What kinds of schools are there for young children in France? Find out by reading the information below. Play the audio for new vocabulary words and practice saying each one aloud as you go.
La crèche: “Preschool”
La crèche
is the equivalent of “day care” in the United States. It is not required, and parents can leave their kids at la crèche during the day from a few months old to three years old. In English, la crèche means “cradle” (for a baby).
La maternelle: “Kindergarten”
La maternelle
is similar to “kindergarten” in the US. This is for children ages 3-5, and here they start learning how to read and write. There are three levels in la maternelle:
| la petite section | |
| la moyenne section | |
| la grande section |
Children in kindergarten and elementary school call their teachers maître (male teacher) or maîtresse (female teacher) , or they use their last names with the titles Monsieur (Mr.) , Madame (Mrs.) , or Mademoiselle (Miss) . Attending la crèche and la maternelle is optional. Parents can choose to enroll their children in these programs, and most children attend two or three years of la maternelle.
Think you’ve got this vocabulary? Match the French terms you just learned with their English equivalents.
Did you get those right? Excellent!
In France, all schools start around the same day. That day is called la rentrée or “back to school day.”
Before we move on to the next level in the French educational system, let’s take a look at how to address teachers and other adults.
