Ontario · Grade 4
Core French, Grade 4
Ontario’s Grade 4 French course, from Listening to Writing.
- Units
- 4
- Lessons
- 12
- Skills
- 32
- Provincial exam
- None
- Official curriculum
- Ontario Ministry of Education
Unit by unit
Every skill in the course, with its official code.
Unit 1 · 7 skills
Listening
Listening to Understand
Using listening strategies
I can use listening strategies to understand spoken French.
Official code: A1.1
Showing you understood
I can show I understood simple spoken French.
Official code: A1.2
Listening to Interact
Interactive listening strategies
I can listen well while I take part in a French conversation.
Official code: A2.1
Responding in short exchanges
I can respond to what others say in a short French exchange.
Official code: A2.2
Reflecting on my listening
I can reflect on how I listen and plan how to improve.
Official code: A2.3
Culture and Conventions in Listening
French-speaking communities in Ontario
I can identify French-speaking communities in Ontario and connect to their cultures.
Official code: A3.1
Noticing sociolinguistic conventions
I can notice how French greetings and courtesy change with the situation.
Official code: A3.2
The official wording · 7 outcomes
- A1.1
- identify a range of listening comprehension strategies and use them appropriately before, during, and after listening to understand oral French texts
- A1.2
- demonstrate an understanding of the purpose and meaning of oral French texts containing familiar words and expressions about everyday topics and situations, with contextual and visual support
- A2.1
- identify and use interactive listening strategies to suit a variety of situations while participating in social and academic interactions
- A2.2
- respond with understanding to what others say while participating in brief, structured interactions about themselves, family, friends, and their immediate environment
- A2.3
- describe, in conversation with the teacher and their peers, a few strategies they found helpful before, during, and after listening
- A3.1
- using information from oral French texts, identify French-speaking communities in Ontario, find out about aspects of their cultures, and make connections to personal experiences and their own and other communities
- A3.2
- using information from oral French texts, identify and demonstrate an understanding of sociolinguistic conventions used in a variety of situations in diverse French-speaking com- munities
Key ideas
Before listening, you can predict from the topic and pictures; during, you catch familiar words (bonjour, merci) and watch body language and tone; after, you check what you understood.
Good interactive listening means looking at the speaker, not interrupting, and showing you follow (a nod, or 'Oui, je comprends' - yes, I understand).
French is spoken across Ontario - Franco-Ontarian and Metis communities like Sault Ste. Marie and Mattawa have their own traditions.
You do not need every word - cognates (mots amis, look-alike words like animal, table) and context carry a lot of the meaning.
When you miss something, you can ask for help: 'Pouvez-vous repeter, s'il vous plait?' (can you repeat, please?) or 'Qu'est-ce que cela veut dire?' (what does that mean?).
Watch out for
- Thinking you must understand every French word to understand the message.
- Planning what to say next instead of actually listening to your partner.
- Believing French is only spoken in Quebec or France.
Every skill’s key ideas, worked examples and checks are in MapleMind.Practise this unit
Unit 2 · 8 skills
Speaking
Speaking to Communicate
Using speaking strategies
I can use speaking strategies to get my message across in French.
Official code: B1.1
Producing short spoken messages
I can give a short rehearsed spoken message in French.
Official code: B1.2
Speaking with fluency
I can speak short rehearsed French smoothly and clearly.
Official code: B1.3
Speaking to Interact
Speaking-interaction strategies
I can behave appropriately when speaking with others in French.
Official code: B2.1
Taking part in spoken exchanges
I can take part in a short structured French conversation.
Official code: B2.2
Reflecting on my speaking
I can reflect on how I speak French and plan how to improve.
Official code: B2.3
Culture and Conventions in Speaking
Speaking about French-speaking communities
I can speak about French-speaking communities and their culture.
Official code: B3.1
Using sociolinguistic conventions
I can use French greetings and courtesy phrases correctly when I speak.
Official code: B3.2
The official wording · 8 outcomes
- B1.1
- identify a range of speaking strategies and use them appropriately to express themselves clearly and coherently in French for various purposes and to a variety of audiences
- B1.2
- using familiar words and expressions, produce brief, rehearsed messages in French containing information and ideas about themselves, family, friends, and their immediate environment
- B1.3
- speak with a smooth pace, appropriate intonation, and accurate pronunciation in brief, rehearsed communications about personal and familiar topics
- B2.1
- demonstrate an understanding of appropriate speaking behaviour in a variety of situations
- B2.2
- engage in brief, structured spoken interactions, using familiar words and expressions, with teacher modelling and support
- B2.3
- describe, in conversation with the teacher and their peers, a few strategies they found helpful before, during, and after speaking to communicate effectively
- B3.1
- communicate information orally about French-speaking communities in Ontario, including aspects of their cultures and their contributions to la francophonie and the world
- B3.2
- identify sociolinguistic conventions associated with a variety of social situations in diverse French-speaking communities* and use them appropriately in spoken interactions
Key ideas
Reusing familiar phrases and patterns (Je voudrais..., J'aime...) lets you say a lot with a little French.
Restating a group member's idea ('Tu penses que...' - you think that...) shows you listened and keeps the exchange going.
Franco-Ontarian communities contribute to la francophonie (the French-speaking world) through music, festivals, and traditions.
Gestures, facial expression, and changes in pitch and volume help listeners understand you.
Tone, facial expression, and gestures should fit the context and audience.
Watch out for
- Freezing when you do not know a word instead of using a strategy (gesture, synonym, familiar phrase).
- Talking over others instead of taking turns.
- Thinking Franco-Ontarian culture is the same as culture in France.
Every skill’s key ideas, worked examples and checks are in MapleMind.Practise this unit
Unit 3 · 9 skills
Reading
Reading Comprehension
Using reading strategies
I can use reading strategies to understand a simple French text.
Official code: C1.1
Reading for meaning
I can understand and respond to a simple French text.
Official code: C1.2
Reading with fluency
I can read a simple French text smoothly enough to understand it.
Official code: C1.3
Developing vocabulary
I can grow my French vocabulary while I read.
Official code: C1.4
Purpose, Form, and Style
Purposes of text forms
I can identify what a French text form is for.
Official code: C2.1
Characteristics of text forms
I can spot the features that make each French text form what it is.
Official code: C2.2
Reflecting on my reading
I can reflect on how I read French and plan how to improve.
Official code: C2.3
Culture and Conventions in Reading
Reading about French-speaking communities
I can read about French-speaking communities in Ontario and connect to them.
Official code: C3.1
Conventions in French texts
I can spot sociolinguistic conventions in French texts.
Official code: C3.2
The official wording · 9 outcomes
- C1.1
- identify a few reading comprehension strategies and use them before, during, and after reading to understand texts
- C1.2
- demonstrate an understanding of French texts containing visuals and familiar names, words, and phrases, with teacher support as required
- C1.3
- read texts containing familiar words and expressions at a sufficient rate and with sufficient ease to demonstrate that they understand the overall sense of the text
- C1.4
- use a few vocabulary-acquisition strategies before, during, and after reading to determine or confirm the meaning of new and unfamiliar words
- C2.1
- identify the purpose(s) of some familiar text forms, including fictional, informational, graphic, and media forms
- C2.2
- identify some characteristics and/or stylistic elements of familiar text forms, including fictional, informational, graphic, and media forms
- C2.3
- describe, in conversation with the teacher and their peers, a few strategies they found helpful before, during, and after reading to understand texts
- C3.1
- using information from a variety of French texts, identify French- speaking communities in Ontario, find out about aspects of their cultures, and make connections to personal experiences and their own and other communities
- C3.2
- identify, in age- and grade-appropriate French texts, examples of sociolinguistic conventions associated with a variety of social situations in diverse French-speaking communities
Key ideas
Before reading, preview the cover and title and predict; during, use cognates (animal, table) and picture clues; after, check your prediction.
Each form has a job: a poem/song expresses a mood, a menu describes food, a sign gives directions, an ad persuades.
Texts describe Franco-Ontarian and Metis traditions - festivals like le Festival des voyageurs (Mattawa), games, and family customs.
Spelling patterns can link related words (an / annee / anniversaire) to unlock meaning.
Knowing the purpose helps you read a text the right way.
Watch out for
- Trying to translate every word instead of getting the gist.
- Thinking all texts have the same purpose (to inform).
- Believing French culture in Ontario is imported from France.
Every skill’s key ideas, worked examples and checks are in MapleMind.Practise this unit
Unit 4 · 8 skills
Writing
Purpose, Audience, and Form
Identifying purpose and audience
I can decide the purpose and audience for my French writing.
Official code: D1.1
Writing in different forms
I can write short French texts in different forms.
Official code: D1.2
The Writing Process
Pre-writing: gathering ideas
I can gather and organize ideas before I write in French.
Official code: D2.1
Drafting and revising
I can draft a French text and revise it to make it better.
Official code: D2.2
Producing finished work: conventions
I can use basic French writing conventions to finish my work.
Official code: D2.3
Reflecting on my writing
I can reflect on how I write French and plan how to improve.
Official code: D2.4
Culture and Conventions in Writing
Writing about French-speaking communities
I can write about French-speaking communities and their culture.
Official code: D3.1
Conventions in my writing
I can use French conventions correctly when I write.
Official code: D3.2
The official wording · 8 outcomes
- D1.1
- determine, with support from the teacher, their purpose for writing and the audience for French texts they plan to create
- D1.2
- write a variety of age- and grade-appropriate French texts, applying their knowledge of the basic structural and stylistic elements of each form
- D2.1
- generate, develop, and organize ideas for writing, using a variety of pre-writing strategies and resources
- D2.2
- plan and produce drafts following a model (e.g., email, postcard, procedure, directions to determine location), and revise their writing using a variety of strategies
- D2.3
- make improve- ments to their written work, using knowledge of a few of the conventions of written French
- D2.4
- describe, in conversation with the teacher and their peers, a few strategies they found helpful before, during, and after writing
- D3.1
- in their written work, communicate information about French- speaking communities in Ontario, including aspects of their cultures and their contributions to la francophonie and the world
- D3.2
- identify sociolinguistic conventions associated with a variety of social situations in diverse French-speaking communities* and use them appropriately in their written work
Key ideas
Purpose is WHY you write (to greet, to inform, to persuade) and audience is WHO reads it.
Pre-writing means collecting ideas first - brainstorming, using a graphic organizer, or sketching.
You can share a community's culture through captions, posters, or a short poem about a Franco-Ontarian, Aboriginal, or Metis community (Sturgeon Falls, Verner, Mattawa).
Purpose and audience shape everything - the words, the tone, and the form.
Organizing ideas up front makes drafting much easier.
Watch out for
- Starting to write with no clear reader or reason in mind.
- Jumping straight to a draft with no plan.
- Writing about France when the task is about Ontario's French communities.
Every skill’s key ideas, worked examples and checks are in MapleMind.Practise this unit
Plan the term
Pick your term and the days you study. Each unit gets its share of the weeks and comes back a week later for a review. The last two weeks go over the whole course.
The official curriculum
This page follows Ontario’s own curriculum for Core French, Grade 4.
Textbooks
The textbooks Ontario Ministry of Education lists for Core French, Grade 4:
- Histoires en action! Steps 1 and 2 Grade Four
- Échos Pro 1 Complete Student Pack
- C'est parti! 1
- Club mystère Level 1
From the Trillium List, read October 27, 2026. ontario.ca
Study it in MapleMind
MapleMind teaches Core French, Grade 4 one skill at a time. Each skill gets a short lesson, practice as you go and a check worth up to three stars. It remembers where you stopped.
Course Companion
Your year in one workbook
A fun way to keep Core French, Grade 4 organized, get to know your child better and see early when they need a hand. Fill it in on a screen, or print it.
- Pages
- 31
- Fillable fields
- 1,447
- Price
- $4.99
Questions about Core French, Grade 4
What is Core French, Grade 4?
Ontario’s Grade 4 French course: 4 units and 32 skills, from Listening to Writing.
What units are in Core French, Grade 4?
1. Listening, 2. Speaking, 3. Reading and 4. Writing.
Is there a provincial exam for Core French, Grade 4?
No. Ontario gives no provincial exam for Core French, Grade 4.
What textbook does Core French, Grade 4 use?
The textbooks Ontario Ministry of Education lists for Core French, Grade 4: Histoires en action! Steps 1 and 2 Grade Four, AIM Language Learning, Échos Pro 1 Complete Student Pack, Pearson Education Canada, C'est parti! 1, CEC Publishing Inc. and Club mystère Level 1, R.K. Publishing.
What comes after Core French, Grade 4?
Core French, Grade 5.
Can MapleMind help with Core French, Grade 4?
Yes. MapleMind teaches every skill of Core French, Grade 4, step by step, with practice and checks, and its tutor answers questions about any of them. It’s free with daily limits, on iPhone, Android and the web.
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