of working with these, transforming them, becoming the author of images he produces and the involved spectator of those he examines. He may interact with an existing image, discover its function and change its meaning. He may project images into spaces, on walls or upon objects and play with the deformation obtained through distortion, superimposition, obstruction, etc. The immediate environment is appropriated with the aid of optic tools (colored glass, lenses, magnifying glasses, microscopes...) which modify the perception thereof. The student experiments with several techniques for obtaining and representing images and plays with notions of setting and perspective: drawing what he sees through a window, using analog and digital technologies (traditional camera or digital, scanner, computer, image software).

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Examination of surrounding images (posters, advertisements, photography…) allows for the identification of different procedures used to convey a specific message. The student puts in practice operations such as the reconstruction of an image’s hidden or missing parts, the imagination of its continuation beyond the edge, the association of elements from one image with another of the same theme, restoring colors to a black and white image… Observation, manipulation, transformation, and the production of images are thus skills to be developed. In the course of these activities, the student is brought to be able to name the different elements he identifies (colors, shapes, dimensions…) and state the similarities and differences between images, works, and procedures using appropriate vocabulary. If in Preschool there was an emphasis placed upon the diversity of images, in Cycle 2 the approach is developed into one of greater structure, which consists of describing within an image all the perceived elements in relation to delivered information.

4 – Exposure To, and Familiarity with Works of Art

The classroom ‘museum’ (collection of the group’s art) and the personal ‘museum’ (individual collections) can be means of helping the student establish relationships between what is selected because of tastes or interests and his own productions. Encouraging the child’s natural penchant for collecting and preserving, the teacher presents reproductions of works from collections of images (photos, student drawings, photography books, writings, post cards, stamps, etc.). He can offer to construct a curio cabinet, a collection of marvels assembling objects gathered by students organized into logical categories pertinent to the class. This type of collection must constantly evolve and become the object of regular presentations accompanied by commentary. It provides visual and cerebral stimulation. The student develops an inquisitive attitude which emerges from the relationships that are discovered between pictures and the objects represented therein. The notion of a work of art is introduced. This allows for an approach to works cited in the lists available at the local and national level. The student must begin to be able to situate works, establish similarities between them and identify relationships with his own approaches.

Skills To Be Acquired by End of CycleThe child should be able to: - Use drawing in its various functions (expression, anticipation, recording), - Experiment with materials, supports, tools, take note of effects produced and apply again whole or part of that information in a new production, - Combine several plastic art operations to execute a piece in two or three dimensions, alone or in a group, - Produce images to acquire a mastery of effects and meaning, - Describe and compare images using the correct vocabulary, - Establish relations between steps and processes recognized in works of art and one’s own production, - Recognize and name specific works of artists and compare them one another (see national and academic lists).

MUSICAL EDUCATION

OBJECTIVESMany skills relating to music have already been acquired at the pre-elementary level. These serve as the foundation of musical education during the Fundamental Learning Cycle (Cycle 2) characterized by a balance between activities for the enjoyment of making music and activities for the acquisition of specific skills.The teacher’s objective is to ensure that students are able to:- Achieve vocal emission and progressively control its different aspects- Set conditions for active listening, adapted to different contexts, in an increasingly conscious and voluntary manner

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- Appropriate the specific features of different songs in their repertoire- Identify salient characteristics of music with regard to diverse cultural contexts- Use increasingly precise language to express sensations, feelings, choices and tastes.The interaction between listening, producing and creating is at the heart of the desired approach. This applies to singing, as well as speaking exercises. The sounds of the French language, of the studied foreign or regional language, and possibly those of the maternal language provide the material for a broad range of recreational activities which build listening skills as well as a verbal command of the language.The body is to be called into action as often as possible in order to assimilate the concepts of beat and tempo, better control movement during accompaniment activities, and reinforce the notion of rhythmic accuracy.

PROGRAM

1- Voice and Singing1.1 Vocal CultureThe appreciation of a vocal culture is strengthened by the regular practice of singing and voice games which are either meant to prepare for song or serve expressive or inventive aims.Students learn to stabilize their voices, seek accuracy using the ear to observe and control intonation, and regulate their breathing (anticipation, delivery…).They perfect diction, and practice memorization of lyrics, poems and literary texts, by working on rhythm and prosody.They experiment with simple musical structures by reproducing them, modifying or prolonging them, inserting them in question-answer alternations. They improvise. They practice following the melodic line of what they are singing in an adapted score. They seek quality in their efforts and interpretations.1.2 RepertoireThe repertoire involved at the Pre-elementary level is revisited at the beginning of Cycle 2 (reprise of several songs). This grows considerably throughout the Fundamental Learning Cycle without the exclusion of children’s material, such as nursery rhymes, which can be used when learning a foreign or regional language. Approximately ten songs are memorized each year. These are to be chosen for the characteristics of their text as well as those of their music, and according to guidelines specific to a particular class or their relativity to other subjects. The words of songs must be suitable and easily understood. Choice of melodies must respect the average range of a child’s voice, which at this age not much more than an octave, and must not fall too low.This repertoire is chosen from among songs of European heritage and songs from all over the world. It also includes accessible songs from contemporary composers as well as pop music. It is also beneficial to have students listen to several possible songs and discuss the choices.For an initial approach of the principal of polyphony the teacher might use the “bumblebee” technique, i.e. adding a note or a rhythmic cell, sustained by one small group, thus teaching very simple canons or rounds. The application document specifies a progression towards polyphony conceivable for primary school students.Choir, not specific to any one Cycle, is part of every school’s educational mission. This endeavor serves to highlight music through the careful approach it requires, and students accept its particularities because of the pleasure they experience in engaging in a common realization. Conducted by the most qualified teachers, choir relies on vocal work achieved in the classroom. It provides an opportunity to enrich the polyphonic repertoire. Various conceivable modalities, the mistakes to be avoided, and their possible solutions are covered in detail in the application document.

2- Listening2.1 Culture of the EarListening is an important part of the didactic process: it hinges on both production and invention. During Cycle 2, it essentially consists in listening and repeating in order to improve productions. It contributes to stabilizing and reinforcing the habits and the auditory accuracy necessary for

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concentration and memorization of the pieces. It is a question of listening to oneself as well as to the others.Listening to musical pieces or to parts of them completes the introductory approach. It is an essential component for discovering the diversity of musical expression. Students are brought to a progressive assertion of their own musical tastes and they acquire new references for becoming familiar with cultural heritage. They notice salient elements and link them to those of other songs they interpret. They identify particular musical moods or climates, contrast musical realms and qualify them according to their own sensitivities through discussions. They identify instruments, timbres, motifs and passages of greater or lesser emotional intensity. They begin to differentiate chains of successive occurrences from those of simultaneous ones. They realize that all music can be a source of pleasure or can be rejected, but in any case it remains an object of curiosity and provides opportunity for infinite discoveries.Moreover, listening to pieces interpreted live at school or better still, in a concert hall, adds an indispensable and complementary dimension to the work done in class. Perception and listening skills become more precise and have greater impact when one sees where, how and by whom the music is actually produced.2.2 Repertoire The repertoire is selected in order to broaden the student’s cultural and aesthetic frame of reference. It must remain quite open and adaptable and will be chosen by a team, taking into account all suggestions furnished in the application document. It will include, whenever possible, pieces which are clearly linked to the songs already studied and to the productions that are being practiced. The choices may also be related to themes treated in other domains.2.3 Using Musical InstrumentsThe use of musical instruments does not constitute an autonomous section of the Music PROGRAM. It is integrated with the process of learning songs, listening to them, or other musical projects.Cycle 2 coincides with the maturation and structuring stage of students’ fine motor skills as they learn to incorporate instrumental productions with vocal productions, intentionally and with control. The instruments used are essentially bought or fabricated sonorous objects, traditional small percussion instruments and a few orchestra chimes. The use of instruments enriches musical production, establishing a bond between body movement and active listening skills.

3- Realization of Musical ProjectsMusical projects are indispensable for giving meaning to activities, and fall within the requirements of a solid education in music. They provide an opportunity for children to call upon inventive resources as they employ acquired skills. A project coordinates the use of these skills and resources provided that, at this level, the preparation phase is not too lengthy and that the projected results are realistic in nature. The outline of such a project must clearly indicate how to subordinate the techniques and the attempts, the repeated listening phases, as well as the distribution of research for precise expressive effects. Choir activities as well as choreographic activities naturally fall into this framework.The application document specifies the implementation of both points.

Skills To Be Acquired by End of CycleThe child should be able to: - Sing on key by controlling his intonation using listening skills, - Interpret from memory ten simple songs per year, while seeking accuracy, precision and expression, - Apply, either independently or upon prompting, proper body posture habits for singing (physical posture, respiratory ease, anticipation…), - listen to others, listen silently to short extracts, - isolate, through repeated listening, several musical elements (in particular, identify identical sentences, their respective position), memorize some of these, - produce simple rhythms with an instrument; mark the tempo with the body, - transcribe sound productions into charts, referring possibly to body movements,- begin to express and explain preferences,

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- express a way of feeling music through personal or collective dance sequences.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

OBJECTIVESSimilar to the Pre-elementary level, during the Fundamental Learning Cycle, Physical Education aims to:- Develop the abilities and resources necessary for the motor skills- Provide access to the cultural heritage represented by the various physical, sportive and artistic activities and the social practices of reference- Facilitate the acquisition of skills and knowledge that will allow the student to know his/her body better, to respect it and maintain it in good health.In that sense, it contributes to the transformation and the development of the self as it expresses itself during the activities involving the body.At six or seven years old, children reach a new stage in their physiological and psychological development. The scope of experiences and domains to be explored can therefore be widely broadened. The child’s “motor repertoire” is constituted of fundamental motor actions that have been in the process of elaboration since early childhood: motions (or displacements), equilibriums (stabilized attitudes), manipulations, projections and receptions of objects. These actions, at the base of all movement, are applied in the various physical, sportive and artistic activities in different forms and with different meanings. The bases of this repertoire are constituted at the beginning of the Cycle 2 and allow the students to adapt to more difficult environments, to act and express themselves with their bodies in a more complex manner.Indeed, during the course of this Cycle, these motor actions will continue to be perfected, in their form as well as in their speed of execution, precision and force. The children will gradually become capable of linking them. They will not be built as a final objective but through the practice of physical activities that will give them their full meaning: throwing a ball towards a target (or in a basket) to score a point (collective games) does not bear the same meaning as throwing a weighted ball as far as possible (athletics).Because it creates situations that are rich in sensations and emotions, Physical Education is a privileged medium to give the children the opportunity to talk about their practice (to name, express, communicate). Moreover, the interest of children of this age group for physical activity is an additional source of motivation to interest them in reading and writing various types of text (cards, rules, stories…).More specifically, Physical Education participates in both health and safety education. While it takes care of the need to move and the pleasure to act, it also gives the students the sense of effort and perseverance. Furthermore, it gives the opportunity to acquire notions (relation between space and time, for example), and to elaborate useful skills for everyday life (finding one’s bearings in a location, evaluate the risks of a given situation).Physical Education is essential to introduce civic values through the teaching of responsibility and autonomy. It is an opportunity to play with the notion of rule, particularly important in the eyes of children this age, to better understand it and make it a reality in order to accede to moral and social values.Physical Education also helps to concretize more abstract notions and knowledge: it facilitates their understanding and their acquisition in relation to scientific activities, Mathematics, History and Geography, etc.As a physical and artistic activity, dance approached in all of its forms, provides the opportunity to create a link with artistic activities (visual arts, musical education…).The teacher will find guidelines for development in the application document.

PROGRAMSimilar to the pre-elementary level, the Physical Education goal for the Fundamental Learning Cycle is to allow students to build two distinct types of skills: specific skills and general skills.

1- Physical Activities and Specific Skills

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The various physical activities proposed during Cycle 2 are not merely replicas of social practices. They must allow students to have particular “physical experiences” wherein specific intentions, perceived sensations and emotions differ, according to the type of environment in which they are practiced (certainty or uncertainty, interactions with others or no interaction, etc). By engaging in physical activities that make sense to them (emotional, social), students build four types of specific skills, accomplishing simple combinations of elementary actions that increase their repertoire of motor skills. A few examples of skills that should be acquired in each field of activity by the end of Cycle 2 are listed below. The application document elaborates upon these in greater detail.1.1 Skills Involving Measured Performance- Employing diverse motor actions characterized by their force, their speed (for example, jumping far, throwing hard, running fast)- Activities in different spaces and with varied equipment (for example, throwing a light object a great distance)- Using different types of efforts (connection between speed, distance and length)Implementation- Track and Field- SwimmingExamples of skills to be acquired at end of Cycle: Track and Field- Speed racing: starting rapidly at the signal, maintaining speed for 6 or7 seconds and crossing the finish line without slowing down- Obstacle courses: running and jumping over three low obstacles in a row without losing speed- Jumping activities: running for a few meters and jumping as far or as high as possible, pushing off of one foot within a delimited area.1.2 Adapting Motions to Varying Environments- Learning to perform unusual actions that involve equilibrium (climbing, rolling, sliding)- Navigating unstable terrain or apparatus (flat, hilly or wooded terrain, calm water, snow, bicycle, roller skates, skis…)- Increasingly distant environments involving uncertainty (public parks, woods, forest, mountain, lake…) Implementation:- Climbing activities- Orientating activities- Swimming activities- Rolling and sliding activities (bicycle, roller skates, ice skating, skiing…)- Riding activities…Examples of skills to be acquired at end of Cycle:- Swimming activities: moving on the surface and under water in unusual motion that challenges equilibrium (jumping into the water, retrieving an object at the bottom of the deep end of the pool, passing through an immersed ring, coming up to the surface, floating for 5 seconds and returning to the edge of the pool).- Rolling activities (roller skates): accomplish the following course: executing slalom around cones, ascending and descending a short slope, stopping within a 2 meter distance.- Orientation activities: in a known environment (public park), in pairs, finding 5 markers according to the indications given by the adult or group who placed them.1.3 Individual or Group Confrontation of Opponents- Meeting an opponent in games of dual opposition;- Cooperating with partners to collectively confront one or several opponents in a collective game (offense and defense).Implementation:- Wrestling - Racquet sports- Team sports (including traditional games with or without a ball).Examples of skills to be acquired at end of Cycle:

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- Racquet sports: moving and aiming towards a target (with ball or shuttlecock); accomplishing trajectories of different lengths.- Team Sports: combining simple actions relative to the different roles, notably in an offensive position (running and carrying an object or passing a ball, receiving and passing, receiving and running towards the goal to score, throwing the ball to a partner, putting the ball or an object into the scoring area), or as defender (running and touching those who carry the ball or the object, trying to intercept the ball, running and blocking…).

1.4 Activity of an Artistic, Aesthetic or Expressive Nature- Expressing characters, images, states or feelings with the body;- Communicating feelings or emotions to others;- Realizing acrobatic actions challenging equilibrium;- Expressing oneself freely or following different rhythms using diverse sound accompaniment, with or without equipment).Implementation:- Dance (in all of its forms);- Pantomime;- Gymnastics;- Circus Activities;- Rhythmic Gymnastics…Examples of skills to be acquired at end of Cycle:- Gymnastic activities: choosing two pieces of equipment (for example, asymmetric bars or balance beam, plus thick mat on inclined plane), perform a combination of at least 3 acrobatic movements; one of the moves is identical in both cases (rolling, for example), in a combination choreographed with a beginning and an end.

2. General Skills

While these may be acquired through other scholastic disciplines, Physical Education is one of the most favorable for building the skills that embody learning and learning methods. These skills are not in and of themselves the final objective. The teacher is to assist the student in acquiring attitudes, methods and approaches that are favorable to learning, in the execution of the activities as well as in social life.In tandem with an adapted pedagogy, the students learn: - To know themselves better- To know others better - To accept and dominate their emotions- To find points of reference in the environment- To succeed in their goals and actions- To understand and implement rules, codes, etc.The teacher will therefore establish situations allowing each student to choose his own degree of difficulty, to safely make several attempts, to start over if he fails, to reflect with others upon the best course of action, to be able to help a classmate or to be helped through advice…Thus, it is through various athletic and artistic activities in Physical Education sessions that the student will be able to demonstrate a capacity for engaging in action with lucidity (venturing to safely commit to action, choosing efficient strategies, controlling his emotions…), come up with a specific plan of action (formulating, implementing), measure and appreciate the effects of activity (interpreting various hints, putting spatial and temporal concepts into context, evaluating his own actions, his own improvements and those of others), and apply the rules of collective life (refer to “Living In Society”).The student acquires knowledge by building skills, through the practice of various activities. This knowledge applies to the self, but is also practical knowledge as to how to become aware of and behave in the group formed by the class, and knowledge about the activities themselves, the tools used and the rules that apply.

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Each of the general skills can be further described in detailed, precise skills. These are presented in the application document, along with the related information and examples of possible implementation for a number of activities.

3- Planning and Scheduling

A coherent, complete and balanced teaching of Physical Education requires precise planning and scheduling of the activities. The teaching team for the Cycle prepares the programs. A few principles must be respected in order to avoid the ill-conceived sessions.During each year of the Cycle, the four specific skills (measured performance, adaptation of motion to environment, individual or collective opponents, and activity of an artistic, aesthetic or expressive nature) are addressed.Each skill is covered through one or several activities. For example, the skill “activity of an artistic, aesthetic or expressive nature” can be addressed with either dance or gymnastics. Ideally, for true and permanent acquisition of skills, each unit should last 10 to 15 sessions. However, realistically, a minimum of 5 or 6 sessions per activity is required.The three weekly hours will be distributed over a minimum of two distinct days. Daily practice should occur as often as possible, providing it can be carried out in favorable conditions. It is mandatory to exercise the skill “individual and collective opponents” each year of the Cycle, with a unit that introduces team sports (traditional or non-traditional), and possibly includes wrestling or racquet games. Depending upon available facilities, swimming (12 sessions a year minimum) should be scheduled in priority for this level.General skills and knowledge can be acquired through any and all physical activity.

Skills To Be Acquired by End of Cycle

1. Specific Skills The skills, the activities, and the desired results are in permanent interaction. Within each Cycle, identical aptitudes apply to different levels of motor control and to various activities. The expected level of skills acquisition is specified for several activities covered in this document (for more examples, see the application document). The child should be able, in various sporting, athletic and artistic activities, to: - Achieve a measured performance, - Adapt movements to various types of environments, - Compete individually and/or collectively, - Conceive and execute actions with an artistic, aesthetic and/or expressive purpose.

2. General Skills and Knowledge Examples of implementations are presented in the application document. The child should be able, in various situations, to: - Engage willfully in a given action, - Formulate a plan of action, - Measure and appreciate the effects of an activity, - Observe the rules of society.The child should have understood and retained: - That one can acquire specific knowledge in sports and physical activities (feelings, emotions, knowledge in the technical execution of specific actions…), - Diverse and accurate knowledge of various sports and physical activities to which he has been exposed.

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CYCLE OF IN-DEPTH LEARNING - CYCLE 3

INTRODUCTION

In the Cycle of In-Depth Learning, the student continues to acquire the basics and the bases of his education: language mastery and mastery of the French Language, Social Studies (Civics), Mathematics, Fine Arts and Physical Education. However, he now approaches this education differently, for he is entering a phase of his psychological development that allows him to structure his knowledge in a more thoughtful manner and use appropriate intellectual tools more assuredly. It nevertheless remains more important than ever to call upon all facets of his intelligence and, more specifically, his capacity for action and sensitivity. Thus, the pedagogy of Cycle 3 must not rest upon any formal or abstract concept of knowledge. It must rely upon concrete experience. Upon entering Cycle 3, the student crosses an important educational threshold. The knowledge he has just acquired in reading and writing allows him to increase informational possibilities and reinforce his learning. The mathematical knowledge and skills he has discovered give him the ability to more precisely describe the phenomena he finds interesting, and their evolution. Of course, he does not yet use knowledge completely autonomously, and Cycle 3 will be the occasion to acquire, in each of these domains, greater mastery. He will also open himself to new learning: History, Geography, concentrated study of the French Language (grammar), foreign or regional languages, Experimental Science and Technology. Teachers have three years in which to guide every student, without exception, to the acquisition of intellectual savoir-faire, an appetite for knowledge and sound attitudes toward others, without which he would be unable to take advantage of instruction offered to him in Middle School. They have these same three years in which to continue to turn the student’s memory into a privileged tool for integrating newly acquired skills. In this perspective, the curriculum and programs are organized so as to coordinate two major areas of study – the mastery of language and the French Language, and Social Studies or Civics – using teaching methods now more anchored in their corresponding disciplines to provide each child with the foundation for a balanced and cultivated education.Mastery of language and the French Language form the primary axis. This must be considered the top priority and a source of constant concern and attention for every teacher. No student should leave primary school without the minimal assurance of being able to use oral and written French to grant him sufficient autonomy for working and learning in Middle School. The path to language mastery, as set by the curriculum, may sometimes be blocked by the fact that certain students enter the Cycle having insufficiently acquired the basics of reading and writing. The same can be true of Mathematics. The adapted teaching methods from which these particular students must benefit must be the object of a “personalized program of assistance and progress” (PPAP(5)). Increased personalized guidance in moments of progression toward language mastery may suffice in certain cases, whereby specific moments must be extracted from regular activities. For all students, language skills relative to the use of speaking, reading and writing which will have to be acquired by the end of Cycle 3 imply regular and concentrated work and therefore, for teachers, the development of a rigorous curriculum calling for an ordered progression of learning is required.

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This aspect so important to the program entails two types of scheduling schemas: fixed hours and transversal hours. The first are divided among several discipline fields: “Literacy” (speak, read, write), “Concentrated Study of the French Language” (grammar, conjugation, spelling, vocabulary), but also “Foreign or Regional Language” contributing to an awareness of the differences distinguished in French, and “Living in Society” of which weekly “Guided Debate” sessions are the most fecund source of individual training in language use. The second are transversal or cross-disciplinary, and concern all fields without exception: significant amounts of time in each domain must be devoted to learning to speak, read and write in the precise context of knowledge and material which characterizes that particular field. This of course leads to a more complex organization of schedules, but it is a deliberate choice. In effect, language mastery can in no way be acquired through formal exercises functioning in a vacuum. In particular, if it is wished that each student understand the texts he reads, it is necessary that he know how to use the alphabetic code to recognize almost instantly the words e encounters, but it is just as necessary that he have acquired solid knowledge including a rich general cultural understanding in order that he be able to form precise representations of what he has read. In short, the mastery of written language is first acquired in all domains specific to Cycle 3 thanks to the many types of knowledge they ensure. Not a single minute is to be subtracted from teaching that provides a solid general education to every child, under the pretext that some students do not read as well as they should or that others have difficulty in writing. It is precisely these students who have a more obvious need for such an irreplaceable education. Each reading, each writing project, etc., must be anchored in activity which leads in parallel to the building of precise skills and knowledge. Thus, language mastery and mastery of the French Language is a dimension present in all activities of Cycle 3, its pursuit must occupy a precise place in each learning progression and must be the object of regular evaluation and assessment. In short, it must be of constant concern to teachers. To help teachers to organize instructional activities, a table summarizing the skills related to speaking, reading and writing which must be pursued in each field is proposed at the end of the chapter, “Mastery of Language and the French Language”. Civics, or Social Studies, forms the other organizational axis of a school characterized by the fact that knowledge is constructed collectively. Without a clear idea of the constraints of “Living in Society”, the student can only discover those new horizons opened via confrontation with others. It is in his final years of Primary School that he truly learns to build, with his classmates and his teachers, relationships of mutual respect and thoughtful cooperation that allow for an initial sensitivity to civic values. Getting in the habit of anticipating the problems posed by collective life, during regularly scheduled meetings (one hour every two weeks) is, in Cycle 3, an important aspect of this education, additionally enriched through knowledge acquired elsewhere. The remaining instructional areas of Cycle 3 are divided into four major categories: the first aims to develop knowledge of the French Language and education in Literature and the humanities, the second targets scientific education, the third and fourth calling the human body into play with Fine Arts on the one hand and Physical Education on the other. None of these domains are self-contained. Students must constantly be taught to re-use skills and knowledge they acquire, outside of the field in which they acquired them. In the first field, French Language and the studies of Literature and the humanities have been grouped into a method of instruction which constantly reinforces each component, as much by what is learned in individual areas as by the common skills they permit students to acquire. They constitute the basis of a solid education which the other major categories can only enrich.Literature is a part of culture without which the majority of ordinary conversational references (especially regarding that which is read) would escape us. It is obviously not, in Cycle 3, a question of merely establishing techniques for explaining texts, techniques which at this level would at best consist of stilted droning. On the contrary, children must read and read more, be filled with the wealth of literary culture, and continue to develop themselves through Children’s Literature, be it through ‘the classics’ in perennial publication or through the lively editions of our time. It is upon this foundation of reading which classroom discussions can be developed, about grand themes approached by writers, as well as emotions and feelings –moral and esthetic – that Literature offers its readers. Based upon these same readings, children discover the pleasure of

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talking about texts that have left an impression upon them, or the pleasure of trying their own hand at writing, inspired by what they have read. It would not be possible to master language, especially the writing thereof, without a concentrated and thoughtful observation of the mechanics of French (grammar, conjugation, spelling, vocabulary). It is only when one understands the logic of a particular language that he might enjoy playing with its words and using it efficiently. Once a student has taken the time to engage in this type of consideration, in the setting of scheduled activity specifically for this purpose, each time he writes (in any of the fields of Cycle 3) he will patiently execute reflection and observation in order to revise and elaborate upon what he has written, and he will be assured of relative orthographic certainty. Greater familiarity with grammatical structures also allows for better understanding of texts which, because of their complexity, resist immediate interpretation. Every dimension of linguistic observation, be it syntax, morph syntax or lexicon, must be explored. The teaching of foreign or regional languages has been merged with the discovery of the functions of the French Language. This is not because we suppose that the acquisition of a foreign language occurs only through a mastery of grammar. Much to the contrary, the curriculum is completely designed around the idea of exploring communicational situations, even more consistent for the child if this is done in ordinary situations of his life, as much at school as at home. Children must be able to evoke moments of their existence, in order to situate these with regard to the experiences of children in other countries and acquire the means to enter into direct contact with them. Regional languages play the same role, particularly when they allow students to strengthen relationships with other generations. The discovery of these languages is a reference point for the consolidation of learning in French. It is also a gateway to the outside world, both far (foreign languages) and near (regional languages). History and Geography help the student build the beginnings of knowledge of historical times and the diversity of spaces transformed by human activity. They give him the necessary cultural references so that the world of mankind can begin to make sense to him. All while upholding the preponderance for the history of France its Territories, these teachings also widen to a European and even worldwide dimension, today indispensable. Building upon initial discoveries of historical documents, the readings of maps and other geographical cartography, student curiosity is piqued and the knowledge acquired can be reinvested usefully in Literature, Experimental Science or Fine Arts. History and Geography furnish a solid core for Civics by way of the knowledge they impart and the critical methods they develop. On a larger scale, the comparison of different societies in time and space allow the student to build his own strong identity, simultaneously self-confident and open to others, founded on the conscience to partake of a heritage and participate in the adventure of a space common to all men. Another important new aspect falls under the domain of scientific education. Mathematics on the one hand, Experimental Science and Technology on the other, must be tied as often as possible to the execution of curricular activities. If in Mathematics new thought processes for calculation are born, taking into account machines likely to help man in this domain, the crux of the program still resides in the pragmatic orientation of teaching Mathematics based upon the resolution of problems. There, the skills developed in areas other than Mathematics take on greater significance. They become available instruments for treating numerous situations and approaching Sciences in other ways. The new curriculum for Sciences and Technology is, in effect, resolutely centered on an experimental approach. Skills covered are better assimilated if they are born of questions arising from manipulations, observations, measurements. Teachings of this type open the door to the major questions of ethics in our time, to which children are particularly sensitive (economic development, environment, health). Another area has been revisited, one which, under the name of Fine Arts, places an emphasis on intuitive intelligence which can only be developed through true hands-on experience. As in previous cycles, it touches on two large fields, Visual Arts and Music, complemented by poetry and theatre (in liaison with literary studies) and Dance (in conjunction with Physical Education). Vocal practice is at the heart of musical activities, as it is in theatre and poetry. Drawing remains an important aspect of the visual arts which can be broadened to include photography or cinema. Organized discovery of major works is another new aspect of the curricular program. Each schoolchild will have encountered works which, designated in the applications document accompanying this Bulletin, constitute a culture of shared references. The contact with those

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works that are directly accessible because of their proximity, and of which the list is determined by each Académie, is the second phase of this initiation to the History of art. Physical Education and Sports, in Cycle 3, target the structuring and individual transformation of the physical self. However, the development of the skills and necessary resources for motor activity takes on, at this age, a new dimension. Additionally, the active discovery of the cultural heritage represented by diverse physical and artistic activities using the body contributes to providing each student with a view of corresponding social practices which are not limited to a few stereotypes too often emphasized. The acquisition of necessary safety reflexes and the habits required for good physical fitness is an important aspect of self-respect, and thus an important aspect of education in the fullest sense of the term. In Cycle 3, as in preceding cycles, information and communication technologies (ICT) are ordinary instruments of daily work which, to the same extent as language mastery and mastery of the French Language, cannot be experienced in a vacuum. At the end of the Cycle, students must have sufficiently familiarized themselves with their different functions in order to acquire without difficulty the various skills required for Level 1 of the “Brevet Informatique et Internet” (B2i), outlined forthwith(V).Similarly, the thoughtful study of images (still or in motion) is not the object of a specific line of teaching but rather shall be deployed in each domain, allowing students to easily perceive the different ways in which they can be utilized. To gain true mastery of language, the confident autonomous practice of reading and solid competency in writing, major objectives in Cycle 3, students must read and write every day for a sufficient period of time in each of the individual disciplines. Additionally, reading workshops are regularly organized in each field, notably in that of literary study. There again, it is the regularity of the activity that counts: reading and writing sessions each day must never total less than two hours.

(5) B.O. n° 42 dated 23 November, 2000, B.O. n° 13 dated 29 March, 2001.

Scheduled Hours

DOMAIN FIELD OF DISCIPLINE MINIMUMHOURS

MAXIMUM HOURS

HOURLY TOTAL

French Language, Literary Education and Humanities

Literature (speaking, reading, writing) 4 hrs 30 5 hrs 30

12 hrs

Concentrated Study of the French Language (grammar, conjugation, spelling and vocabulary)

1 hr 30 2 hrs

Foreign or regional language 1 hr 30 2 hrs

History and Geography 3 hrs 3 hrs 30

Collective life (guided debate) 30min 30min

Scientific Education

MathematicsExperimental Science and Technology

5 hrs2 hrs 30

5 h 303 hrs 8 hrs

Fine Arts Music education and Visual Arts 3 hrs 3 hrs

Physical Education and Sports 3 hrs 3 hrs

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CROSS-DISCIPLINARYDOMAINS HOURS

Mastery of language and the French Language

13 hrs divided among all discipline fields, of which 2 hrs daily of reading and writing activities

Civics (Social Studies) 1 hr spread throughout all fields, 30min for weekly discussion or debate

CROSS-DISCIPLINARY DOMAINS

MASTERING LANGUAGE AND THE FRENCH LANGUAGE

OBJECTIVESThe mastery of language and the French Language, in their academic capacities both verbal and written, is the essential target objective of Primary School. Language mastery is the right of every child and must remain a constant priority for all teachers in Cycle 3. It is the basis for accessing every type of knowledge, opening multiple horizons and ensuring the child’s place as future citizen of his country and the world. Because the mastery of language and the French Language can never be definitively attained, it is understood here that the “mastery of language and the French Language in academic capacities” is defined as the ensemble of skills allowing the child to fully benefit from verbal exchanges in the classroom in the setting of any aspect of the curriculum, read and understand texts supporting all pedagogical activities, and use writing to organize knowledge required at this level in order to commit it to memory and employ in writing what has been learned and acquired. These skills cannot be built in a vacuum. They are developed in the course of intellectual and cultural experiences specific to school but also outside the confines of the classroom. During Cycle 2, reading and writing acquisition constituted the most important component of language mastery and necessitated that the essential part of activities be based thereupon. However, continually developed in parallel during Cycle 2 were other aspects of verbal language within major areas of learning, and other means of providing the student with the cultural knowledge without which reading comprehension would remain greatly limited. In Cycle 3, none of the various aspects of verbal and written language mastery must be neglected. In particular, the fact that a large majority of students will have arrived at a level of initial autonomy in reading must in no way lead to the omission of pursuing specific teaching methods in that area. It must be ensured that coordination exists, that there is knowledge integration, between studied texts of increasing complexity and variety, and the recognition of words, progressively becoming automatic. To avoid any dispersion, it is those texts of an academic nature and culture, in the true sense of “academic culture which must be shared by all students before the end of Primary School”, which are preferred. These are defined by the curriculum and organized into comprehensive lists of works, published in the applications document. One of the major dangers in the pedagogies of reading and writing in Primary School is the isolation of encountered or produced texts from their contexts, leading students to believe that reading and writing are only exercises. Another danger lies in neglecting continued training because of the satisfactory results of top students. To avoid the former, the teaching of reading and writing is first and foremost, in Cycle 3, inextricably tied to major disciplines defined by the curriculum. Students are to read and write Literature, History, Geography, Sciences, etc. To avoid the latter – the neglect of training still

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necessary at this age – each of the disciplines must include, during its specified hours, reading “workshops” designed to reinforce every student’s skills (comprehension strategies, word recognition). The goal of these workshops, even though they concern all disciplinary domains, is more explicitly detailed in the “Literature” program. Whenever National Third Grade assessments show that certain students in the Cycle of In-Depth Learning have left the preceding Cycle without having sufficiently acquired basic language mastery skills, those students must be assigned to a personalized program of assistance and progress (PPAP). This involves activities adapted to the specific difficulties of each student, organized in the setting of ordinary classroom life (for example, in the form of workshops put in place while other students are involved in autonomous activity or perhaps during group work which offers the possibility of activity rotation for the groups). Students in question must not in any way be excluded from other learning activities planned in Cycle 3 without which they would not be able to meaningfully understand what they read and would be incapable of writing rich and varied texts.

PROGRAMMastery of language and the French Language is considered the major objective of the Elementary School program, paving the way for further, specific components. This mastery is acquired via cross-disciplinary aspects of the ensemble of learning methods. Skills targeted by the end of the Cycle allow for the organization of work: planning of activities throughout the entire cycle, structuring each learning sequence (discovery of ideas or skills followed by reinforcement of acquisition), and assessment of what has been acquired. These skills may be either general or specific. General skills concern all intellectual activities called into play by the student, and all forms of communication established in the classroom. They are revised and practiced in “workshops” organized in each discipline: to introduce a more demanding work technique, to solidify a technique which seems haphazard, or to guide those students who have not yet firmly appropriated certain knowledge. In this case, it cannot be a question of occasional work but structured and organized learning. For example, speaking before the class to explain what one has done cannot be improvised. It requires a particular technique: on what aspects of the work completed should one report? In what order? In what manner? Using what type of memory aid? If the desired result is for the speech to serve as a learning example, the concerned skills must be patiently developed. The chance for success is greater if the work does not stop in math or Science classes. It is therefore necessary to plan work sequences in several disciplines. The Cycle’s teaching team must establish a program that takes into account, for each skill covered, the hierarchy of issues (using memory aids during a speech is harder than using memory aids to write a short essay) and the diversity of subject areas in which the skills are discovered, practiced, reviewed and evaluated. Specific skills target first and foremost the building of knowledge and know-how in the discipline or field in question: reading aloud a poem which has been read and studied, reading a literary work alone and outside of the classroom, finding information in an encyclopedia to understand conclusions drawn from an experiment, writing a legend for a geographical document, etc. Mastery of verbal or written language is, in this case, very strongly dependent upon the subject or domain concerned. It supposes not so much a generalization of skills but a honing of them (one does not read Mathematics aloud as one does a lab report, even if the two often contain numerical data). Targeted skills are therefore drawn from the program specific to that domain. Language mastery is reinforced by a grammar program conceived as an exercise in reflection on the functioning of the French Language, in particular in liaison with producing written texts. The Literature program also supports students’ autonomy in reading and writing. In addition, the study of foreign or regional languages gives those not fortunate enough to be multilingual to take a step back from their native language and thereby better understand its use. Weekly discussions or debates are a scheduled part of classroom life and serve as a favorable setting to exercise controlled debate.

Skills to be Acquired by End of Cycle

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Throughout Primary and Secondary School, the student acquires numerous skills relating to language. These allow him to become progressively more autonomous in his intellectual work. During Cycle 3, the student begins to move from an academic use of language, characterized by heavy assistance from the teacher, to a more personal use which allows him to gradually work with less guidance, especially in reading. He thus takes responsibility in the learning process. These skills are ‘under construction’ and are therefore fragile. They will not become stable until the end of Middle School, and must be continually practiced, no matter the activity planned. They must be evaluated first in all learning and must be the object of regular assessments.

1 – GENERAL SKILLS1.1 Using Verbal Exchanges in the Classroom Speaking in public is always a difficult act (fear of others’ reactions, adult judgment, inhibitions, socio-cultural traditions, etc.). The mastery of verbal language must in no way be reserved to only those students who are at ease. It is therefore essential that situations dealing with processes of communication be proposed regularly to all students and that they be conducted with patience and determination.Group Dialogue Situations (exchanges with classmates, teacher)- rapidly grasp the subject matter and retain successive information; - ask well-advised questions to teacher or classmates;- use his memory to keep track of the conversation and await his turn to speak;- join a conversation;- reformulate or rephrase a teacher or classmate’s comments.Group Activity Work Situations and Summarizing Group Results - begin to take into account other group members’ points of view;- begin to use dialogue for organizing group productions; - begin to give oral reports in front of the class (with or without written aid) to make group work understood. Exercise Situations - better question oral or written instructions to recognize the exercise category to which it pertains; - ask for help; - read aloud any text which may further the exercise; - explain possible proposed answers and the reasons leading to their discovery.In All Situations- question the meaning of utterances, compare different phrasings of the same idea, choose the most appropriate option among several formulations of the same idea; - recall in a clear and intelligible manner what has been said or produced, project future activity in developing a project; - after having heard a text (literary or documentary) read by the teacher, rephrase it in his own words, developing it further or giving a condensed version; - regarding any heard or read text, form an interpretation and compare it with another’s; - verbalize texts (well-known, known by heart or read) in front of the class to share his pleasure and interest with the group. 1.2 Better Mastery of Written Language in Classroom Activities Reading to Learn- read and understand ordinary classroom activity directions alone; - read and utilize all texts related to diverse classroom activities (school manuals, worksheets, organization posters, etc.); - consult reference documents with the help of an adult (dictionaries, encyclopedias, grammar books, databases, websites, etc.) and use corresponding search instruments, (tables of contents, indices, notes, search engines, hypertext links...);

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- understand relationships between texts he reads and the images, tables, graphics, charts or other types of accompanying documents; - think of how to help himself, in his reading, using thought processes likely to allow him to better understand what he has read. Basic Skills in Writing and Handwriting- underline (or highlight) in a text the information he is seeking, then be able to organize it in a list on paper or via computer; - quickly copy a text of at least ten lines without spelling errors, correctly formatted, using even, legible cursive writing; - correct the spelling of a simple text as it is being written or in re-write phase, using all tools available; - write, based upon an ordered list of information, a narrative, explicative, descriptive or injunctive text, alone or in a group, in the setting of a group writing project dealing with one of the major disciplines of Cycle 3, using tools developed by the class; - re-write a text, referring to a writing project or to revisions suggested by the class and, in order to do so, add, delete, displace or replace portions more or less important to the text, by hand or using software for documents, - paginate and organize a written document in the perspective of a writing project, while respecting the associated conventions (poster, school newspaper, specification sheet, documentary, website page…) and possibly inserting images, tables or necessary graphics.

2 – SPECIFIC SKILLSNumerous language mastery skills are developed through each individual discipline field within a domain. They must be scheduled over the course of the Cycle, foreseen in the planning of every activity and regularly evaluated.

SPEAKING READING WRITINGSocial Studies

- Participate in a discussion, - let others speak and respect the organization of the discussion,- verbalize any decisions made during the discussion, summarize, - during a discussion, move from speaking about a particular case to discussing a general rule.

- Understand the successive articles of classroom or school rules and demonstrate comprehension by explaining the reasons for upholding them.

- With the help of the teacher, take notes during discussions to record decisions made, - with teacher assistance, write rules of day to day life,- participate in a group writing assignment, planning for a visitor or an interview: protocol, questions to ask, etc., - contribute to the synopsis or written summary of a visiting speaker or interview.

Literature (Speaking, Reading, Writing)- Rephrase a reading he has heard, in his own words,- participate in a discussion over the interpretation of a literary text and verify within the text whether the interpretation can be

- Use catalogs (paper or computer-based) in the library to find a book,- use information found on the cover and on the title page of a book to find out if the book corresponds to what he seeks,

- Write and develop a narration of at least twenty lines, with or without assistance, respecting constraints and conventions of spelling, syntax, lexicon and presentation, - write a fragment of poetry

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supported, - be able to recreate at least ten texts (of prose, poetry or a play) from among those which have been memorized- talk about several of these texts, offering an interpretation (and be able to explain it)- use his voice and his body in group activities using texts of a theatrical or poetic theme.

- understand, reading silently, a short literary text (novella, extract) of a complexity adapted to age and background of the class, correctly interpreting pronouns, transitions, verbal forms, punctuation, and making needed inferences,- read and understand a lengthy literary text memorizing what he has read (successive synthesis) to later revisit the work.

obeying one or several precise rules in reference to poems read or heard.

Concentrated Study of the French Language (grammar, spelling, conjugation, vocabulary)

- Participate in group examination of a text or a portion of a text to better understand the manner in which the French Language functions therein, justify his point of view.

- Identify to which noun refer the various noun substitutes in a text (pronouns, relative and personal pronouns),- correctly interpret the different linking words in a text- correctly understand the meaning of different uses of past tenses in narration, - use a basic grammar reference book or index to find a piece of information.

- Identify, while completing a writing project, an error in word choice and correct it, - use all operations of transformation necessary for good usage of noun substitutes, give greater cohesion to his text, - properly use basic linking words, - mark subject/verb agreement (regular situations),- identify and make chains of agreement in nominal groups, - distinguish principal grammatical homophones (et/est; ces/ses/s'est/c'est ; etc.),- conjugate the present, the past perfect, the imperfect, the simple past, the future, the conditional and the subjunctive of the most common verbs,- use verb tenses in the past in narration (and make appropriate choices of imperfect and simple past), - utilize all tools allowing for the revision of spelling in a text.

Foreign or Regional Languages - Understand several simple utterances in a language other than

- Recognize portions of texts in their usage context in a language other than

- Write a short post card in a language other than French,- answer a simple

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French,- engage in simple dialogue (with a mediator facilitating communication) in the studied language,- describe known people or places and create a very short narration in a language other than French.

French. questionnaire in a language other than French.

History - Correctly use vocabulary specific to History in various didactic situations,- participate in the collective study of an historical document, justifying his point of view, - understand and analyze, with the help of the teacher, a verbal (auditory) document, - with the help of the teacher, recount an event, or the history of a person’s life.

- Read and understand a document of adapted difficulty, covering one of the themes of the program, - find simple historical information on the internet, use critical thinking skills to analyze and understand it, - with the help of the teacher, understand a simple historic document (written text or iconographic document) related to the curriculum, give it proper status as a document, - understand an historical account related to the curriculum, give it proper status as an account.

- Take note of information as it appears during examination of a document, - write a short synopsis based upon noted information during a class lesson, - write a legend for an iconographic document or give a title to an historical account.

Geography- Use vocabulary specific to Geography in various didactic situations,- participate in the collective study of a geographic document (image or map), justifying his point of view,- describe a map or terrain.

- Read and understand a document, of an adapted level, related to one of the themes of the curriculum, - find simple geographic information on the internet, use critical thinking skills to analyze and understand it,- read a complex geographical document (table, map with legend, diagram, etc.).

- Be able to write a legend for a geographical document,- be able to write a short description of a geographical document (map),- be able to write a short synopsis based upon information noted during a class lesson, - take notes on information read from a map.

Mathematics- Use vocabulary specific to Mathematics in various didactic situations,- verbally formulate, with the teacher’s help, a statement of reasoning, - participate in a discussion

- Correctly read the instructions of an exercise, a problem,- treat information in a written document with visual representations (diagram, schema, graph),

- Write a text to communicate the thought processes and the results of an individual or collective research project, - develop, with the teacher’s help, written information designed to serve as

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and share arguments regarding the validity of a solution.

- read and understand certain specific formulas (particularly in geometry).

references in different activities.

Experimental and Technological Sciences - Use vocabulary specific to Sciences in various didactic situations,- form pertinent questions, - actively participate in a discussion or debate for the purpose of developing scientific knowledge, respecting constraints (solid reasoning, critical examination of facts, precision of formulas, etc.),- appropriately use logic in applied reasoning,- identify principal elements of computer Science.

- Read and understand a document of adapted level, related to one of the themes of the program, - find simple scientific information on the internet, use critical thinking skills to analyze and understand it, - treat complex information, including text, images, schemas, tables, etc.

- Take notes during an observation, an experiment, research, visits, - write, with the teacher’s help, a summary of an experiment or an observation (scientific text), - write a text communicating knowledge (documentary text),- produce, create, modify and develop a document using word processing software, - communicate using a system of messaging.

Fine Arts - Use vocabulary specific to Visual Arts and Music in various didactic situations, - begin to be able to explain his choices and opinions in the face of artistic practices or works encountered, - actively participate in the development of a collective project in artistic creation.

- Locate and be able to read necessary documents for the development of an artistic project,- find simple artistic and cultural information on the internet, use critical thinking skills to analyze and understand it.

- Write a summary, in a group writing situation, of a collective artistic project (catalog of an exhibit, concert program, guide for visiting a monument, posters…),- participate in the group development of a creative writing project, inspired by a work of art or an art exhibit.

Physical Education and Sports- Use vocabulary specific to Physical Education and Sports in various didactic situations, - participate in the development of a group activity project, - communicate the difficulties encountered during an activity.

- Read the rules of a game, a specification sheet, use properly, - find information on the internet concerning sports activities commonly in practice.

- Write a spec sheet or plan for the realization of a game activity (materials needed, length of time, place), - take notes on student performances and present them in such a way as to make use of the information in future sessions, - write an account of a sporting event in which the class participated (in the setting of interscholastic sports, for example).

SOCIAL STUDIES

OBJECTIVES

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Social Studies (Civics) in Cycle 3 must facilitate every child’s integration as a part of the collective nature of a classroom and a school, at the precise moment when he is beginning to develop a sense of his own independence. Civics leads to thinking about concrete problems posed by the constraints of being a student and thus abstracting to a more explicit awareness that there is a correlation between personal liberty, societal constraints and the affirmation of shared values. The student is engaged, via knowledge acquired in Social Studies, in expanding his way of thinking to include other social collectives: the community, the country, the continent and the world. Social Studies is not, in principle, the acquisition of know-how but rather the practical learning of a behavioral attitude. This domain is therefore not tied to one type of teaching, but to all methods. Throughout the Cycle, an average of one hour per week must be consecrated to the discussion of civic issues in various disciplines. Additionally, one half-hour per week is devoted to group debates or discussions in which the class itself organizes and regulates the debate, progressing from an examination of case-by-case issues to the discussion of the broader implications of the particular issue.

PROGRAM

1 – Actively Participating in the Life of His School

By continuing to debate and discuss issues with his classmates, the student understands the benefits of dealing with others, regardless of the constraints thereby imposed. Listening to others is a primary form of respect and tolerance. This respect for differences, wherever differences do not threaten the universal rights of mankind, can be exercised in many situations: fighting against daily forms of rejection, welcoming a new student who may be alone, integration of physically-challenged children, etc. Opportunities can be found in every discipline. Thus in Experimental Science the differences between boys and girls are studied, History and Geography or the arts teach of cultural differences. Physical Education forces one to respect his opponent or challenger. Although Social Studies cannot be limited, as is too often believed today, to a daily battle against acts of violence, the school must remain a place where any aggression, even verbal, must be strictly and imperatively combated. Avoiding aggression supposes a constant vigilance, above and beyond Civics studies (Literature, Sciences, arts, Physical Education…). Particular care must be taken in situations where the risk is greatest (students in isolation, in academic difficulty, students who may be bored during recess or lunch). Any observed situation of violence must be recorded, then discussed and reflected upon, individually and as a group, to facilitate its prevention in the future. Teachers try to ensure that students gain a sense of responsibility for the areas in which they work and that they respect elementary rules of civility and politeness. In Cycle 3, students are able to understand that, even if they may vary depending on country or culture, and evolve from one era to another, the rules are not just rituals devoid of meaning which can be freely abandoned: they exist because they make life easier for society. On a greater scale, teachers convey to students that the constraints of life in society are justified by the liberties they afford its members. The school’s micro-society is an effective conduit for learning to think in this manner, especially within the context of the scheduled class discussions. School rules and the democratic laws they uphold within the institution must be explained in the setting of these discussions as the indispensable condition of any society, for students as well as adults. The classroom rules are developed by students under the teacher’s direction. Any problems arising from the implementation of these rules are examined regularly in order to better resolve them and allow guidelines to be upheld. The discussions are an opportunity to practice ordered communication: agenda, presiding over the session, summary report. The meetings, in which other adults from the community may participate, are also an occasion, whenever conflicts surface, to elicit thoughtful reflection on the part of the students – reflection upon which is based the value system necessary for not only the smooth functioning of society but the individual freedom of choice for its members.

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2 – Being a Citizen of His Community

Students become familiar with the democratic institution closest to them, the community, through visits to City Hall and the discovery of the role of elected officials (Mayor, City Councilor) in school matters and in the community as a whole.

3 – Being a Citizen of France

Through the study of History, the student begins to understand what it means to belong to a democratic nation. The study of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizens provides a platform which to approach the articles concerning various expressions of liberty. Learning about the period from the birth of the République to the Nineteenth Century leads the student to reflect upon the differences between monarchy and republic, and the emergence of universal suffrage. Finally, the study of the Twentieth Century, the “high point” of the Fifth Republic, evokes the roles of government and of the President of the Republic, as well as that of Parliament, without delving too deeply into overly complex details. The student discovers the diverse forms of participation in democratic life: the vote, acceptance of electoral responsibilities, involvement in public life. He learns that, even if the reality is never quite in line with the ideal, the latter must continue to be affirmed in order to guide behavior and structure action, based upon historic examples such as slavery or the inequality between men and women.

4 – Becoming a Part of Europe, Discovering The Francophone World, Gaining World Awareness

Teachers facilitate learning about Europe and develop students’ curiosity about countries of the European Union through Geography sessions and the study of a foreign language. They encourage direct contact (via letter-writing or email) with other European students. In the same manner, the student learns of the existence of linguistic and cultural communities, and about French-speaking countries everywhere, forming a bridge between national and world territories. He learns the role played by the sole monetary measure: the euro. Through Geography, the student becomes aware of worldwide economic and cultural issues. He observes the great inequalities between regions of the globe and therefore the solidarity necessary among them. He discovers that the International Children’s Rights Convention is far from being applied in many countries, particularly where labor is concerned for children of his age. Through the study of Sciences he learns to measure the dangers threatening the environment and the responsibility of everyone to react to them. Finally, artistic and literary education demonstrate how artists and writers, chroniclers of their time and their society, are also the bearers of universal values: legitimate belonging to a group, a country, a culture, is not therefore incompatible with an awareness of or an opening up to the world.

Skills To Be Acquired by End of CycleThe student should be able to :- take place in the collective development of classroom and school rules;- actively participate in the life of the class and school while respecting these rules;- participate in discussion to examine issues of school life, respecting what others say and collaborating in the search for a solution; - abstain from recourse to violence in any school situation.The student should have retained and understood::- which individual liberties are permitted within the constraints of life in society;- what are the universal values from which we may not stray (referring to the

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Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen);- the ideal of democracy in our society;- what it means to be a Republican State;- what it means to belong to a nation, European solidarity and world awareness;- the responsibility we all share with respect to the environment;- the role of elected officials in the community.

FRENCH LANGUAGE, LITERATURE AND THE HUMANITIES

LITERATURE (SPEAKING, READING, WRITING)

OBJECTIVESThe Literature program in Cycle 3 aims to provide every student with a basic repertoire of age-appropriate references in delving into Children’s Literature, whether this be via the rich traditions encompassed therein or through the aspect of renewal characterizing its production. The program allows for the building of a shared culture, including between the generations. Literary encounters occur via readings aloud (by teacher or students) as well as silent ones. They provide the vehicle for solidifying reading comprehension, without resorting to formal explanations which are difficult to process at this age. They are followed by verbal exchanges and discussions over questions arising, and provide an opportunity to experience the freedoms and constraints of any interpretation. Through theatrical or poetic works, the students, guided by their teacher, develop their own interpretations by communicating them to their classmates. In conjunction with artistic activities, (Music, Visual Arts, Dance) or in a project setting, they practice conveying texts aloud. This world of Literature is also discovered, starting in Primary School, through the practice of writing. This experience, though more demanding, allows students to become aware of the specific aspects of fiction. Teachers plan and schedule the exploration of the multiple paths of reading and writing by relying on a regularly updated published bibliography provided by the National Ministry of Education. One portion of the literary curricular plan is reserved for “workshops” which allow students to gain progressive autonomy in dealing with texts. This demands regular practice and patience, not only for improving word recognition but for issues of phrase structure and the acquisition of different types of comprehension strategies. The total number of hours per week devoted to workshops will vary depending upon the point in the Cycle and the needs of students.

PROGRAM

1 – Reading Children’s Literature

Texts covered in Cycle 3 are chosen from among those listed in the published bibliography accompanying the application guidelines. This list includes “classics of Children’s Literature” which are regularly published in re-edition and transmitted from generation to generation. It also includes modern Children’s Literature, the list of which is constantly updated. Each year, two “classics” and at least eight works of contemporary Children’s Literature must be read. This reading program only seems unreasonable if one attempts to explain in full detail every text chosen. The goal is not to overwhelm students for several weeks at a time in just one work, for the work would lose all interest and even meaning if that were the case. On the contrary, a brief survey is preferable, allowing children of this age and level of understanding to comprehend the general sense of the work. One session is sufficient for a short novel or poem, a two-week unit is necessary to complete a longer novel. The teacher may read the text aloud, summarize very long passages or digressions, or invite students to read aloud or silently during class or as homework. The essential aim is to expose children to various works and allow them to retain the overall aspects of each: characters, narrative voice, expressions, memorable passages (which may in fact be committed to memory and followed up with interpretation)…

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The teacher guides students in their attempts at reading comprehension. He engages them to rephrase what they have read in their own words, and, through attentive dialogue, leads them to correct omissions or errors they may have made. He helps them build relationships between each reading experience using connective summary (synthesis of what has been read previously, reading quizzes, etc.). The teacher therefore educates students in methods of rigor and thoroughness, essential to every act of reading. It is also the occasion for the teacher to call students’ attention to the most obvious aspects of the work and elicit conflicting interpretations requiring argument and resolution. In order for the student to acquire cultural reference points, it is important that readings be approached in a purposeful manner throughout the Cycle, in organized patterns: around a theme of characterization, a motif, a genre, an author, an epoch, a place, a format, etc. In the Cycle of In-Depth Learning, it is this facet of literary reading which must be emphasized, rather than profound analysis of a specific work. Each reading, when at the heart of comprehension or interpretation exercises, leaves emotions and feelings open for discussion and can become the subject of particularly rich debates. This exploration of the world of literary knowledge and values must be freely conducted based upon a text (or an extract) or, on the contrary, upon the exposure to several texts, or even relying on works encountered in other subjects (a film, a painting, an image, a photograph, a portrait or photographic portrait, an engraving, etc.).In Cycle 3, most students become capable of reading works of Children’s Literature autonomously, which is to say they are able to understand them and propose an interpretation without the aid of an adult. However, reading skills being somewhat varying at this age, teachers will ensure that the choice of work is appropriate for each student, as much for reasons of interest as for the potential difficulties they present. The goal is to turn every child into an accomplished reader. Once again, it is important not to be overly insistent or try to push students to constantly borrow books from available libraries (school library, public library, books-by-bus, etc.). One book per month should be considered a sufficient basis, even if it is known that, for certain students, individual reading experiences in Cycle 3 are still mostly restricted to listening to readings performed aloud by adults. Autonomous reading must first arise as the pleasurable activity of discovering a work. It must never take the form of any activity susceptible to discourage students, rather it should be a large part of the rituals which develop their sensitivity to reading: telling the class about a discovery, sharing impressions with another reader, suggesting a book to others, taking part in a jury of selection, participating in discussions with other classes, etc. Students should also be encouraged to keep a “reading diary” that they regularly use to keep track of titles they have read, names of authors, notes on particular passages, or thoughts about a text, thereby giving them the means to develop a more intimate relationship with the work itself. For students not yet autonomous, the school or public library offers many opportunities for listening to works read aloud.

2 –Reading Literature Aloud

In Cycle 3, the student should be capable of speaking texts he has memorized completely or reading texts aloud. It is advisable that the texts concerned come from among works discovered in class, specifically utilized for the purpose because they have been found to be enjoyable. This type of activity rests upon active experimentation with the voice and vocal effects (pauses, rhythm, inflections, intonations, intensity, etc.), as well as relationships between comprehension and diction, and the challenges of working with different auditory skills. A dozen or so texts of reasonable length should be chosen each year, for their literary qualities and for the flexibility of interpretation they offer. Regular exercises of reading aloud can be accompanied by more ambitious projects (particularly when dealing with theater), possibly assisted by technical reinforcement on the part of local artists in the setting of a school project or a project in the arts and culture (PAC), which, beyond using the voice, calls upon corporal resources to convey the interpretation of texts within space and incorporates auditory and visual aspects. There are strong ties between the reading and the singing of texts. Whenever possible, both activities should be attempted, remembering that the choir can judiciously provide an opportunity to develop the relationships between them.

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Reading aloud plays an important role in writing a text, when it comes time for revision. To read what one has written to a classmate is to experiment with the cohesion of its effects.

3 – Writing About, or Inspired by Literature

Most literary genres encountered when reading can be the source of inspiration for a writing project (an account, story, legend, detective story, Science fiction story, fictitious travel story, fable, play…). The teacher guides such a project in a progressive manner, building upon texts that have been read, and re-reading them if necessary. He may, for example, ask students to continue, complete or transform a narrative, poetic or theatrical text. He may also encourage them to write an additional chapter or episode of a narrative text, poem or play. Imitation and transformation are the bases for writing projects, in reference to Literature. Recourse to prototypes must be constant, either to identify characteristics that might help the project along, or to answer questions arising from its creation. Revision, like any writing project, is essential. Students must be regularly led to add, delete, replace, re-arrange and displace fragments of their own or their classmates’ drafts, using notes students have made or teacher observations as a guide and availing themselves of all classroom tools. This type of work can be done on paper using writing instruments, scissors and glue, or on the computer using word processing software of which the more complex functions can be discovered along the way. The same is true for matters of spelling and grammar. Any writing project can be further developed by the addition of a publishing project. It is an opportunity for students to learn about the production of a book (cover, title page, layout, illustrations) and its distribution (incorporation into a collection, presentation to the public, criticism). This method can be applied to a newspaper, a poster, a web page or a CDRom. Beyond the various aspects of presentation, students learn that writing is a function of desired effects and intended audience: describing an experience, convincing a reader, touching him. The practice of poetic writing develops a curiosity and a taste for poetry. It must essentially be presented in the form of a game, combining invention with the constraints of the format. In Cycle 3, writing by hand is essentially a daily requirement. It is important that the student’s handwriting remain sure and legible while gradually developing into more cursive forms. All students must progressively appropriate the basics acquired in the previous cycle to develop a more personal handwriting style. When in the course of writing activities in any subject, students can be led to examine characteristics susceptible to enriching their graphic skills (format, font, etc.).

4 – Reading Workshops

Gaining autonomy in reading (reading silently without the help of an adult) requires, throughout Cycle 3, regular practice. Simply allowing students to complete reading worksheets, whose only didactic merits are multiple-choice questions, is absolutely insufficient. Reading workshops must be put into place, in each domain of activity, particularly when new texts are to be studied or new types of readings are involved. Their implementation is more specifically explained in the following “Literature” section. The recommended methods can easily be applied to texts encountered in other subject areas. In no way are the reading workshops intended, however, to be substituted for regular reading activities. In order to progress, the student must learn to better manage complex tasks: on the one hand, he must successively treat linguistic markers within the reading, and on the other develop his comprehension relying on the meaning of words and phrases he reads but also using previous knowledge (knowledge about the theme of the text, about language in general). If one part of this method becomes automatic, all of his attention may be then focused on the more delicate activity: that which leads to reading comprehension. To help the student gain autonomy, it can be useful to work on each of these aspects separately. When reading new words or complex syntactic structures, the comprehension difficulty should be kept at a minimum by preparing for the text beforehand or by helping the student while he reads. Conversely, when working on comprehension strategies, the number of unusual words or

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complex syntactic structures should be limited. To improve recognition of unusual words or complex syntactic structures, games that call for quick reactions or discriminating word choices (between visually similar words, for example) can be introduced. It is important to remember however that “recognition” implies “cognition” and that training in the area of reading new words or complex syntax must be obligatorily preceded by verbal preparation in the same skills (see the section on observation of the French Language). It is also important to keep in mind that writing is still one of the best means of accessing spelling structures for new words or new syntactical markers, and can therefore be of great help in rendering recognition automatic. Reading comprehension assumes judicious use of memory skills which help integrate successive pieces of information in a passage. Students must be guided through this “coming and going” of what has just been read and what is currently being read, without which only tiny isolated “islands” of comprehension would ever be formed. It is thereafter appropriate to lead the student to identify linguistic markers which, in written as well as spoken form, guide him in integrating elements (in utterances as well as text). Noun replacements (nominal or pronominal), punctuation, verb tenses, linking words, etc., must be explicitly incorporated into reading workshop activities. They often facilitate inferences which are necessary for comprehension but are sometimes neglected or misunderstood by young readers. Here again, explanation is required: for example, to properly treat a pronoun the student must be aware of its gender and number, be able to recognize its function, etc. Finally, reading comprehension also assumes that the reader voluntarily manages every step of the process. The student must learn to move from an occasional or sporadic understanding to a comprehension that takes all aspects of the text into account, along with previously acquired knowledge. This will arise with efforts and discipline which are not self-evident. Only in explaining the whole procedure to students can teachers lead them to realize that the different facets of the reading process are indeed within their control.

Workshops must therefore be composed of carefully prepared activities, ones that are likely to reveal the steps in this process while solidifying the basics of the act of reading (automatic word recognition).

Skills To Be Acquired by End of Cycle

Skills acquired through the Literature curriculum are skills tied to using speech, reading and writing. They are therefore presented here but additionally appear in the general table of specific skills under “Mastery of Language and the French Language”. The student should be able to:- use catalogs (paper or virtual) in the library to locate a book;- use information on the cover and title page of a book to decide whether it meets his needs; - reading silently, understand a short literary text (short novel, extract...) of age- and background appropriateness, correctly treating noun substitutes, linking words, verb forms, punctuation… and making necessary inferences; - read and understand a longer text, remembering what he has read (successive synthesis) and using memorized information when rereading;- read at least one book per month on his own;- rephrase in his own words something that has been read aloud to him;- participate in a discussion analyzing a literary text and be able to verify within the text whether the interpretation is justified or not; - reproduce at least ten texts (prose, poetry or theater) from among those that have been memorized;

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- speak some of these texts and offer an interpretation or analysis (and be able to explain the latter); - use the voice and the body in a group project of a theatrical or poetic nature; - write and develop a narrative of at least twenty lines, with or without help, respecting spelling, syntactic and presentation constraints; - write a portion of text of a poetic nature obeying one or more precise rules pertaining to poetic forms. The student should have retained and understood:- that the meaning of a literary work is not immediately visible, but that necessary interpretation must not be limited to the constraints of the text; - that he must not confuse literary texts with historic texts, nor fiction with reality;- titles of texts read throughout the year and the names of their authors.

CONCENTRATED STUDY OF THE FRENCH LANGUAGE (Grammar, Conjugation, Spelling, Vocabulary)

OBJECTIVESThe concentrated study of the French Language leads students to examine written productions as objects one can describe, and of which one can define the characteristics. They compare linguistic elements (texts, sentences, words, sounds, graphic symbols) to uncover in a precise manner the similarities and differences between them. In this respect, the concentrated or applied study of the French Language must be considered a time of discovery, wherein the principal goal is developing students’ curiosity as well as their level of language mastery. It should not be restricted to a series of repetitive exercises instilling approximate skills and the premature use of useless and complex terminology. Knowledge and skills acquired during grammar sessions are essentially re-invested in writing projects (whatever the subject area may be). These can serve as references for new observations of lexical phenomena, syntaxes or spellings. Familiarization with language structures also allows students to resolve certain comprehension issues when facing complex texts. To facilitate this type of observation, several techniques of language exploration must be used regularly: - classification (of texts, sentences, words, graphic symbols) while justifying classifying criteria with precise indices; - manipulation of linguistic units (words, sentences, paragraphs), which is to say, performing certain operations to displace, replace, reduce or expand which will highlight similarities and differences between objects being studied.

PROGRAM

1 – Verbs and Nouns in Sentences and Text

In a French sentence, as is the case with most languages, the verb and the noun are the points of reference for principal syntactic phenomena. Their identification allows for the construction of sentences and texts and the understanding that these are not simply successions of words. Their manipulation sheds light on the bonds they form with all other components of speech. Early awareness of the role of the verb and the noun within speech structures is developed through contact with phenomena that give meaning and cohesion to texts, particularly in narration. 1.1 The Verb (Grammar, Conjugation, Spelling) The verb is identified in a phrase by locating the modifications that can affect it (person, number, tense) or the elements that may surround it (negation, noun or pronoun subject). The student must not be led to believe that there exists some automatic procedure for identifying

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the verb. He must on the contrary be familiarized with the idea that this can only be accomplished by following convergent criteria. Syntactical particularities are identified by observing that each verb implies the use of certain components rather than others and that the meaning of the statement is modified when on uses the same verb without a complement or with different types of complements (for example: play, play with, play at…) Games (rearrangement, substitution, expansion, reduction) using several elaborations of the verb (adverbs, complements) allow students to develop greater flexibility in word choice when dealing with writing projects, and provide them with reinforcement for text comprehension. Spelling a verb correctly essentially entails making correct agreement with the subject. This implies that such a relationship has been correctly perceived by the student and that he knows how to focus his attention on making that agreement in all writing activities (including writing activities involving dictation), at least whenever the construction is a regular one. An initial exposure to grammatical homophones such as et/est; ces/ses/s'est/c'est; a/à; etc. (of which the majority contain verbs) completes spelling work.Conjugation is, in Cycle 3, centered upon the observation of variations affecting verbs. The rules of formation for the present, the past, the imperfect, the simple past, the future, the conditional and the present subjunctive can be easily identified, as can the spelling irregularities they involve (rare forms will be studied in Middle School). The verbs most frequently used will be studied in priority. The first studies of verb tenses allow students to distinguish the verbal expression of “one time” from “always”. The approach to different manners of situating and characterizing events in the past via the use of different verb tenses is done using narration. 1.2 The Noun (Grammar, Spelling) The noun can be identified within a phrase by its variations (in gender and number) and by the elements surrounding it (essentially determiners).In comparing the different determiners of the noun (articles, possessives articles, demonstrative articles, indefinite articles), one can distinguish those that refer back to one item and those referring to an entire class. Games (rearrangement, substitution, expansion, reduction) using different developments of the noun (qualifying adjective, relative adjective, noun complement) allow students to increase agility in dealing with writing projects and solidify skills in comprehending texts. Identification of agreement chains in the nominal group is an essential condition of mastering grammatical spelling. The student must learn to focus his attention on agreements whenever he is writing (even during dictation). The same phenomena can be observed in foreign or regional languages as well.

2 – Grammatical Phenomena Involving Text

The word choices accompanying the production of text is a difficult conquest for students in Primary School and remains at their age an act more implicit than concerted. In Cycle 3, students are made aware of ruptures that occur in their work and they learn to establish uniformity, particularly in narrative texts but also in writing projects involving other subject areas. Some phenomena to be studied at greater length: - identification of noun substitutes (pronouns et nominal substitutes) within a text that has been read and employment of correct substitutions when writing; - identification of linking words (temporal, spatial and logical cues) within a text that has been read and the pertinent choice of these in a writing project in progress; - identification of various verb tenses in a text (particularly with past tenses in a narrative passage) and correct choice of verb tenses when writing; - identification of the syntactic functions of punctuation and correct use of the period, and, progressively, the comma.

3 – Vocabulary and Lexical Spelling

Students build vocabulary in all subject areas but most particularly when reading. It is during

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writing exercises that they master spelling. To bring them to quickly mobilize lexical elements and expressions used to evoke events of daily life, an ordinary occurrence, etc., is quite useful. This synthesis combines all the mental materials needed for speaking and writing. Studying a lexicon already acquired is one way for students, in identifying links within it, to solidify comprehension and increase available vocabulary, orally as well as in writing. This is also an initial experience with distinguishing roles played by vocabulary in the choice of language register. 3.1 Vocabulary Activities Among the phenomena contributing to lexical structure, it is appropriate here to emphasize that of the polysemy of words and the relationship of this polysemy to their context of usage. Students can also begin to observe phenomena of synonymy (in the use of nominal substitutes), relationships between antonyms, processes of normalization (particularly in scientific texts), and the use of generic terms. Students have been exposed to playing with word derivations as early as Preschool. In Cycle 3, it becomes possible to study these in greater depth: using classifications, attempting to distinguish which are the most productive, noticing that certain derivations are excluded by the language… Contact with a foreign or regional language can in this respect be particularly judicious. Additionally, exposure to the notion of a definition can be useful in solidifying dictionary skills. The identification of the origins of words can increase awareness for students of different cultural and linguistic origins the latter of which the French Language may be a tributary, notably in relation to foreign or regional languages and History. 3.2 Mastering Spelling Generally, in any writing activity, students are encouraged to use all necessary instruments, (text books, dictionaries, computer correction, etc.) to verify and correct spelling. Additionally, students are led to memorize the spelling of the most common words by using comparisons to other words presenting the same spelling regularities.

Skills To Be Acquired By End of Cycle

The student must be able to:- perform revisions in a written text (rearrange, replace, expand, reduce);- identify verbs in a phrase or sentence;- manipulate different types of complements for the most common verbs- identify nouns in a phrase or sentence;- manipulate different noun determiners (definite articles, demonstrative articles, possessive articles, indefinite articles);- manipulate different noun qualifiers (qualifying and relative adjectives, noun complements);- find the past perfect, the imperfect, the simple past, the future, the conditional, and the present subjunctive of regular verbs (based on rules of conjugation); - make subject/verb agreement (regular situations);- identify and make chains of agreement in the nominal group;- use the dictionary to find the definition of a word for a determined purpose;- The student should have retained and understood:- that any text has a structure;- that the constraints of a sentence are not only juxtaposed but are linked through their various relationships (with the verb, around the noun); - that most words, when in different contexts have different meanings; - that there are patterns in lexical spelling and that he can use these when writing.

FOREIGN OR REGIONAL LANGUAGES

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OBJECTIVESIn Cycle 3, the teaching of these targets the acquisition of solid skills in the efficient use of a language other than French, in a limited number of communication situations adapted for a young child. This contributes to building specific linguistic knowledge (normal communication formulas, spelling, syntax and morph syntax), as well as knowledge about the ways of life and cultural differences specific to the country or region in which the language is spoken. Another more general goal in this area is exposing students to the enrichment that is born of learning about other languages, other cultures and other peoples, including when these may be tied to the personal or family history of fellow classmates. These studies are steps on the linguistic path, which, in terms of the whole of an academic career, will have permitted every student to acquire at least two living languages in addition to his native language. The portion of the schedule devoted to foreign or regional languages is divided into two parts: - two weekly forty-five minute sessions during which teaching follows a specific method; - activities of reinforcement of acquisition and exposure to language, either through short work periods spread over the week or through longer, more intensive sessions throughout the year (activities led by native speakers of the language, linguistics classes, pedagogical project in the target language, etc.). For these activities, hourly totals are determined by the pedagogical team, and can occupy up to one half-hour per week or equivalent.

PROGRAM

1 – Learning Through Communication Activities

Every language-learning session is based upon activities which have meaning for students, calling for their active participation and favoring interaction and situations of mutual assistance and inter-listening within the group.Whenever possible, the target language is used during habitual activities (greetings, taking attendance, etc.), in simple activities relating to other subject areas (Mathematics, Sciences, Literature, Physical Education and Sports, etc.) or even in leisure activities in or outside of school time (board games, etc.). Verbal activities of comprehension and expression are priorities. There must be constant intervention for linguistic correction, without ever squelching students’ enjoyment or their will for self-expression. Activity planning is executed on the basis of communication skills to be acquired at the end of the Cycle, taking into account linguistic knowledge to be transmitted for each language (usual forms of communication, vocabulary, syntax, etc.). The student is progressively brought to be able to: - introduce and speak about himself: say his name, his age, his birthdate, speak of his family and friends, say what he possesses, what he feels (happiness, hunger, thirst, fatigue, pain);- speak about his immediate environment: indicate a person or an object, specify the date and time, talk about food, describe someone or something (size, colors, intensity), say where something is located, express simple chronology; - maintain simple social relationships: greet, excuse himself to leave, thank, apologize, wish Happy Birthday, congratulate, invite; - verbally participate in the life of the class: say he knows or does not know, ask for repetition of an utterance, express agreement and disagreement, get the attention of classmates or his teacher, suggest, accept and refuse, say he likes or dislikes something, express his own opinion.Equal attention is accorded to the comprehension and formulation of simple questions and to the production of responses and initiating speech.

2 – Regular and Methodic Practice

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The development of comprehension and expression in a language requires rigorous and regular progressive practice organized to target the following skills: 2.1 Listening and Understanding Listening skills- recognize principal intonations, stressed elements in words or phrases;- recognize linguistic phonemes and discriminate from like phonemes; - exercise short- and long-term memory in listening.Building meaning from what one hears- recognizing obvious words;- identifying essential information in a familiar and predictable situation; - relying on accentuated words to gather essential meaning;- deduce sentiment from intonation;- recognize the functional value of ordinary utterances in dialogue; - identify chronological order in a narration or dialogue;- identify principal logical links to gather cause or consequence; - anticipate an utterance based on knowledge of the subject or situation. 2.2 Verbal Expression Reproduction- reproduce utterances, respecting rules of emphasis and intonation, correct use of phonemes. Using fixed expressions- use speech appropriate to the speaker and situation in a succession of habitual verbal exchanges; - cooperate with a speaking partner using simple and common forms of politeness. Formulating verbalizations- personalize common utterances by modifying elements, while respecting syntax; - express feelings by using specific markers and/or intonation;- use declarative, interrogative and injunctive statements;- make a statement more complex using simple transitions. 2.3 Reading Comprehension - recognize individual words in a phrase or sentence;- recognize obvious words and know how to read them;- verbalize a written statement respecting norms of emphasis and intonation;- master the relationship between graphemes and phonemes specific to the language;- correctly segment the reading of sentences, relying on known elements or groups of words;- exercise visual memory;- anticipate what follows in a text on the basis of subject knowledge or context. 2.4 Written Expression Reproduction- reproduce phrases or sentences by recopying them.Construction of phrases or sentences- personalize written material by introducing minor changes in brief text;- create sentences based on a brief model, modifying them using variations;- make a written sentence or phrase more complex using simple transitions.

3 – Language Mastery Reinforcement

Using verbal or written statements as a springboard, the study of the functions of language helps students realize that one language is not an identical copy of another, and gives them greater autonomy in language production. Comparative study of some simple phenomena of different languages (among which the French Language) allows students to create a distance between themselves and language, rendering them more apt to notice grammatical realities and thereby reinforcing language mastery.

4 – Cultural Awareness

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Knowledge about the ways of life of different language speakers is transmitted via language activities organized around themes found in the surroundings of children of this age group: family life, housing, school, friends and leisure activities, annual rhythms (birthdays, holidays). In this manner, students discover what life is like for schoolchildren of their age, notably through the observation of various audiovisual materials. Pertinent elements of folklore, characters from tales or legends, as well as cultural references specific to the country or region in question, are chosen and presented in close conjunction with History, Geography and artistic programs.

5 – The International Dimension of Foreign Language Study

The international dimension of foreign language study is emphasized through contact with schools in other countries, through resources of electronic communication and through networks of long-distance communication, or even via the use of some audiovisual materials. Native speakers may lend their expertise in this realm. Regional languages often provide an international dimension as well, either because they are spoken outside national boundaries or because they are related to a linguistic family to which languages in neighboring countries belong. This international dimension contributes to building knowledge about the culture and ways of life of countries in question.

Skills To Be Acquired by End of Cycle

The student should be able to (communication skills):At the end of Cycle 3, students should have acquired the level of A1 on the European Union Common Reference Chart for Languages published by the European Council and included herewith, adapted for school-age children:

EUROPEAN UNION COMMON REFERENCE CHART FOR LANGUAGES (A1) Comprehension Listening Understands simple verbal statements about himself,

his family and his immediate environment, if the speaker speaks slowly and clearly.

Reading Recognizes known elements and simple phrases, for example in ads, posters or catalogs.

Speaking Take part in conversation

Communicates in basic fashion, provided that the speaker is willing to repeat or rephrase a statement more slowly and help him formulate what he is trying to say. Can ask simple questions about familiar subjects or about his immediate needs, and can answer the questions of the same type and content.

Continuous verbal expression

Uses simple expressions and phrases to describe his home and the people he knows. Can narrate a short sequence in the past.

Writing   Can write a simple electronic message, a short post card, for example as if from vacation. Can fill out an extremely basic questionnaire about his identity.

The student should have retained and understood: How to follow instructions language by language.Linguistic skills- several ordinary formulas of communication corresponding to communication

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functions defined as follows; - syntax and morph syntax; - lexicon.In-depth language study: - syntactical organization of the simple declarative and interrogative sentence; - elementary means of enunciation;- the difference between unit and number;- verbal means of relating present, past and future events;- means of expressing location.Cultural Awareness- cultural behaviors in interpersonal relationships tied to the functions of communication covered in the program; - school life of children of the same age in country(is) or region(s) concerned;- the annual school and civil calendar, with its most significant events; - folklore and characters in tales and legends in countries or regions concerned; - some cultural references specific to the countries or regions concerned.

HISTORY

OBJECTIVESIn Cycle 3, using a more constituted approach to the subject of History, the teacher helps students acquire an awareness of historical times, built on the simultaneous and the continuous, irreversibility and rupture, the short and the long term. Respect for chronological order and significant dates is essential and constitutes one of the bases of the approach to History. While French Territory occupies a predominant place in the program, a European and even worldwide approach is integrated as well, without excluding a regional dimension. The program is not limited to political events but rather encompasses other realities to be explored in all their complexity in Middle School. The student must be able to understand the specificity of History, this “knowledge through traces” which, for historians, is composed of sources or documents. He must begin to understand the work involved: assemble documents around a subject, identify their nature, date, and author. The teacher prepares him in this manner to enter Middle School, in showing him that History is not a succession of stories of marvel and imagination, and in guiding him towards critical thinking.Every era has been marked by notable individuals, not only in politics but in Literature, Science and the arts. Not to be forgotten, however, are the roles of more anonymous groups, nor of women, whose weaker place in public life is to be underlined. These men and women, as is the case with events, are presented to students through historical accounts. This type of text, different than fiction, help the teacher “tell the story” of History. Texts of this sort also provide the teacher with material for History reading workshops. The varying formats of available information today make it all the more necessary that children learn to interpret images, the codes specific to them, and the language with which to describe them. History lessons provide an important opportunity for collective thought and class discussion, and therefore imply regular use of speaking norms, precise attention to vocabulary used and a focus on reasoning. For modern times, the historian may call upon verbal documents which demand the same critical examination as do written documents, and which lead students to develop a different outlook on the spoken word.

In order to avoid committing fragmented information to memory and, during tests, the temptation to use multiple choice questions, each History lesson must end with a group writing activity which will progressively turn into an individual one, that of a short and modest synthesis. These summaries are assembled into one notebook or binder (saved throughout the duration of the Cycle) which reinforces cooperation with the History/Geography teacher in Middle School.

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PROGRAMThe program is divided into six periods and twenty-one Important Points. The curriculum is left to the discretion of the Cycle’s council of teachers who must, however, respect chronological order and leave no period neglected, including the most recent. The application document specifies important dates, people and significant groups, basic vocabulary, useful documents and resources, and distinguishes that which is indispensable and that which is left to the teacher’s discretion. It offers a section entitled “taking it one step further” aimed at teachers who wish to develop a more in-depth project. Teachers in this category will be able to determine the correct balance between student discoveries of past realities and covering the indispensable information they must transmit, information which could not be revealed via autodidactic student activities.

1 – PreHistory

PreHistory encompasses several millions of years. Without written documents, we know very little about our ancestors, even if the knowledge we do have has been greatly expanded upon in recent years. Relying especially on local resources, preHistory is accessible through traces left, through the manner in which these traces were discovered and put to use, and through the places where they had been preserved (shelter floors, human remains, animal fossils, tools, representations in etchings and sculpture…)Important Points - first traces of human life, mastery of fire and the beginnings of agriculture in Africa and Mediterranean Europe; - the development of a symbolic universe: apparition of art through representations of man and animals.

2 – Antiquity

The first historical period, Antiquity begins when written documents about a society begin to appear, which is to say at different times depending upon location. A large portion of Antiquity concerns the Middle East and the eastern part of the Mediterranean Basin, where great literate civilizations appear, those of Egypt and later Greece. Succeeding these is the Roman Empire which progressively spreads over the entire Mediterranean and beyond. These great civilizations will be studied in Middle School. In Primary School, the program begins with the entry of French soil into "History", which is to say with the arrival of Greeks and Celts (called Gauls or Gallic by the Romans) and even more so with the victory of the Romans and the Romanization and Christianization of Gaul. Important Points - at the origins of French territory, rich diversity: initial populations of Greeks, Celts (Gauls) are predominant;- Romanization of Gaul;- from many gods to one God: the Christianization of the Gallo-Roman world.

3 – The Middle Ages (476-1492)

The timeline of the Middle Ages is traditionally thought to be from the fall of the Roman Empire to the discovery of the Americas. Starting in the 4th Century, peoples coming from the East, notably the Franks and the Visigoths settle in the Western Roman Empire, which dissolves definitively toward the end of the 5th Century. Upon the ruins, kingdoms are established by Germanic peoples. This period is decisive in our national past, with even the name of our country, the emergence of its capital and the inception of many of our regional identities originating at this time. Decisive as well for Europe, with on the one hand territorial and linguistic differentiations, but on the other a first form of religious unity (Christianity) and the unity formed through cultural and artistic bonds. It is finally

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time for the establishment of the third large monotheistic religion, Islam, which creates a new and brilliant civilization dominating the Mediterranean South. Christians and Muslims will engage in conflict, but also exchange products and ideas. Important Points - following migrations and invasions, in particular those of the Franks, the dislocation of political power and domination of lords over peasants. - the birth of France: a monarch state, a capital, a language; - the Europe of abbeys and cathedrals;- in the Mediterranean, a civilization founded upon a new religion, Islam. Between Christians and Muslims, conflict but also trade.

4 – The Beginning of Modern Times to the End of the Napoleonic Era (1492-1815)

This period of three centuries, rich with multitudes of events, truly gives rise to the modern world, thus qualified in opposition to the Contemporary Era which is closer to our own. The entire planet is hereafter accessible, printing facilitates greater distribution of knowledge and ideas, and a scientific view of the Earth emerges, in the 16th and 17th Centuries. With the encyclopedia, the 18th Century sees the development of an interest in techniques and methods. Great founding documents, marking again the political and social identity of our country, are produced: The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen, and The Civil (Napoleonic) Code. But the same period saw the massacre of American Indians, the terror of the Revolution and the appearance "mass warfare", characteristic of the Revolution and the Empire.Important Points - the time of discovery: the planet is thereafter accessible, but a new form of slavery appears; - a different vision of the artistic world, religious, scientific and technical; - absolute monarchy in France: Louis XIV and Versailles;- the Age of Enlightenment, the French Revolution and the First Empire: aspirations of liberty and equality, successes and failures.

5 – The 19th Century (1815-1914)

This period is much shorter than the preceding, less than one hundred years, but it is fundamental to an understanding of our time. Industrialization and urbanization transform economies and societies in Western Europe. In the face of Bourgeoisie a working class is developed in inhumane conditions. Great migrations of populations thereafter and forever affect Europe. It is the century of emigration and colonialism. In France, the Republic is attempting to become established, fundamental liberties are emerging and education is developed, but women remain in a position of inferiority to men, as is the case throughout Europe. Important Points - Europe in full industrial and urban expansion, the search for new territories and exploits, the time of factory workers, emigration and colonies; - the Republic imposing itself upon France with difficulty: a political battle for several generations; - inequality between men and women, who are excluded from the vote and considered inferior under the law.

6 – The 20th Century and the World of Today

The start of the 20th Century is considered to be the outbreak of World War I, because this marks the end of European hegemony and the emergence of American power. The contrast is striking, between the amplitude of scientific progress and techniques incontestably improving life for the majority of French and European citizens, and the violence of this century marked by genocide and the most extreme forms of intolerance and exclusion against which great voices rose to speak. The development of new means of communication and information pave the way for “globalization” and give rise to the idea of a “global village”, where every event is immediately known and transmitted throughout the world. This globalization suppresses neither the strong

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tensions occurring around the planet nor the inequalities between various parties worldwide. To try to improve the situation, numerous international organizations are created, among which the UN, the United Nations, while Europe seeks, not without difficulty, unification itself. The European Union is covered under the program of Geography. Important Points - the planet at war: the extreme violence of this century;- the extermination of Jews by the Nazis: a crime against humanity;- the Fifth Republic: to begin to understand the functioning of our democratic system;- French society in the second half of the 20th Century: technical progress, the end of the countryside and the changing of lifestyles. - the arts, expressions of an era: on the basis of two French or international examples left to the discretion of teachers.

Skills To Be Acquired by End of Cycle

The student should be able to:- distinguish between great periods of History, situate them chronologically, begin to know the different forms of power, social groups, and several technical and artistic achievements under each;- categorize documents according to their nature, their date and origin;- apply historical knowledge in Social Studies and other subjects, in particular in the area of art. - consult an encyclopedia and internet pages;- correctly use past tenses found in historical accounts. The student should have retained and understood:- approximately twenty important events and their dates (see application document);- the role of specific people and groups in the various Important Points, as well as significant facts, and the period to which they belong;- specific vocabulary, to be able to use it precisely and appropriately.

GEOGRAPHY

OBJECTIVESIn Cycle 3, the student solidifies his knowledge of the diverse spaces in the world through a specific disciplinary approach, that of Geography, the study of the organization of space by societies, centered around reading maps and spatial representations in close conjunction with photography, painting, major visual and written supporting materials, Literature and History. Geographers partition the planet and social space into units to which they assign meaning, structure, location and relationships. They produce and utilize images of the Earth, in its entirety and its parts. They seek to understand how Man produces, occupies, uses, manages, organizes and transforms his territories, for and by way of his activities. Without posing conflict to the preceding program, the Geography curriculum is based upon the reading of geographical images and maps. It allows, through its approach to information, closer links to be established with History, Social Studies, and other subjects. The aim is to transmit to students the necessary skills for naming and beginning to understand the spaces in which they live, and for contributing, in their own way, to the transformation of those spaces. These are the reference points and indispensable tools for the beneficial study of Geography in Middle School, principally centered upon the analysis of environments. Landscapes belong to the real world of human constructions (there are no more "natural landscapes" in Europe); they are also in the eye of the beholder: an experience, a perception, a cultural reference, inspired by the values both individual and collective of he who observes. Man’s construction, in perpetual evolution, is constantly reinvented. The study of landscape images, during a field trip, photography studies, a painting or engraving, is thus always

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polysemous (see Visual Arts).Maps may be topographical, thematic or analytical, and are complex communication tools representing fundamental questions posed by actors upon spaces and territories: why is this here and not elsewhere? The teaching of Geography therefore implies rigorous and reasoned use of description, analysis and synthesis. The student must discover therein a specific vocabulary he learns to distinguish from everyday vocabulary, one he uses with precision. This teaching calls for varied supporting materials for reading and reflection:- photographs, maps, schemas, models, films...;- travel stories, of scientific and military expeditions, descriptions of landscapes (which may be useful in reading workshops);- titles, legends, nomenclatures in geographical documents;- atlas indices and encyclopedia correlates (paper or numeric), website contents pages or search requests in search engines, website maps…Each lesson, in class or in the field, allows the teacher to help the student master verbal and written language, be it via the collection, identification, treatment or memorization of information, or in his analysis or thought processes along the way. The lesson must always culminate in a group writing assignment, progressively more individualized. This assignment is established on the basis of documents used for understanding the studied spaces and is added to a special notebook or binder, saved throughout the year, along with the vocabulary, sketches and notes involved. A notebook of this sort facilitates the cooperation between the Geography teacher and the History/Geography teacher in Middle School.

PROGRAMThe program, centered upon national Geography, is divided into three areas: the world, Europe, and France. It is left to the discretion of the teacher’s council to dispatch the teaching of these areas throughout the three years of Cycle 3. However, no dimension or area can logically be omitted from this scale, in examining France’s place in today’s world. Geography is also an opportunity for an approach which takes into account the local and regional conditions, which must be regarded as a priority, whenever possible.

1 – Looking at the World: the Organization of Spaces by Human Societies

Human societies practically dominate the entire planet. They organize space and create territories by adapting the physical and biological components they modify, in more or less drastic ways. In this regard, drawing upon Experimental Science is recommended.Important Points - comparison of globe representations of Earth (globe, planispheres...) and of the world (maps, images in art or media...);- highlights of the principal contrasts on the planet:. dense and empty zones of population;. oceans and continents, climactic regions from a human standpoint;. life forms.

2 – European Spaces: diverse landscapes

Europe finds its singularity in the diversity of its landscapes, which is not to say there exists no relative commonality with continents like Africa or Asia. It is characterized by the importance of its cities, and the axes of circulation linked by them. Using landscape representations and maps, the teacher evokes the various boundaries of Europe normally accepted (political, "natural", cultural, economic), and helps students identify major spatial groups. He provides them with an initial awareness of the European Union. Important Points - differentiation of landscapes East, West, North and South; Man’s use of coastlines, mountain ranges, plains, oceans;- opposition of populated and less-populated areas;

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- observation of urban networks and routes of transportation/circulation;- identification of European centers and peripheries;- overview of the creation of the European Union, its role, recognition of its territories (in relation to History and in conjunction with Social Studies);- the euro, its role; application of calculation skills in the use of euros and cents.

3 – French Spaces

As is the case with Europe, France is also characterized by diverse landscapes, accompanied by strong feelings of unity among its people, the fruits of a long history. Important Points - historic landscapes in constant evolution:. factors of the diversity of French territories (metropolitan, departments and overseas territories) as represented in maps and landscape images;. urban areas (downtown, the suburbs, new cities) in conjunction with Visual Arts;. rural and industrial areas studied in relation to current issues;. commerce, service, tourism and leisure through recently-evolved landscapes;- France, a territory organized along various scales.Regional examples (metropolitan France or French overseas territories) from where students live and from another region, in relation to France and Europe, allow an approach to: . urban networks and the scope of influence of big cities;. major axes of communication;. small towns and their regions or areas;. initial awareness of how France’s spaces are divided: the community, the department, the region (in conjunction with Social Studies) using local examples.

4 – France in the Time of Globalization

This theme, closely tied to History, will be approached on the basis of two opposing conditions: - the trend toward unification (modes of consumption and production, political constraints, circulation of information and cultural and scientific advances);- accentuated and increasing differences (wars and displaced populations, North-South opposition, movements of opposition to globalization...).Important Points - the economic, political, cultural and athletic power of France and its participation in world events (taking examples from current events and news, language studies and art);- the role and current status of French-speaking countries (in conjunction with Social Studies).

Skills To Be Acquired by End of Cycle

The student should be able to:- locate information on a printed or computer-based atlas;- use maps of various scales to identify phenomena ;- make a simple spatial sketch;- situate his school with relation to locality and region;- situate France with respect to the world;- situate major French cities and axes of communication in France;- situate Europe, its principal states and major cities within worldwide spaces;- apply calculation skills as they are needed for counting money (euros, cents).The student should have retained and understood:- basic geographic vocabulary (and its use in appropriate contexts);- major types of landscapes (and be able to differentiate them);- major human populations (continental and ocean) and find and recognize them on a globe and planispheres;- the states or nations belonging to the European Union.

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SCIENTIFIC EDUCATIONMATHEMATICS

OBJECTIVES

The knowledge and skills developed in Cycle 3 are designed to contribute to the development of rational thought and overall education, and poise students to best profit from the teachings in Middle School. This triple imperative is concerned as much with the skills students acquire as with their capacity to apply them autonomously to solve problems. Problem-solving is at the heart of Mathematics activities, allowing students to find meaning in the skills developed therein: whole and decimal numbers, mathematic calculations, beginning fractions, planes and spatial forms and some of their properties, and some measurements of length. Problem-solving situations may come from classroom life, daily life, games, or other types of circumstances where mathematical skills are called into play (figures, numbers, and measurements). They are presented in various forms: concrete experiences, and verbal or written (text, document, table, graph, schema, figure) descriptions.Through these various activities, the development of skills in research, abstraction, reasoning and proving approached in Cycle 2 are pursued. For this, it is necessary to take into account the individual problem-solving approaches of students, their errors and methods, and take advantage of these in group discussion situations. In Cycle 3, students learn to formulate reasoning more precisely, and attempt argumentation and exercises of proof. Instances of group reflection and discussion follow problem-solving exercises, and the use of ordinary language and spontaneous formulations by students must prevail. These are nevertheless complemented with references to textbooks and specific formulas which are a necessary aspect of thorough reasoning. Particular attention must be paid to reading difficulties numerous students encounter, in order to avoid penalizing those for whom autonomous reading skills are still inadequate, and also in order to work on efficient reading strategies for these types of texts. Writing in Mathematics takes various forms which must be progressively distinguished: writing for research, writing for communicating a process and a result, and reference writing. These skills are developed through problem-solving. Mastering them requires explanation and synthesis, and using them efficiently requires regular training and practice through exercises designed to contribute to their memorization. The ubiquitous ness of calculators makes it less necessary for students to be “experts” in operational techniques (written calculations), all that is expected is that the latter permit students to better understand the operations themselves. Learning operational techniques does, however, provide an opportunity to reinforce comprehension of certain properties of numbers and operations. Mental calculation in all its forms (memorized answers, calculated processes) is essential and naturally accompanies intelligent use of an ordinary calculator. Mathematical teaching methods must integrate and maximize all possibilities offered by information and communication technologies: calculators, interactive geometry software, drills software, internet (for documentation or exchanges between different classes), and the projector (for group work sessions). The applications document enumerate and specify, for each area, the skills to be developed throughout the cycle, and shed light on the various phases of learning and pedagogical paths to follow. They are an indispensable tool for executing the curricular program.

PROGRAM

1 – Using Numerical Data

This domain covers the ensemble of problems in which numbers and calculations intervene as tools for treating a situation, which is to say for the organization, prediction, choices and decisions regarding:

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- problems solved by using knowledge of whole and decimal numbers with studied operations; - problems stemming from proportions, solved by using appropriate individual reasoning; - the use of organized data in lists, tables, or diagram or graph representations. Reasoning occupies an important place, in particular in the resolution of problems of proportionality. That which is traditionally known as “operational sense” must be at the heart of teaching concerns. Problems are not limited to that which can be solved with the help of a single operation: some problems require, explicitly or implicitly, recourse to intermediate steps. According to the problems at hand, and the mastery of skills involved, the student will refer to expert/established procedures or develop his own personal problem-solving methods. Situations dealing with proportions are treated via personal reasoning methods, adapted to the data at hand and to the numerical aptitudes of students (see examples provided in the applications document). Students will distinguish these situations from those for which this type of reasoning does not apply (situations of non-proportionality). These problem-solving procedures equally concern problems dealing with percentages, scales, average speeds and conversions of length, mass, contents, and duration, which are all included in this category. On the basis of this initial approach of which the importance cannot be underestimated, the organized study of proportionality will be pursued in Middle School. Students in Mathematics are also faced with reading, with critical interpretation of various modes of representation (lists, tables, diagrams, and graphs) having to do with numerical data: research, scientific measurements, and news documents. Beyond the initial mastery of using these types of tools, it is to be highlighted that the interpretation of information received must be executed with vigilance: according to the presentation chosen, the same data can, for example, give the impression of sizeable or minor growth.

2 – Whole Natural Numbers

The skills in this domain must be well mastered at the end of Primary School. Organized study of numbers is limited to the millions’ class, but larger numbers may also be encountered. At the end of Cycle 3, students must master the reading and writing of whole natural numbers. They must understand the principles of decimal numbering, in particular the value of digits depending upon their position in the writing of numbers.They must also master comparisons and arrangements of these numbers, and must have worked on exact or approximate placements of numbers on number lines, in regards to proportionality. Skills relating to number lines or scales will be thereafter applied to the study of decimal numbers.

A solid understanding of relationships between frequently-used numbers allows for structure to be applied to numerical data. This concept is the reference point for mental calculations, notably in approximation calculations, and constitutes an initial approach to arithmetic which will be pursued in Middle School. Skills relating to whole natural numbers include:- decimal notation: value of digits as a function of their position, series of numbers;- written (in numbers and words) and spoken expression of numbers;- comparison and arrangement of numbers, placement of numbers on a number line or scale;- arithmetic relationships between numbers: doubles, halves, quadruples, quarters, triples, thirds… particularly between commonly-used numbers, the notion of multiples (multiples of 2, 5 and 10).

3 – Simple Fractions and Decimal Numbers

In Cycle 3, students become comfortable with fractions and decimal numbers: comprehension of their written conventions, relationship between written decimal point forms and the sums of decimal fractions, comparison of decimal numbers, use of number lines or scales. The study of these will be pursued in Middle School. Fractions and decimal numbers must first appear as new tools to solve problems that whole numbers could not, in any satisfactory way, resolve: problems of sharing, measurements of

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length, or locating a point on an axis. Fractions are essentially introduced, in Cycle 3, to give meaning to decimal numbers. The understanding of decimal numbers is facilitated by a comparison of some of their properties with those of whole numbers: the notion of “consecutive numbers” has meaning with whole numbers whereas this is not the case with decimals, inserting a number between two numbers is always possible with decimals but not with whole numbers, the number of digits used to write a number is a factor in the comparison of two whole numbers but does not reveal the same information with decimals. Concerning the writing of numbers with decimal points, students must understand that the value of a digit depends upon its position: this value is defined according to the unit place (the tenths place and the hundredths place represent ten times less, and one hundred times less, than the single unit) and according to neighboring unit places (the hundredths place represents ten times less than the tenths place). In situations where decimals are used, students’ attention will be directed to the choice of pertinent decimal places. Skills relating to fractions and decimal numbers include:- simple fractions: utilization, written expression, placement between successive whole numbers, written expression as the sum of a whole plus a fraction inferior to 1; - decimal numbers: utilization, value of digits as a function of their position in written decimal point form, passing from decimal form to fraction form (decimal fractions) and the inverse, series of decimal numbers, link between oral and written numbers;- comparison, arrangement, interposing and placement of decimal numbers, their placement on a number line; - approximate value of a decimal, rounded to the nearest whole number, to the nearest ten, to the nearest hundred.

4 – Arithmetic Calculations

In this area, mental calculation skills (memorized results, calculated or approximated with reasoning) are to be the developmental priority. To do this, solid knowledge of the tables is indispensable, and knowing how to furnish a direct result (sum or product) or a derived result (complement or difference, factor of a product or a quotient) is implied. Mental calculation requires personal procedures, adapted to each particular calculation: these can be entirely “in one’s head” or incorporate written methods. Explanation and analysis by students of the reasoning they employ is an important step in this field of learning. Mental calculation through approximation is begun in Cycle 3. It must be used in situations where students are likely to retain meaningful skills, for example: testing a result obtained on paper or with the use of a calculator, method of decision in a situation where the result does not need to be exact. Standard operations are taught with commonly-used numbers, taking particular care to ensure that solid comprehension is attained in each arithmetic step. These operations must not be the object of excessively high demands for proficiency. Students must be capable of using calculators as an ordinary means of performing arithmetic (for example, in solving problems which cannot be done “in one’s head”) and master some of their functions. Skills related to arithmetic include:- memorization of answers involving whole numbers and decimals (see skills section);- operations: addition, subtraction of whole and decimal numbers, multiplication of two whole numbers or a decimal number by a whole number, Euclidian division using two whole numbers (whole-number quotient and remainder);- exact or approximate (rounded) mental arithmetic: organization and execution of calculations (in the head or using pencil and paper), amount of the result; - the use of calculators and the mastery of some of their functions.

5 – Spatial Concepts and Geometry

The primary objective here is for students to refine their way of looking at spaces (identification,

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orientation), and become familiar with several plane figures and solids, moving progressively from a geometry where objects and their properties are controlled by perception to a geometry where they are controlled by the explanation of properties and the recourse to instruments and tools. Activities in the domain of geometry do not aim to develop formal skills (definitions), rather functional ones, skills that are useful for solving problems dealing with ordinary spaces, the piece of paper or the computer screen, particularly with problems of comparison, reproduction, description, representation of geometric objects or spatial configurations (flat representations of three-dimensional objects). Even if the skills expected to be acquired concern only a few figures and solids, the problems presented for resolution treat other types of objects: specific quadrilaterals such as the trapezoid, the parallelogram, solids such as the prism, the pyramid, the sphere, the cylinder and the cone. The notion of enlarging or shrinking figures is the topic of an initial study, in conjunction with that of proportionality, leading to an approach to the idea of scale. Skills relating to geometry and spatial concepts include:- identification of squares and points on graph paper;- use of maps and plans;- geometric properties and relationships: alignment, perpendicularity, parallelism, equality of lengths, axial symmetry, midpoint of a segment; - utilization of instruments (ruler, square, compass) and techniques (stacks, insertion, graph paper);- plane figures (in particular: triangles and their features, squares, rectangles, diamonds, circles): recognition, reproduction, construction, description, and decomposition of one figure into smaller, simpler figures;- solid or three-dimensional figures (in particular: cube, parallelepiped rectangle): recognition, reproduction, construction, description, flat representations (patterns);- enlargement and shrinking of plane figures, in conjunction with proportionality.

6 – Lengths and Measures

The crux of these activities lies in solving concrete problems, real or described, using direct procedures, instruments of measure, estimations or information given in usual units. The activities in Science and Technology provide a favorable field of application for this domain. Certain size measurements (lengths, masses, volumes in the context of contents, durations) were initially studied in Cycle 2. These skills are developed, completed and given structure in Cycle 3, particularly through the mastery of units of the metric or base twelve (for durations) systems and their relationships. The notion of area is introduced, through classification and organization activities which precede activities of measurement for each chosen unit. The study of area continues in Middle School. By the same token, concerning angles, activities of classification and arrangement precede activities of measurements in degrees, in Middle School. Students must become especially aware that lengths and “sides” have nothing to do with the results of a comparison of angles. Skills involving lengths and measures include:- lengths, masses, volumes (contents): measurement of these sizes (utilization of instruments, appropriate choice of unit of measurement), estimation (size order), legal units of the metric system (meter, gram, liter, their multiples and sub-units), calculations of measurements using these units of measure;- the perimeter of a polygon;- area: comparison of surfaces according to area, differentiation between area and perimeter, measurement of area in a given unit of measure, habitual units (cm2, dm2, m2, km2) and their relationships; - the area of a rectangle;- angles : comparison, reproduction;- identification of units of time and duration: telling time, units of duration measurement (year, month, week, day, hour, minute, second) and their relationships;- calculating the time elapsed between two given moments.

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Skills To Be Acquired by End of Cycle

In the application document a more detailed and thoroughly explained version of the list of skills is provided, accompanied by comments on the coordination of skills activities in Cycle 3 and the beginning of Middle School. The general skills practiced in all mathematical activities expected to be acquired by the end of the cycle are: - utilization of skills for solving problems;- search and production of an original solution for a research problem; - employment of reasoning, coordination of the various steps to a solution; - formulation and communication of problem-solving procedures, verbal expression of said; - testing and discussion of the viability or relevance of a solution;- identification of errors in a solution and distinction of those relating to procedural choices and those relating to execution of chosen procedure; - argumentation and defense of a solution’s validity.

1 – USING NUMERICAL DATA1.1 Problems Involving the Four Operations - solve problems using skills relative to whole and decimal numbers and studied operations. 1.2 Proportionality - solve problems using skills relative to proportionality using appropriate personalized reasoning methods (of which include problems involving percentages, scales, average speeds and converting units of measure).1.3 Organization and Representation of Numerical Data - organize series of numbers (lists, tables...),- read, interpret and produce several representations: diagrams, graphs.

2 – SKILLS USING WHOLE NATURAL NUMBERS2.1 Written and Verbal Expression of Whole Natural Numbers - determine the value of each digit in the composition of a written number as a function of its position;- find the various decompositions of a number using 10, 100, 1000..., and find the written expression of a number on the basis of such a decomposition;- produce oral and written successions of ones, tens, hundreds, starting from any number; - match verbal and written (in digits) expressions of numbers, up to the millions. 2.2 Whole Natural Number Order - compare numbers, arrange them in increasing or decreasing order, situate them between two consecutive tens, two consecutive hundreds, two consecutive millions…;- utilize the symbols “<” and “>” to express the result of the comparison of two numbers or of a number between two others; 2.3 Arithmetic Structure of Whole Natural Numbers - know and use expressions such as: double, half or demi, triple, third, quadruple, quarter; three quarters, two thirds, three halves of a whole natural number;- know and use certain relationships between commonly-used numbers: between 5, 10, 25, 50, 75, 100; between 50, 100, 200, 250, 500, 750, 1000; between 5, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90;- recognize multiples of 2, 5 and 10.

3 – SKILLS USING SIMPLE FRACTIONS AND DECIMAL NUMBERS3.1 Fractions - utilize, in simple situations, fractions or sums of whole numbers plus a fraction, to

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express measurements of length or area, in a chosen unit of measure, or to construct a segment (or a surface) of a given length or area; - name fractions using the vocabulary: half, third, quarter, tenth, hundredth... ;- situate a simple fraction between two whole numbers;- write a fraction in the form of the sum of a whole number plus a fraction inferior to 1.3.2 Verbal and Written Expressions of Decimal Numbers - determine the value of each digit composing a number written with a decimal point, as a function of its position; - for a decimal number, convert from the written fraction form (decimal fractions) to the written form using a decimal point (and vice versa);- use decimal numbers to express the length of a segment, the area of a surface (in a given unit of measure) or to identify a point on a number line in ones; - write and interpret in decimal form a measure given in several units of measure (and vice versa); - produce decompositions from a number written with a decimal point, using 10; 100; 1000... and 0.1; 0.01; 0.001...;- produce verbal or written successions in units of 0.1, in units of 0.01, etc.;- match the verbal expression to the written format of a decimal number.3.3 Decimal Number Order - compare two given decimal numbers in their decimal-point form;- situate a decimal number between two consecutive whole numbers or two consecutive decimal numbers; - interpose decimal numbers between whole consecutive numbers or consecutive decimal numbers; - utilize the symbols “<” and “>” to express the result of the comparison of two numbers or of a number between two others; - give the approximate (rounded) value for a decimal number to the nearest one, ten or hundred; - locate decimal numbers precisely or approximately on a number line in units of 1, of 0.1.3.4 Relationships Between Decimal Numbers- know and use written fractional and decimal forms for certain numbers: 0.1 and 1; 0.01 and  1; 0.5 and 1; 0.25 and 1; 0.75 et 3

10 100 2 4 4- know and use relationships between 1 (or 0.25) and

1 (or 0.5), between

1 and

 1; between

 1 and  1.

4 2 100 10 1000 100

4 - ARITHMETIC4.1 Memorized Answers and Automatic Procedures - know the addition (from 1 to 9) and multiplication tables (from 2 to 9) and be able to use them to calculate a sum, a difference or complement, a product or whole quotient; - mentally add and subtract whole tens (for numbers less than 100) or in whole hundreds (for numbers less than 1000) ;- know the complement to the next ten for any number less than 100 or the complement to the next whole number for any number with digits after the decimal point; - multiply or divide a whole number by 10, 100, 1000;- calculate sums and differences of whole or decimal numbers, using written calculation in a line or in columns; - calculate the product of two whole numbers or the product of a decimal by a whole number (3 digits by 2 digits), using written methods; - calculate the quotient and remainder in Euclidian (long) division of a whole number (maximum 4 digits) by another whole number (maximum 2 digits), via written methods.

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4.2 Mental Calculations - organize and perform either mentally or using pencil and paper, with whole numbers, operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication or division, using memorized calculations and the implicit properties of numbers and operations; - organize and perform calculations such as 1.5 + 0.5; 2.8 + 0.2; 1.5 X 2; 0.5 X 3, using memorized calculations and the implicit properties of numbers and operations;- evaluate size order of answers using approximated calculations (rounding), evaluate the number of digits in a whole quotient; - develop means of testing calculation instruments: number of units, number of digits (particularly for quotients), approximated (rounding) calculations…;- be able to mentally determine the numerical solution to a basic word problem.4.3 Calculations With Instruments - correctly use a calculator to obtain the answer to a problem and interpret the obtained result; - use a calculator to find the sum or difference of two whole or decimal numbers, the product of two whole numbers or that of a whole number and a decimal number, the whole or quotient decimal (exact or approximate) of two whole numbers or of a decimal and a whole number; - know and use certain functions of the calculator to generate a series of calculations: operations keys, memory keys, parentheses keys, constant factor.

5 – GEOMETRY AND SPATIAL CONCEPTS5.1 Utilization of Maps and Plans - locate a specific point or square on graph paper;- use a plot or a map to locate and object, anticipate or perform displacement, evaluate a distance. 5.2 Relationships and Properties: Alignment, Perpendicularity, Parallelism, Equal Lengths, Axial Symmetry - verify, with the help of instruments: the alignment of points (ruler), the equality of lengths (compass or measuring instrument), the perpendicularity or parallelism of lines (ruler and square); - draw the abovementioned lines;- find the midpoint of a segment;- perceive that a figure possesses one or several axis(es) of symmetry and verify this using different techniques (stacking, tracing paper, mirror); - complete a figure via axial symmetry using techniques such as stacking, tracing, mirror; - trace, onto graph paper, the symmetric figure for a given figure on a given line; - correctly use the following vocabulary: aligned/linear points, line, perpendicular lines, parallel lines, segment, midpoint, angle, symmetrical figure, axis of symmetry. 5.3 Plane Figures: Triangles (and specific cases), Squares, Rectangles, Diamonds, Circles - recognize a plane figure on sight (particularly in complex configurations), name it, verify its validity using properties and instruments; - break down a figure into simpler figures;- trace a figure (on blank white paper, graph paper or dotted paper), either from a model, a description, a construction program or by hand; - describe a figure in order to identify it from among a group of figures or to reproduce it exactly;- correctly use the following vocabulary: triangle, right triangle, isosceles triangle, equilateral triangle, square, rectangle, diamond, circle, apex, side, center, radius and diameter for the circle. 5.4 Solids: Cube, Parallelepiped Rectangle - observe a solid (3D) form, name it, verify certain properties relative to the surfaces of a solid with the help of instruments;

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- describe a solid form in order to identify it from among several forms or to reproduce it exactly; - construct a cube or three-dimensional rectangle;- recognize, construct or complete a pattern for a cube or a three-dimensional rectangle; - correctly use the following vocabulary: cube, parallelepiped rectangle; apex, edge, surface.5.5 Enlarging and Reducing - produce, in simple cases, enlargements or reductions of plane figures; - test whether one figure is an enlargement or reduction of another.

6 – LENGTHS AND MEASURES6.1 Lengths, Masses, Volumes (contents), Identification of Time and Duration - use instruments to measure physical or geometric objects;- express the results of a measurement by a number or range, with the unit (or units) having been imposed or chosen in appropriate fashion; - tell time using a watch with hands or a wall clock; - know units of measure for time (year, month, week, day, hour, minute, second) and their relationships to each other; - estimate a measurement (size order);- construct or create an object of given measurements; - know standard metric units for measuring length (meter, its multiples and sub-units), masses (gram, its multiples and sub-units) and contents or volume (liter, its multiples and its sub-units); - know the equivalencies between units of length, mass, volume and perform simple calculations on measurements, taking into account the relationships between the various units corresponding to one size; - calculate to find size measurements, in particular: calculate the perimeter of a polygon, the length of time between a given starting moment and the final moment. 6.2 Area - classify and arrange surfaces (figures) according to area (by superimposition, cutting and pasting or tracing with a reference surface; - construct a surface having the same area as a given surface (one which is not able to be superimposed);- distinguish the area from the perimeter of a surface, in particular know that two surfaces may have the same area without necessarily sharing the same perimeter and that they may have the same perimeter without having the same area; - measure the area of a surface by tracing a reference surface (of which the area is taken as the unit) or using graph paper (the result being an exact measure or range); - calculate the area of a rectangle whose sides are of whole number measurements; - know and use standard area units (cm2, dm2, m2 and km2) as well as several equivalencies (1m2 = 100 dm2, 1dm2 =100 cm2, 1 km2 = 1,000,000 m2).6.3 Angles - compare angles drawn via superimposition or by using a caliber, particularly with angles within a figure (angles within a triangle, a quadrilateral); - reproduce a given angle using a caliber or with respect to a standard; - trace a right angle, as well as an angle lesser than one half, one quarter or one third of a right angle.

EXPERIMENTAL SCIENCES AND TECHNOLOGY

OBJECTIVESThe goals of the studies of Sciences and Technology are to build students’ rational

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representations of matter and the living, by observation, then by reasoned analysis of phenomena appealing to their curiosity. They prepare students to make their way freely in a society where technical objects play a major role, and allow them to recognize the day-to-day benefits we owe to Science. The teacher chooses as a starting point some situation which focuses students’ curiosities, inspires questions and allows them to explore previous ideas. He teaches them to more precisely formulate questions, and leads them to choose those questions that will flow into a constructive approach to investigation, paving the way to building new skills, deeper knowledge and the cultural references so important to the curriculum. Skills and knowledge are developed using methods which call for both questioning the world and putting those questions to concrete investigation. This investigative method may take several forms of practical application and activity:- direct experiment (to be conducted whenever possible) designed and executed by students;- execution of material project (seeking technical solutions);- direct observation, or observation using instruments, with or without measurements;- research, consulting documents;- interviews and visits.Dealing with research and reference work solidifies knowledge acquired, and contributes to the development of reading strategies adapted to specific texts. Didactic sessions consist primarily of small group work, providing opportunities to develop listening skills, respect, and cooperation. Student activities are the focus and lecture sessions are rare. Analysis led by the teacher is nonetheless indispensable, not only to give meaning to practical experiments but to highlight that which is to be gained from them. Language mastery reinforcement and development of French Language skills are essential aspects of this domain. Questioning, exchanges, comparison of obtained results with previous knowledge – these are occasions to discover modes of regulated debate and discussion, targeting further knowledge acquisition. Throughout the cycle, students keep a journal of experiments and observations. Writing down their experiences allows students to record thought processes and develop precise and rigorous attitudes. Students write their own observations, and additionally practice putting information into scientific formats (scientific notation) and communicating it clearly (documentary text). Exposed to class criticism and to that of his teacher, each student’s written journal contributes to his overall education. The initiation to reading scientific documents can begin when students encounter a new type of writing through scientific activities: statistic sheets, experiment reports, explanatory texts, argumentative/persuasive texts, table of information or numerical data...

PROGRAMThe components of the program preceded by an asterisk* are those that can optionally be included and used as supporting material for supplementary investigation activities. These are not to be considered skills required by the end of cycle. Scientific skills and their levels of development are detailed in the “skills checklist” which is published within the applications document.

1 – Matter

The primary objective is to solidify knowledge of matter and its conservation: - states of water and their transformations;- mixtures and solutions;- air, its characteristics and weight;- horizontal and vertical surfaces: effects upon several technical devices.

2 – Unity and Diversity in the Living World

The unity of the living world is characterized by several major common traits, its diversity illustrated by the evidence of differences, all of which leads to the notions of classification, the idea of the species, and evolution:

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- phases of development of a living being (animal or vegetable);- developmental conditions of vegetables;- various methods of reproduction (animal and vegetable): nonsexual procreation and reproduction (plants...) ;- evolutionary traces of life (common fossils);- major periods in the History of the Earth; the idea of evolution in living beings.

3 – Environmental Education

Environmental education is cross-disciplinary. In conjunction with Social Studies, it develops an awareness of the complexity of the environment and the actions taken upon it by Man. It relies upon certain scientific knowledge supporting reasoned choices: - ecological approach based on immediate environment;- role and place of living beings; idea of food chains and food supply;* adaptation of living beings to their environmental conditions;* pathways and transformations of water in nature;* water quality.

4 – Health Education and the Human Body

Health education is tied to the study of the functions of the human body, emphasizing conditions for maintaining the body in good health: - movements of the body (functions of bones and muscles);- basic study of body nutrition (digestive, respiratory and circulatory systems);- reproduction in humans and basic sex education;- long and short term consequences of hygiene; harmful and beneficial behaviors (notably as pertaining to nutrition and eating habits);- basic principles of first aid: providing assistance, by identifying danger, alerting others to the situation, placing someone in correct waiting position as help arrives. Information relating to child abuse is to be presented each year.

5 – Energy

A veritable introduction to the scientific concept of energy is not attempted in early school years: * * basic examples of usable energy sources;* energy consumption and economy;* the concept of solar energy.

6 – Earth and Sky

The primary objective is to methodically observe common daily phenomena and engage students to begin to understand a scientific model: - light and shadow;- cardinal points and the compass;- visible movement of the sun;- the length of the day and its evolution throughout the seasons;- the rotation of Earth on its axis and resulting effects;- the Solar System and the universe;- time measurements and units;* manifestations of activity within the Earth (volcanoes, earthquakes).

7 – The Man-Made World

The student is introduced, in a project setting, to methods of seeking technical solutions, and to the application of reasoned choices and the intelligent use of objects and materials: - electrical circuits run by batteries: conductors et insulators; some circuit-building, in series and

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derivation;- elementary principles of electrical safety;- levers and balances; equilibrium;- mechanical objects; transference of movement.The process of building a mechanical object gives the student the opportunity to hone his research and observation skills. This type of project may also provide an ideal context for learning some of the basic scientific principles.

8 – Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in Experimental Sciences and Technology

The observation of reality and actions performed upon it take precedence over the virtual. This consideration is not in contradiction with the aims of ICT in a research setting, in complement to direct observation or to compare experiment results with previous knowledge: - master the basics of Information Technology and the primary functions of a computer; - adopt a civic attitude in the face of information transmitted via computers and ICT tools; - produce, create, modify and utilize a document with word-processing software; - perform a search, find documents by means of a multimedia product (CDRom, DVD-ROM, internet site, database);- communicate via electronic messaging services.

Skills To Be Acquired by End of Cycle

The student should be able to :- ask precise and coherent questions in a situation of observation or experimentation; - design and carry out an experiment susceptible to answer his questions, relying on observation, appropriate measurements, or schema; - build a simple electrical circuit using a schema;- utilize instruments of observation and measure: double decimeter, magnifying glass, compass, scale, chronometer or stopwatch, thermometer; - recreate an experiment changing only one variable from the preceding conditions;- relate and compare data, present it in schematic form and interpret it, compare class observations with documented knowledge or facts;- participate in the preparation of an interview or visit, by developing observational protocol or a questionnaire;- write a report or summary integrating the experiment schema or observational drawings;- produce, create, modify or utilize a document with word-processing software; - communicate by means of electronic messaging services. The student should have retained and understood:- the conservation of matter in the changing states of water, mixtures and dissolution, that air is matter; - functions of the living, unity and diversity therein; development and reproduction; - elementary principles of nutritive functions and movement, on the basis of human manifestations; - the basic concept of a species, the notion of evolution;- the place and role of living beings in their environment; - some astronomical phenomena: the sun’s movement; length of days and nights; evolution of seasons (calendar); link between a compass and cardinal points; a few simple models concerning these phenomena; the solar system and the universe; - basic principles of simple electrical circuits, levers, balances, systems of movement transference: some technical uses.These skills and concepts are explained in further detail in the applications document.

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FINE ARTS EDUCATION (Visual Arts, Music, Other Artistic Disciplines)

Fine Arts instruction develops the aptitude for expression and a taste for creation; it allows the student to experience fulfillment and autonomy as his personality emerges; it allows for greater balance between various forms of intelligence and sensitivity. It cultivates ways of thinking and reacting which have become indispensable in contemporary societies. Approaches to teaching Fine Arts place high value on interdisciplinary links, and in return, grant access to symbolic forms that are key factors to numerous types of knowledge in scholarly pursuits. Fine Arts contains three complementary axes:- basic education in Visual Arts and Music, which are the subjects of specific programs; - artistic activities in conjunction with other subject areas in which they reinforce sensitive or esthetic approaches: theatrical projects in liaison with the Literature program, Dance in conjunction with the Physical Education and Sports program; - the realization of cultural and artistic projects, privileged moments for delving into one particular artistic discipline or discovering another. Along the same lines, artistic creations encountered can be situated within their context by way of the History program which additionally provides indispensable cultural references. Fine Arts is developed through three types of activities which best complement each other in work modes that involve application or synthesis: - creative practices, the fundamental component of Fine Arts, in which the student is encouraged to express himself to give meaning to a personal project; - encounters with artistic works, indispensable to the broad diffusion of culture, in which the student is lead to discover national masterpieces as well as contemporary expressions; - knowledge and skills acquisition (the student appropriates the tools, techniques and methods of work that will enrich his capacity for expression and sensitivity to art). Fine Arts can be pursued either at the school itself or in other cultural settings that are perhaps better adapted, whenever the school’s program can avail itself of local resources. Choices of activities and implementations of this program are always, however, left to the discretion of schoolteachers and professors, and can of course include team teaching or interventions to take advantage of staff members who might have special training in the arts, an idea which can also be extended to beneficial partnerships with qualified guest speakers or teachers. Varying the program in this way helps take full advantage of diverse and renewed pedagogy, including modern artistic techniques which give students the opportunity to explore the possibilities offered by the computer and its tools: graphic or visual arts software, music creation software, montage, esthetic uses of internet documents…

VISUAL ARTS

OBJECTIVESThe objectives described for Cycle 2 are for the most part applicable in Cycle 3. Here the student pursues ventures similar to those in preceding cycles but with more precision, applying with greater thought and focus all the techniques available to him. His skills are honed and structured with regard to artistic works he observes, and he puts these to work in conjunction with other disciplines, especially Literature, language, History and Geography. The teacher conceives of various classroom situations and maintains the interest and curiosity level of students in diverse forms of visual expression. Regular practice in drawing and other modes of reproducing images such as photography and video bring him to observe, with a more refined and scrupulous eye, his environment, calling into question his relationship to things and to the world. He can even associate and coordinate several forms of ‘language’. The image is introduced in all its forms, fixed and animated (television, cinema, posters, photocopies, illustrated albums, computer screens, etc.), in extremely diverse domains. Each time, the image at hand is approached according to its functions and specific characteristics, and

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recognized as a vector of knowledge, evaluated and compared to others. In the area of individual and group projects, the practices and approaches may include the common esthetic arts, architecture, video, etc., building on skills progressively acquired in different domains of Visual Arts such as drawing, painting, collage, sculpture or voluminous projects. Particular attention must be paid to the notions of space and landscape or background, in conjunction with Geography. Two distinct axes of teaching participate in cultivating an eye for the esthetic: - diversified practices integrating production and analysis of drawing, new technologies and other forms of visual arts expression in two or three dimensions, concentrating on the enjoyment and creativity they procure while targeting the acquisition of specific skills; - a cultural approach to the realization of projects centered around encounters with artists and artistic works, via direct contact (interventions, visits to museums or exhibits, etc.) or by the use of documentation (video, photographs, texts, etc.). A list of reference works, published by the Minister and the Academies, is available; it constitutes the foundation of a common culture.

PROGRAM

1 – Drawing as a Visual Art

The practice of drawing in Cycle 3 encourages the student to thoughtfully take advantage of different techniques available to him. He hones his perception and refines the accuracy of his observation skills and his “eye”, taking the time to look at (and register) the visual world around him. The urge to represent, linked to the desire to resemble, incites him to master certain modalities (material and operational) which he implements, allowing them to progressively become complex. Drawing is thus approached in other functions that are explained, developed and experimented upon: expression of feelings, representation of an idea, visualization of a personal universe (imaginary, fantastic, poetic), manifestation of fiction, transformation of reality, communication, narration, drawings in preparation for a project or the recording of an event.The student appropriates and reemploys certain codes of representation identified in familiar images, notably those in illustrated books or cartoons. Drawing can be combined with other techniques such as painting, collage, or photography. Because of their relationships, the different components of this type of graphic expression merit particular attention. The student is progressively led to vary them himself, as a function of his own intentions, his individual expressive project or his search for specific effects. He may also connect several techniques such as pen and ink, ink and pastel, etc., in the same format. He experiments with these combinations and remembers what they achieve. He plays with the parameters he has already encountered and identified in previous cycles: - the material format: if different paper qualities (color, thickness, texture) have an effect on the final outcome, it is also possible to experiment with other medium such as canvas, wood or the concrete of the playground; - the instruments: some are distinguished by what they are (chalk, pastel, crayon, pencil, charcoal, etc.) ; some are associated with a particular medium (ink pen, feather pen, drawing pen, paintbrush, calligraphy brush, etc.) and some physically mark the medium (nail, comb, paintbrush handle, etc.);- the gesture: precise or random, energetic or moderate, supple or abrupt, firm or soft, using the whole body or arm or just the wrist, guided or not, with the help of an instrument (ruler, compass etc.);- the medium (when necessary: ink, gouache, watercolor, etc).Visual Arts compositions call into play explicit principles of organization and layout. The notions of balance, space, depth, background, proportion, scale, movement, contrast and light are approached. The student must draw upon expressive resources and put materials to their best use for his intended project. The teacher ensures proper conditions for the regular practice of individual drawing activities, by offering sketchbooks used for sketches, scribbles, tests and diverse trials which allow the student

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to develop different graphic ‘tricks’, conserve and compare and finally evaluate them. Along the same lines, the student’s work is assembled and saved to keep track of approaches used and developed throughout the course of the year. Lastly, the exploration of the many facets of calligraphy can enrich this important aspect of the esthetic experience.

2 –Characteristics of Three-Dimensional Objects and Their Spatial Organization

Activities involving assembly, sculpture, and model-making invite the student to transform, juxtapose and connect or associate diverse materials of which the expressive and visual qualities serve to advance the quest for desired effects. As is the case with the approaches initiated in previous cycles, raw or composite materials, recycled materials, objects from daily life, wrappings, boxes, papers, plastics, cardboard, scraps of wood and metal parts can be contributors to three-dimensional projects. For the student, it is all about manipulation, fabrication and construction. Visual Arts projects can be developed from various material aspects: play upon superimposition, juxtaposition, transparence, contrasting materials, division of empty and utilized spaces, etc. These internal relationships within compositions generate effects, manage appearances and produce meaning. The student is brought to better evaluate these effects as a function of initial intentions, to eventually re-examine his project or use what he has learned in the realization of new projects, relying on these past understandings and observations. The artistic works he produces guide the student to the progressive discovery of structure, as opposed to that of decoration. He seeks greater quality in the relationships between materials and purposes (holding something together, recovering something, support something, make it more rigid, balance it out, join together, etc.). He plays with relationships of scale and sees from different perspectives. The presentation of his work, the value placed upon it, its display and inscription where he spends his time are equally important aspects of production which must be taken into account. The student is responsible for the displaying or installation of his work in the setting of exhibits organized within the class, the school, or elsewhere.

3 – Categories of Images and the Procedures for Their Production

Questions surrounding an image, its origin, its nature, its components, its function and its meaning, are posed as much in the context of their production as in their meaning with relation to other disciplines such as History, Geography, Experimental Science and Technology. Images of an artistic nature (reproductions of works, artistic photography, artist’s drawings, etc.) are distinguished from documents of a scientific or informative nature or those designed for commercial purposes. The objective is to provide the student with tools for observation and analysis which allow him to better understand the world of images in which he lives, and better situate himself within it. Notions of resemblance, plausibility, illusion, impression, sensation and fiction may be introduced. The student is encouraged to compare procedures used in different artistic works, publicity images, video clips, films and television broadcasts. Beyond drawing and artistic compositions in two dimensions, the practical aspect of these activities engages the student in using photographic equipment (analog and if possible digital). While taking pictures, he plays with centering, objective, the hidden vs. visible, the blurry vs. sharp, near and far. The experimental dimension and enjoyment are maintained while approaching techniques. Results obtained (paper prints, digital prints, photocopies) can equally be reworked, transformed, combined (photomontages), and even combined with other photographic elements taken from daily life or magazines. The image is thus completely recreated. The student invents, he tests, he finds relationships between elements of a composition, and thus he discovers meaning therein. Depending on available materials, it may be possible to design and produce a brief video production. Discussions and exchanges regarding the plot as well as the preparatory designs for the project participate in the conceptualization of the endeavor, and must be accompanied by a writing assignment.

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4 – Perception and Representation of the Environment

The aforementioned diverse practices, in drawing, in construction and in dealing with images, allow the student to refine the perception of his environment, particularly in the areas of landscape and architecture, helping him to better understand geographic approaches, which are founded on the notion of landscape or background. He must learn to better perceive boundaries, opposition between forms and their background, relationships and proportions, light and shadow, color and its effects, structure, and the idea of the overall picture. By experimenting with the modification of the meaning of an image via transformation, and by lending new qualities to objects through his intentional actions, the student learns to alter his vision, to change his perception of things and become aware that there are different ways to take reality into account. He must appropriate these skills and know how to use this more honed perception of reality in other disciplines relying on images.

5 – The Approach To, and Knowledge Of, Artistic Works

A list of works in their historical context, of various techniques, themes and artists is available. These references must not only appear as occasional illustrations for studied themes. They represent complex knowledge entities demonstrating pluralistic points of view and deserve individual moments of observation and analysis. They allow students to establish solid cultural foundations upon which his own cultural education may be formed. Comprehension of artistic and cultural realities is the objective. Works are presented and situated, within an era, in relation to an author or to other forms of literary or musical expression, therefore in relation to other cultural references. These instances of discovery provide a unique opportunity to engage in strong, meaningful encounters with artistic works. This list is complemented by a list of works established by each Academy, by a group of experts under the authority of the Rector, to facilitate the acquisition of knowledge and to best utilize local resources. This approach to works must be undertaken with respect to classroom practices. To support these axes of study, the teacher encourages the establishment of a classroom “museum”, composed of selected objects and images; he incites students to create individual exhibits as well. Direct correlations between individual works, images and objects collected, and works discovered in class, must be identified.

Skills To Be Acquired by End of Cycle

The student should be able to:- use drawing in various functions and employ its diverse techniques; - realize projects in two or three dimensions, individually or in a group, following precise instructions; - choose, manipulate and combine materials, mediums and tools;- speak of an experience, describe an image, express himself about works of art;- identify different types if images, justifying his point of view;- use Visual Arts skills and knowledge in other discipline fields.The student should have retained and understood: - the similarities and differences between artistic practices in the classroom and the approaches used by artists; identify what distinguishes them from each other and what points they have in common; - name and identify several references (works, personalities, events...) on the basis of the nationally published list, classify them on a basic level and situate them within an historical context.

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MUSIC EDUCATION

OBJECTIVESThe objectives described for Cycle 2 are for the most part applicable in Cycle 3. The specific aspects of the In-Depth Learning Cycle enrich these through greater concentration on skills of interpretation, on the mastery of polyphony both simple and complex depending upon students’ capabilities and those of the teacher, and on the expansion and cultural value of vocal and auditory repertoires. Interpretation work is based upon the identification and comparison of motifs, musical formats, genres and contrasting styles. It is done in conjunction with listening exercises using vocal or instrumental music which students are trained to recognize, characterize and situate within respective eras or civilizations. These overlapping activities facilitate the expression of personal tastes, while maintaining active curiosity and developing fundamental skills in esthetic judgment. Projects with the possible participation of music professionals culminate in presentations to an audience. They make intentional use of technical and cultural skills, which contribute to developing students’ creative abilities. Such presentations can bear witness to the rigorous and gratifying learning and skills a student has accumulated over the course of three years, a personal musical anthology either written or in sound, a concrete and living tool for becoming aware of the journeys that are possible, through the production and appreciation of music.

PROGRAM

1 – Singing and The Voice

1.1 Vocal Culture Vocal culture is still and always developed through the regular practice of vocal games and the learning of various songs, in canon or in unison, in small groups or in a choir formation. This vocal culture must contribute, as it did in Cycle 2, to the mastery of breathing techniques, and the search for different tonal qualities implying training in diction and reading poems and literary works aloud. 1.2 Repertoire The program’s repertoire is augmented to provide examples that facilitate the comparison of genres, new styles, eras and distant cultures. Songs with many voices and in foreign or regional languages are integrated via creative productions or compositions written especially for children by contemporary songwriters. As a part of each school’s individual program, the choir meets general requirements as explained and covered in Cycle 2.

2 – Listening

2.1 Listening Culture and Training the Ear Listening is still at this level an indispensable part of an approach based on succession (listening, production, listening again, then creation). Listening skills are developed and become more analytical and operational. The student learns to distinguish as if by memory the organization of the various elements in order or in juxtaposition. He begins to jump voluntarily from one sound format to another. He participates on a more individual and personal level in activities involving Dance, as a function of the structure and expressive character of the music. Recourse to music notation and phrasing becomes a useful tool. Increasing the lexicon specific to naming and characterizing sounds becomes indispensable. Generally, language skills will allow students to support and justify their choices and tastes, to share them and commit them to long-term

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memory. 2.2 Repertoire Quite open and flexible, the program’s auditory repertoire excludes neither contemporary creations nor works from the nations’ classic and popular Music History. The contact with ‘living’ music is essential and must be sought as often as possible. In all cases, the criteria for choosing works include artistic interest, evident richness of contrasting elements, length of piece, its novelty in relation to what students have already heard, and the possibility for links with the vocal repertoire. The list published in the application document specifies several possible pertinent choices. Efforts must be made to highlight the diversity of styles within an epoch, referring regularly to well-known classical music in conjunction with the History program. These should be used as examples but it must be made clear that the list is in no way exhaustive. The goal is to break the all-too-frequently upheld boundaries between the worlds of popular, media-friendly music and music of a more distant and elitist or intellectual category. In this respect, listening to less-familiar pieces becomes absolutely necessary.

3 – Instrumental Practices

Practice with instruments still remains connected, especially for research and creation, to a larger project, often one that is accompanied by singing activity. The skills acquired in Cycle 2 make it possible to incorporate more complex rhythmic accompaniment, even rhythmic games with several different instruments. These may be fabricated instruments, in liaison with an initiation in Technology. Systematic practice with melodic instruments, because it necessitates specific technical competency, is not done in Elementary School. However, students who follow specialized instruction outside of the class may share their abilities for the benefit of the group.

4 – Musical Projects

A project involving music is an indispensable opportunity to apply and synthesize skills acquired in singing, listening, movement and instrumental accompaniment. A musical project asks of student and teacher alike to concentrate on research, invention, and the respect of the constraints necessary for the completion of a project in general. It lets the student fully experience the demands of interpretation and approach the methods used by musicians, composers and performers. Such a project can take extremely diverse forms, without necessarily requiring exceedingly long periods of preparation or rehearsal. Intervention by specialized individuals outside the school, such as musicians or composers, can have great value and meaning in this context.

Skills To Be Acquired by End of Cycle

The student should be able to:- perform from memory at least ten songs from among those he has learned; - voluntarily control his voice and posture for singing purposes; - keep his voice and position in choir formation, especially in a situation of harmony; - assume his role in work requiring accompaniment; - sustain prolonged listening, follow directions for listening activities;- identify musical elements, name and characterize them based on their organization (succession, simultaneity, ruptures...) using appropriate vocabulary;- recognize a work from a studied repertoire, situate it within its creative context, formulate an esthetic judgment about it;- apply knowledge to a musical production or choreography, either alone or in a group; - comfortably take part in a group dance activity in diverse settings; - express his analysis of a dance production, singing performance or musical piece, as both participant and spectator.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND SPORTS

OBJECTIVESThe teaching of Physical Education and Sports targets, in Cycle 3:- the development of necessary skills and resources for motor functions;- the cultural awareness represented by the diverse physical, artistic and sports activities, social practice references; - the acquisition of skills and knowledge useful for understanding the body and how to respect and maintain its health. In this respect, it contributes in an original way to self-transformation and the development of personality as it is expressed in activities relating to the body. Since early childhood, and more particularly through physical and sports education, the student has been building fundamental motor skills: locomotion (or displacement), balance (stable postures), manipulation, projection and reception of objects. These actions, at the heart of all physical gestures, are found throughout physical, artistic and sports activities, in different forms and with different meanings. In this Cycle it is about enriching, diversifying, perfecting, combining and linking them. Obviously these actions, simple or complex, are not developed for their own sake, but through the practice of physical, artistic and sports activities which give them context and meaning: for example, jumping as high or far as possible (athletic or field activities) does not have the same meaning as jumping to create shapes or land on one’s feet (gymnastic activities).

Physical Education, by virtue of the rich sensations and emotions it brings to life, is a unique backdrop for speaking about practices (naming, expressing, communicating) without encroaching too much upon the time reserved for physical activity or for reading and writing in class about diverse texts (narrations, documents…). More specifically, it is also component of health and safety education. While meeting students’ “need to move around” and their enjoyment in being active, it gives them a sense of effort and perseverance. It is additionally an opportunity to acquire skills used in daily life. Another contribution of Physical Education involves forming better citizens, in educating children in responsibility and autonomy. It provides the opportunity to experience rules, to better understand them, to apply them and interpret them as social and moral values. Equally important is the contribution Physical Education makes in solidifying certain knowledge and abstract ideas, it facilitates the comprehension of the latter in conjunction with Science, Mathematics, History and Geography. Dance, an activity both physical and artistic, is approached in all its forms during Physical Education classes, but is also done in conjunction with artistic activities (Visual Arts, Music education...). Various teacher techniques are described in the application document.

PROGRAMThe Physical Education and Sports program builds both specific and general skills.

1 – Physical, Artistic, and Sports Activities: Specific Skills and Knowledge

The various physical, artistic and sports activities proposed in Cycle 3 are not simply the conversion of existing social practices. They must allow students to experience specific body movements, of which the intentions, sensations and emotions differ depending upon the setting and spaces in which they are practiced (uncertainty or not, interaction with others or alone). In engaging in meaningful physical activity, sports or artistic experiences, students are able to build four types of specific skills, symbolic of these bodily experiences, by realizing and combining actions of increasing complexity and variety which enrich their motor repertoire. Several examples of skills to be acquired by the end of the Cycle, arranged by activity type, are presented here. The application document gives further and more detailed explanation. 1.1 Measured Performance Activities - measured in various ways (form, strength, speed…), for example: jumping high, running fast…;

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- in varied spaces using different materials, for example: throw a heavy object some distance, run while coming across obstacles…; - using different types of skills and effort (relative speed, distance, duration), for example: swim for a substantial amount of time;- done regularly and with a given standard to attain (beat his record). Applications:- track and field activities;- swimming.Examples of Skills by End of Cycle:- track and field:. speed races: start rapidly, maintain his speed, for 8 to 9 seconds and cross the finish line without slowing down;. timed races: run at a constant speed without losing his breath for 8 to 15 minutes (depending upon individual capabilities);. long jump: with approximately a ten-pace running start, jump (in one or two bounds) as far as possible;. shot-put: run and throw a shot-put or piece of equipment (Styrofoam javelin, hoop) as far as possible, without leaving the indicated throw-zone.- swimming: swim for a given period of time (travel at least fifteen meters within swim area).1.2 Adapting Movement to Different Environments- using unusual or unfamiliar forms of movement calling for balance (climbing, rolling, sliding, slaloming, riding...);- in unstable settings, on unstable equipment or in increasingly diverse environments (flat terrain, valleys, woods, calm waters, tides, snow, bicycle, rollerblade, mountain bike, skis, kayak…); - in environments increasingly far away and uncertain (woods, forests, mountains, rivers, oceans); - requiring diverse types of effort (for example: walking for a long time, traveling fast…).Applications:- orientation or direction-finding activities;- (rock) climbing;- aquatic sports;- rolling and sliding activities (bicycling, rollerblading, skiing, ice skating);- horseback riding...Examples of Skills by End of Cycle:- (rock) climbing: complete an announced course crossing a horizontal terrain of 5 meters wide, without security harness, using different types of grips, including upside-down holds; - orientation: complete as quickly as possible a course of at least 5 cones in a star formation, using a map that provides directions.1.3 Individual or Collective Opponents - confront an adversary in oppositional dueling games; - cooperate with teammates to collectively oppose one or more adversaries in a team sport. Applications:- wrestling games;- racquet sports;- team sports.Examples of Skills by End of Cycle:- racquet sports: in a singles’ tournament, choose the appropriate return stroke or swing and master the direction of the return to play within allotted spaces and make points; - team sports: offensively (find empty spaces, receive the ball, advance, pass or shoot and score in the right direction); defensively (run to block the player with the ball, or run to take the ball from an opponent or block shots to the goal). 1.4 Create and Execute Actions of an Artistic, Esthetic or Expressive Nature- express with the body either alone or in a group: images, states of being, feelings…; - communicate feelings or emotions to others;- perform acrobatic actions calling for balance (and of a certain degree of difficulty);- freely express or follow different types of rhythms with various materials.

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Applications: - dance (in all its forms)- artistic gymnastics;- rhythmic gymnastics;- circus activities;- synchronized swimming...Examples of Skills by End of Cycle: Dance- choreograph a dance and choose its components (direction, length, precise rhythm) for up to five types of combined and sequenced movements, to express individual or group intentions, either freely chosen or imposed.

2 – General Skills and Knowledge

While they may be acquired through other scholastic disciplines, Physical Education is one of the most favorable for building the skills that embody learning and learning methods. These skills are not in and of themselves the final objective. The teacher is to assist the student in acquiring attitudes, methods and approaches conducive to learning, in activities as well as in social life.It is through an adapted pedagogy that students get to know themselves better, get to know others better, accept and control their emotions, find points of reference in their immediate environment to succeed in their actions, and better understand and apply rules and codes of conduct. The teacher will therefore establish situations allowing each student to choose his own degree of difficulty, to safely make several attempts, to start over if he fails, to reflect with others upon the best course of action, to be able to help a classmate or to be helped through advice…Thus, it is through various athletic and artistic activities in Physical Education sessions that the student will be able to demonstrate a capacity for engaging in action with lucidity (venturing to safely commit to action, choosing efficient strategies, controlling his emotions…), come up with a specific plan of action (formulating, implementing), measure and appreciate the effects of activity (interpreting various hints, putting spatial and temporal concepts into context, evaluating his own actions, his own improvements and those of others), and apply the rules of collective life. The student acquires knowledge by building skills, through the practice of various activities. This knowledge applies to the self, but is also practical knowledge as to how to become aware of and behave in a group, knowledge about activities themselves, tools used and the rules that apply.Each of the general skills can be further described in detailed, precise skills. These are presented in the application document, along with the related information and examples of possible implementation for a number of activities.

3 – Planning and Scheduling of Activities

A coherent, complete and balanced teaching of Physical Education requires precise planning and scheduling of the activities. The teaching team for the Cycle prepares the programs. A few principles must be respected in order to avoid the ill-conceived sessions.During each year of the Cycle, the four specific skills (measured performance, adaptation of motion to environment, individual or collective opponents, and activity of an artistic, aesthetic or expressive nature) are addressed.Each skill is covered through one or several activities. For example, the skill “measured performance” can be addressed with either track and field or swimming activities. Ideally, for true and permanent acquisition of skills, each unit should last 10 to 15 sessions. However, realistically, a minimum of 5 or 6 sessions per activity is required.The three weekly hours will be distributed over a minimum of two distinct days. Daily practice should occur as often as possible, providing it can be carried out in favorable conditions. It is mandatory to exercise the skill “individual and collective opponents” each year of the Cycle, with a unit that introduces team sports (traditional or non-traditional), and possibly includes wrestling or racquet games. Depending upon available facilities, swimming (12 sessions a year minimum) should be scheduled in priority for this level.General skills and knowledge can be acquired through any and all physical activity.

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Skills To Be Acquired by End of Cycle1 – SPECIFIC SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGEThe skills, the activities, and the desired results are in permanent interaction. Within each Cycle, identical aptitudes apply to different levels of motor control and to various activities. The expected level of skills acquisition is specified for several activities covered in this document (for more examples, see the application document). The child should be able, in various sporting, athletic and artistic activities, to: - Achieve a measured performance, - Adapt movements to various types of environments, - Compete individually and/or collectively, - Conceive and execute actions with an artistic, aesthetic and/or expressive purpose.2 – GENERAL SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGEExamples of applications are presented in the application document. The child should be able, in various situations, to: - Engage willfully in a given action, - Formulate a plan of action, - Measure and appreciate the effects of an activity, - Observe the rules of society.The child should have understood and retained: - That one can acquire specific knowledge in sports and physical activities (feelings, emotions, knowledge in the technical execution of specific actions…), - Diverse and accurate knowledge of various sports and physical activities to which he has been exposed.

Table of Contents for this Official Bulletin - Original French Version B.O. special edition n° 1 dated 14 February 2002

© Ministère de l'Education nationale - Ministère de la Recherche 2002 http://www.education.gouv.fr/bo/2002/hs1/cycle3.htm

Translation from French © Arlene Carré 2004

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