True Cognates
True Cognates | Des vrais amis
Cognates are words that sound and/or look the same and have the same meaning between two or more languages.
Scanning a text for cognates helps a child:
- make predictions about the topic or theme of the text
- make reading texts less overwhelming
- better understand the text
- focus on “What do I know” rather than “I can’t read French”
Ideas to Try at Home:
Word Sort:
- Write sets of cognates on cards – one with the French word and one with the English word
Have your child sort the words, then ask him/her what the word pairs have in common
Cognate Day:
- Once a week, have your child participate in a ‘cognate day’ where he/she tries to locate as many
cognates as he/she can, at home, using media (television, radio, posters, cereal boxes)