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      Lesson details

      Learning outcome

      I can read and understand a story with mostly familiar and individual unfamiliar words.

      Vocabulary and transcripts for this lessons

      Key learning points

      1. The sound-symbol correspondence [u] sounds like the 'u' in 'tu' which means 'you'.
      2. The sound-symbol correspondence [ou] sounds like the 'ou' in 'nous' which means 'we'.
      3. These two SSCs sound similar but they are different, so it is important to practise their pronunciation.
      4. Reading a French story may seem challenging; focus first on all the words you know, using these to work out other words.

      Keywords

      • [u] - pronounced as in 'tu', meaning you.

      • [ou] - pronounced as in 'nous', meaning we.

      Common misconception

      I have to know every word in a story in order to understand it.

      To understand a story which contains a few unfamiliar words, you can use the surrounding words that you do know to work out the probable meanings of unfamiliar words. There may be other visual cues as well.

      Teacher tip

      The SSCs [u] and [ou] are tricky to pronounce. Don't hesitate to (over)exaggerate both, maybe sticking your chin out for [u] and pouting for [ou]. Children will enjoy trying out these sounds with facial gestures!

      Licence

      This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2026), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0
      except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions
      (Collection 2).

      Lesson video

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      Prior knowledge starter quiz

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      Tick the words which contain the SSC [u].

      Correct answer: suis
      Correct answer: salut
      bouche
      faux
      cadeau

      Q2.
      Match the English to the French.

      Correct Answer:Monday,lundi
      Correct Answer:Tuesday,mardi
      Correct Answer:Wednesday,mercredi
      Correct Answer:Thursday,jeudi
      Correct Answer:Friday,vendredi
      Correct Answer:Saturday,samedi

      Q3.
      Match the singular forms of 'avoir' to the English.

      Correct Answer:j'ai,I have
      Correct Answer:tu as,you have
      Correct Answer:il a,he has
      Correct Answer:elle a,she has

      Q4.
      What does 'aujourd'hui c'est' mean?

      today
      it is
      Correct answer: today it is

      Q5.
      Fill in the missing pronoun. 'C'est lundi aujourd'hui. as un cahier et un stylo ?'

      Correct Answer: Tu, TU

      Q6.
      Match the present with the name. 'Un chat pour moi, un chien pour toi, un gâteau pour Beau, un livre pour Geneviève, un crayon pour Léon et une gomme pour Guillaume.'

      Correct Answer:a cat,for me
      Correct Answer:a dog,for you
      Correct Answer:a cake ,for Beau
      Correct Answer:a book,for Genevieve
      Correct Answer:a pencil,for Léon
      Correct Answer:a rubber,for Guillaume

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      True or false? The SSCs [u] and [ou] sound the same.

      Correct Answer: False, FALSE

      Q2.
      Read this sentence aloud: 'Un univers est amusant.' How many times do you hear the SSC [u]?

      once
      twice
      Correct answer: three times
      four times

      Q3.
      Which of the following words contain the SSC [ou]?

      Correct answer: bonjour
      salut
      Correct answer: douze
      uniforme
      tortue

      Q4.
      What does 'chaque jour' mean?

      Correct answer: every day
      one day
      today

      Q5.
      Match the English to the French.

      Correct Answer:Aujourd'hui c'est lundi.,Today it's Monday.
      Correct Answer:C'est mercredi ?,Is it Wednesday?
      Correct Answer:Aujourd'hui c'est mercredi.,Today it's Wednesday.
      Correct Answer:Aujourd'hui c'est jeudi.,Today it's Thursday.
      Correct Answer:C'est vendredi.,It's Friday.
      Correct Answer:Aujourd'hui c'est samedi ?,Is it Saturday today?

      Q6.
      Understanding a story in French can seem difficult at first so it's a good idea to use the as clues to help you de-code unfamiliar words.

      Correct Answer: pictures, PICTURES, IMAGES, images, illustrations

      To help you plan your 3 French lesson on: Story: Lulu, la tortue, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...