Non-fiction Picture Books - Flipbook - Page 5
Non-Fiction Picture Books: A curated list and ideas to support the learning and teaching of modern foreign languages in the primary classroom
Ideas for the classroom
❯ Start by selecting picture books on topics
that are familiar to children. Ask very
short and simple questions in the L3,
while supporting children’s
comprehension through pointing,
gesture and facial expression. Children
will recognise and apply existing
knowledge, strategies and skills learned
in their L1 and L2 to assist understanding
and communication in the L3.
❯ Use picture books as a stimulus for
building children’s awareness of
languages and cultures. Children can
explore words, sounds, names, images,
places, cultural references and visual
features in the books, and explore
similarities and diferences between
English, Irish, the L3 and other languages
represented in the classroom.
❯ Provide opportunities for children to
draw on their existing language
knowledge, including English, Irish, the
L3, home languages and other languages
known to the children, to discuss the
themes from the picture books, to
compare and contrast the features and
components of diferent languages,
noticing patterns where they exist, to
help make connections.
❯ Facilitate flexible access to language by
ofering multiple ways for children to
understand and respond, including oral,
visual and supported interaction. Use
concrete objects, props or other scafolds
linked to the picture book to support
children in identifying the most useful
and personally efective ways of learning
languages.
❯ Create a section on the classroom library
for non-fi tion books in English, Irish, the
L3 and the languages represented in the
classroom, as well as other languages
children are interested in.
❯ Provide opportunities for children to
❯ Some of the books on these lists explore
daily life, environments, traditions, places,
routines, social conventions and
perspectives from diferent cultures.
These books can serve as a resource to
develop children’s awareness and
appreciation of their own culture, and the
cultures and traditions within the
classroom and the wider world.
browse and revisit the picture books
independently.
❯ Use the Teacher
Language Learning
Record to refle t on
aspects of a book that
can support children
in the achievement of
learning outcomes.
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