Elementary School

Students at The Cooper School take both French and Spanish during their time in elementary school. Kindergarten through 3rd Grade take Spanish and 4th Graders take French. Elementary students are introduced to conversational Spanish and French through song, dramatic role-play and simple texts. In addition, students are introduced to cultural practices in countries that speak French and Spanish. Students in upper grades begin to read, write and converse. All students engage in language studies as part of their social studies curriculum. During these studies, students consider the variations in written language past and present of various peoples.

Middle School

Middle School students will have 2 classes per week to develop communication skills in French and to make comparisons and connections to French-speaking cultures with the goal of encouraging understanding and acceptance of differences. Life in French-speaking countries will be examined and correct pronunciation and writing will receive emphasis. Students learn to express and understand receptively ideas on topics such as common conversational phrases, vocabulary using numbers, calendar and weather, descriptions and likes and dislikes.