icon-background-square
New
New
Year 3

Christmas: practice with key sounds

Learning outcomes

I can use my phonics knowledge to join in with a Christmas song.

I can read and pronounce key sounds (silent final consonants, vowel sounds, [an/en] and [eu]).

icon-background-square
New
New
Year 3

Christmas: practice with key sounds

Learning outcomes

I can use my phonics knowledge to join in with a Christmas song.

I can read and pronounce key sounds (silent final consonants, vowel sounds, [an/en] and [eu]).

warning

These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

Switch to our new teaching resources now - designed by teachers and leading subject experts, and tested in classrooms.

Lesson details

Vocabulary and transcripts for this lessons

Key learning points

  1. Silent final consonants, vowels and combinations [an/en] and [eu] are very common French sounds.
  2. Practising key sounds by joining in with songs and rhymes helps embed the knowledge.

Keywords

  • [a], [e], [i], [o], [u] - French vowel sounds

  • [an/en] - pronounced as in 'enfant'

  • [eu] - pronounced as in 'jeudi

  • SFC (Silent Final Consonat) - silent letter (d, s, t, x) at the end of a word

  • Être - French verb meaning 'to be, being'

Common misconception

Consonants at the end of words are pronounced in French.

Often, consonants are silent at the end of words in French, such as the letters d, s, t and x. These are called SFCs (silent final consonants).


To help you plan your year 3 french lesson on: Christmas: practice with key sounds, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

You may wish to research more French Christmas traditions with your class and to do a compare and contrast activity which compares a French and a UK Christmas.
speech-bubble
Teacher tip
equipment-required

Equipment

copyright

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

Loading...

Some of our videos, including non-English language videos, do not have captions.

6 Questions

Q1.
Select the words with the French vowel sounds [a], [e] and [i].
Correct answer: triste
content
Correct answer: madame
Correct answer: petit
bonjour
Q2.
Select the words with the vowel sounds [o] and [u].
parle
Correct answer: moto
absent
Correct answer: salut
écris
Q3.
What sounds are there in the word 'miraculeux'?
Correct answer: [a]
Correct answer: [i]
[e]
Correct answer: [eu]
Correct answer: [u]
Q4.
Select the words with an SFC (silent final consonant).
Correct answer: anglais
Correct answer: intelligent
Correct answer: grand
cheval
Correct answer: deux
Q5.
What is 'c'est' in English?
Correct Answer: it is, 'it is'
Q6.
Translate the following sentence into French: 'She is happy.'
Correct Answer: Elle est heureuse., Elle est heureuse, 'Elle est heureuse.', 'Elle est heureuse'

6 Questions

Q1.
Match the French words below to the correct English translations.
Correct Answer:Papa Noël,Father Christmas
tick

Father Christmas

Correct Answer:sapin,Christmas tree
tick

Christmas tree

Correct Answer:peluche,teddy
tick

teddy

Correct Answer:cheminée,fireplace
tick

fireplace

Correct Answer:biscuit,biscuit
tick

biscuit

Correct Answer:miracle,miracle
tick

miracle

Q2.
Choose the correct meaning of the image pictured.
An image in a quiz
Joyeux Noël
Chant de Noël
Correct answer: Bûche de Noël
Papa Noël
Q3.
Match the French words below to the correct English translations.
Correct Answer:chocolat,chocolate
tick

chocolate

Correct Answer:cloche,bell
tick

bell

Correct Answer:pull,jumper
tick

jumper

Correct Answer:ange,angel
tick

angel

Correct Answer:jeu,game
tick

game

Correct Answer:feu,fire
tick

fire

Q4.
Children open their presents on __________ in France.
Correct answer: Christmas Eve
Christmas Day
Boxing Day
New Year's Eve
Q5.
How do you say 'Christmas Eve' in French?
Correct answer: le Réveillon
cadeau
Papa Noël
Chant de Noël
Q6.
How do you say 'Merry Christmas' in French?
Correct Answer: Joyeux Noël, 'Joyeux Noël'

Additional material

Download additional material