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FRENCH FOR KIDS: LES SAISONS (THE SEASONS)

French for Kids: Les Saisons (The Seasons) is a fun, colorful DVD language course from Whistlefritz that is perfect for helping your kids learn French.

Les Saisons follows Fritzi, a cute and cheery mouse who attends a birthday party and then wonders when his own birthday is. His friend Marie helps guide him through the year and tells him all the special traits of winter, spring, summer and fall so he can figure it out. I had fun joining Marie and Fritzi in a well-paced lesson and jovial sing-a-long about the seasons - all in French.

The entire program runs 35 minutes and, while it's about the seasons, it also covers vocabulary on saying "hi," saying your name and other basic phrases as well as special vocabulary about holidays. This program really helps children understand by repeating words over and over and singing about the words to make it fun. The teacher Marie pronounces everything very slowly and clearly. A group of kids also repeat key words and contribute to a better understanding of what is going on onscreen. This DVD mixes animation and live action together successfully to make sure kids can follow the pronunciation but also have fun with its cast of animated characters. The lesson also includes footage of kids doing several pastimes related to the season being discussed which keeps things interesting. For instance, when they talk about fall, they shows kids jumping into piles of leaves.

This DVD has a special features video that explains Whistlefritz's inventive philosophy about immersion and what exactly learning by immersion means. I recommend you watch that before showing kids the DVD.

I give French for Kids: Les Saisons an age recommendation of 2 to 8. There is nothing objectionable about this DVD, but I think it is most comprehensible for children at least 2-years-old. I'm not a parent, so that's your call. The DVD's length and cheerful atmosphere should keep your child's attention. I give French for Kids: Les Saisons 4 out of 5 stars. This is an excellent resource for your child to begin to learn some basic French. This DVD is available on Amazon and other places where DVDs are sold. Do check out some of the other titles from its producer, Whistlefritz while you're at it.

Reviewed by Benjamin P., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 11

I love this fun filled DVD that teaches kids how to read and speak French while learning about the seasons. I like how they mix learning with something that I had a wonderful time watching. I found myself dancing, singing and laughing the whole time.

This DVD is full of colorful animation and adorable videos of children swimming, having snowball fights, jumping into leaf piles and enjoying all the seasons. It is the perfect blend of animation, live action and music that will have any child laughing, dancing and learning. The live action videos show what the weather is like and how to find entertainment that each season offers. While these videos play, they have a song in French describing that season and activities the children are doing.

The unique characters will have you laughing and smiling throughout the entire DVD. The characters are a mouse, cat, dog and Marie. Marie teaches the correct pronunciation of words through her storytelling. The video also includes children who speak French which adds a bit of cuteness to the video and shows kids that it's easy for other kids to learn to speak French too.

I love the way they teach French by immersion. It is very different but kept me interested. I delight in the fact that the entire video is in French. I have never seen this use of immersion in learning a language before and I really appreciate that in this DVD.

I recommend this program for ages 2 to 7. Kids will love the storyline, characters and animation in this DVD. The videos will encourage them to try something new, get up and exercise. Older kids might think it is a bit too childish and might not like it as much as the younger ones do. I give this DVD 4 out of 5 French fantastic stars. If you want to learn French and have fun at the same time, then this is the perfect DVD for you. Bonne chance and au revoir. The DVD is available in stores and online now so, go check it out! You'll be glad you did.

Reviewed by Morgan B., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 12

Young children will love French for Kids: Les Saisons and parents will love that they thought to purchase it for them! French for Kids: Les Saisons by Whistlefritz is one of a series of total immersion French instruction videos for children, aged appropriately for viewers 1 to 7 years of age.

The 35-minute lesson is fast paced, kid-focused instruction, that doesn't feel like instruction at all. The teacher, Marie Laure, is engaging, welcoming and animated in her delivery. Marie uses animated backgrounds, props and body language to demonstrate the meanings of words.

French for Kids: Les Saisons has return animated characters Fritzi, the mouse and Rito the fox planning a birthday celebration for Fritzi. Catchy, yet parent-friendly songs are interspersed throughout the stories to further help explain the concepts and add visual and auditory interest. The curriculum is reinforced with print words of key concepts (French only), bright colors, animation and cute videos of kids from diverse races playing in the different seasons - summer in the pool, autumn at a pumpkin farm and trick or treating.

Total immersion instruction means that there is no other language presented other than the one you are wanting to teach. This approach leaves learners relying on their other senses, besides auditory, to determine the meaning of words. Total immersion typically incorporates different learning strategies including visual, auditory and kinesthetic through a variety of multimedia approaches. The lack of English on this DVD was more distracting to me as an adult, than my daughter, who readily embraced the French only instruction. The literature says that there are English subtitles, which this reviewer was not able to locate. Thankfully, a parent/teacher translation guide is included which lists the English translation of the songs as well as key concepts of the lessons.

The Whistlefritz educator's French collection is highlighted on homeschool.com's Top 100 Educational Websites of 2016 as the perfect companion for parents who are homeschooling their young children. I give this 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 2 to 5. French for Kids: Les Saisons is available now wherever DVDs are sold so, go check it out. Reviewed by Ruth A.,KIDS FIRST! Adult Juror.

From l'hiver (winter) to l'automne (autumn), it's a year-round language-learning celebration! This lively French immersion video engages children with colorful backgrounds, animation, catchy songs, live-action footage, and lots of fun!