View a free sample of this approach:

Salut (French) – Structured Vocabulary Support (Free Sample)

A structured vocabulary resource designed to support learners who find French vocabulary harder to retain when words are taught as isolated items to memorise. This resource focuses on the common French adjective ‘méchant’, explaining how its meaning developed and how it is used in modern French.

Rather than relying on simple English translation, this resource shows how ‘méchant’ developed from earlier meanings connected to misfortune and harm, and how its meaning gradually shifted over time. This helps learners understand why ‘méchant’ does not map neatly onto a single English equivalent such as ‘mean’ or ‘nasty’, and how it functions in present-day French.

Historical information is included only where it clarifies meaning. Learners are not expected to remember dates, language stages, or historical terminology. The resource does not ask learners to memorise explanations or retell the history. History functions purely as a support for understanding how the word works today.

This resource was designed with dyslexic and neurodivergent learners in mind, particularly those who benefit from explicit structure, reduced verbal load, and visual anchoring. It supports recognition, confidence, and longer-term vocabulary retention when learners encounter méchant again in lessons or reading. It does not replace teaching, practice, or repetition, but helps make repeated exposure more effective over time.

The approach is grounded in evidence-based literacy practice and structured language explanation. Meaning is prioritised first, with historical context used only where it makes the word more logical and easier to retain.

What’s included

• A clear visual explanation of how ‘méchant’ developed and what it means in modern French

• Explicit clarification of how ‘méchant’ differs from simple English translations

• Simple black-and-white illustrations designed to anchor meaning and reduce verbal explanation

• Support for understanding semantic change without requiring memorisation of history

How to use

Best used in short sessions (5–10 minutes), revisited over time. Start with what ‘méchant’ means today, then use the images to support discussion. An adult guides use and decides when to stop. This resource supports classroom learning, tutoring, and home education, but does not replace teaching or practice.

Who it’s for

• Dyslexic learners studying French

• KS3–KS4 pupils who struggle with vocabulary retention

• Parents, tutors, and intervention teachers

• Learners who benefit from explicit, structured language explanation

Format

• Printable PDF

• Black-and-white printing fully supported

• Laminating optional

© Great Expectations Education

For personal use in home education and tutoring only.

View a free sample of this approach:

Salut (French) – Structured Vocabulary Support (Free Sample)

View a free sample of this approach:

Salut (French) – Structured Vocabulary Support (Free Sample)

A structured vocabulary resource designed to support learners who find French vocabulary harder to retain when words are taught as isolated items to memorise. This resource focuses on the common French adjective ennuyeux, explaining how its meaning developed and why it is used to describe boredom in modern French.

Rather than relying on simple translation, this resource shows how ennuyeux developed from earlier meanings connected to irritation and emotional burden, and how its meaning gradually shifted over time. This helps learners understand why ennuyeux does not map neatly onto English equivalents such as boring or annoying, and how it functions in present-day French.

Historical information is included only where it clarifies meaning. Learners are not expected to remember dates, language stages, or historical terminology. The resource does not ask learners to memorise explanations or retell the history. History functions purely as a support for understanding how the word works today.

This resource was designed with dyslexic and neurodivergent learners in mind, particularly those who benefit from explicit structure, reduced verbal load, and visual anchoring. It supports recognition, confidence, and longer-term vocabulary retention when learners encounter ennuyeux again in lessons or reading. It does not replace teaching, practice, or repetition, but helps make repeated exposure more effective over time.

The approach is grounded in evidence-based literacy practice and structured language explanation. Meaning is prioritised first, with historical context used only where it makes the word more logical and easier to retain.

What’s included

• A clear visual explanation of how ennuyeux developed and what it means in modern French

• Explicit clarification of how ennuyeux differs from simple English translations

• Simple black-and-white illustrations designed to anchor meaning and reduce verbal explanation

• Support for understanding semantic change without requiring memorisation of history

How to use

Best used in short sessions (5–10 minutes), revisited over time. Start with what ennuyeux means today, then use the images to support discussion. An adult guides use and decides when to stop. This resource supports classroom learning, tutoring, and home education, but does not replace teaching or practice.

Who it’s for

• Dyslexic learners studying French

• KS3–KS4 pupils who struggle with vocabulary retention

• Parents, tutors, and intervention teachers

• Learners who benefit from explicit, structured language explanation

Format

• Printable PDF

• Black-and-white printing fully supported

• Laminating optional

© Great Expectations Education

For personal use in home education and tutoring only.

View a free sample of this approach:

Salut (French) – Structured Vocabulary Support (Free Sample)

A structured vocabulary resource designed to support learners who find French vocabulary harder to retain when words are taught as isolated items to memorise. This resource focuses on the common French adjective moderne, explaining what it means, where it comes from, and how it is used to contrast the present with what came before.

Rather than treating moderne as a simple synonym for ‘new’, this resource shows how the word developed from Latin forms meaning ‘just now’ and ‘belonging to the present time’. Over centuries, moderne came to describe people, ideas, buildings, art, and ways of living that belong to the present age, often explicitly contrasted with earlier periods. This helps learners understand that moderne is about time and perspective, not novelty alone.

Historical information is included only where it clarifies meaning. Learners are not expected to remember dates, historical periods, or language stages. The resource does not ask learners to memorise explanations or retell the history. History functions as a support for understanding how the word operates in modern French, not as content in its own right.

This resource was designed with dyslexic and neurodivergent learners in mind, particularly those who benefit from explicit structure, reduced verbal load, and visual anchoring. It supports recognition, confidence, and longer-term vocabulary retention when learners encounter moderne again in lessons or reading. It does not replace teaching, practice, or repetition, but helps make repeated exposure more effective over time.

The approach is grounded in evidence-based literacy practice and structured language explanation. Meaning is prioritised first, with historical context used only where it makes the word more logical and easier to retain.

What’s included?

• A clear visual timeline showing how moderne developed from Latin into Modern French

• Explicit explanation of how moderne contrasts the present with earlier periods

• Simple black-and-white illustrations designed to anchor meaning and reduce verbal explanation

• Support for understanding moderne as a time-based adjective rather than a translation shortcut

How to use

Best used in short sessions (5–10 minutes), revisited over time. Start with what moderne means today, then use the images to support discussion. An adult guides use and decides when to stop. This resource supports classroom learning, tutoring, and home education, but does not replace teaching or practice.

Who it’s for?

• Dyslexic learners studying French

• KS3–KS4 pupils who struggle with vocabulary retention

• Parents, tutors, and intervention teachers

• Learners who benefit from explicit, structured language explanation

Format

Printable PDF

Black-and-white printing fully supported

Laminating optional

© Great Expectations Education

For personal use in home education and tutoring only.

Free downloadable sample resource

This resource introduces the French word salut using a structured, meaning-first approach designed to support vocabulary understanding and retention. It is offered as a free sample so that parents and tutors can see exactly how the approach works before choosing other French resources in the range.

Rather than asking learners to memorise isolated words, this resource explains where a word comes from and how its meaning has developed over time. This can help vocabulary feel more logical and connected, particularly for learners who struggle with rote memorisation. Historical information is used only to explain meaning and is not content to be learned or recalled.

This resource is a complete item in its own right and also a representative example of the design principles used across the wider French structured vocabulary collection.

What’s included

• A clear, visual timeline showing how salut developed from Latin to Modern French

• Simple illustrations to anchor meaning and reduce verbal explanation

• Links to related English forms where helpful

• Guidance designed to support recognition, understanding, and confidence

How to use

Best used in short sessions (around 5–10 minutes), revisited over time. An adult guides discussion and decides when to stop. This resource supports learning but does not replace teaching or practice.

It should not be used to teach ahead of school, to test a child, or to require memorisation of explanations or history. Turning the content into a quiz or recall task is likely to reduce its effectiveness.

Who it’s for

• Dyslexic learners studying French

• Secondary-age learners who find vocabulary retention difficult

• Parents, tutors, and intervention teachers supporting French learning

• Learners who benefit from explicit, structured language explanation

What this resource is not

• Not a self-teaching programme

• Not a replacement for French lessons or tutoring

• Not designed for unsupervised independent study

• Not intended for testing, quizzing, or memorisation

What success looks like

Success at this stage means recognising the word when it appears again, understanding that words can change meaning over time, and feeling more confident around vocabulary. Understanding word history supports recognition and understanding, but it does not automatically improve spelling or writing accuracy.

Format

• Printable PDF

• Black-and-white printing supported

• Laminating optional

Why this resource is free

This item is provided as a free sample so you can see the structure, tone, and boundaries of the wider French structured vocabulary range before choosing other resources.

View a free sample of this approach:

Salut (French) – Structured Vocabulary Support (Free Sample)

A structured vocabulary resource designed to support learners who find French vocabulary harder to retain when words are taught as isolated items to memorise. This resource focuses on the common French adjective neuf, explaining how its meaning of ‘new’ developed and why it does not always behave in the same way as the English word new.

Rather than relying on simple translation, this resource shows how neuf developed from earlier ideas of freshness, recentness, and renewal, and how its meaning has remained closely tied to condition rather than age. This helps learners understand why neuf is used for something newly made or unused, while other French words may be used to describe something recent or young.

Historical information is included only where it clarifies meaning. Learners are not expected to remember dates, language stages, or historical terminology. The resource does not ask learners to memorise explanations or retell the history. History functions purely as a support for understanding how the word works today.

This resource was designed with dyslexic and neurodivergent learners in mind, particularly those who benefit from explicit structure, reduced verbal load, and visual anchoring. It supports recognition, confidence, and longer-term vocabulary retention when learners encounter neuf again in lessons or reading. It does not replace teaching, practice, or repetition, but helps make repeated exposure more effective over time.

The approach is grounded in evidence-based literacy practice and structured language explanation. Meaning is prioritised first, with historical context used only where it makes the word more logical and easier to retain.

What’s included

• A clear visual explanation of how neuf developed and what it means in modern French

• Explicit clarification of how neuf differs from English new in everyday use

• Simple black-and-white illustrations designed to anchor meaning and reduce verbal explanation

• Support for understanding condition-based meaning rather than relying on translation alone

How to use

Best used in short sessions (5–10 minutes), revisited over time. Start with what neuf means today, then use the images to support discussion. An adult guides use and decides when to stop. This resource supports classroom learning, tutoring, and home education, but does not replace teaching or practice.

Who it’s for

• Dyslexic learners studying French

• KS3–KS4 pupils who struggle with vocabulary retention

• Parents, tutors, and intervention teachers

• Learners who benefit from explicit, structured language explanation

Format

• Printable PDF

• Black-and-white printing fully supported

• Laminating optional

© Great Expectations Education

For personal use in home education and tutoring only.

View a free sample of this approach:

Salut (French) – Structured Vocabulary Support (Free Sample)

A structured vocabulary resource designed to support learners who find French vocabulary harder to retain when words are taught as isolated items to memorise. This resource focuses on the high-frequency French word bâtiment, explaining how its meaning developed from the idea of building or constructing into the modern sense of a building or structure.

Rather than focusing on definition alone, this resource shows how bâtiment is built from an earlier verb meaning ‘to build’ and how the noun ending transforms an action into the thing that results from it. This helps learners understand why the word means what it does today, rather than relying on recall alone.

Historical information is included only to clarify meaning. Learners are not expected to remember dates, language stages, or historical terminology. The resource does not ask learners to retell the history or memorise explanations. History functions as a support for understanding, not as an outcome in itself.

This resource was designed with dyslexic and neurodivergent learners in mind, particularly those who benefit from explicit structure, reduced verbal load, and visual anchoring. It supports recognition, confidence, and longer-term vocabulary retention when learners encounter the word again in lessons or reading. It does not replace teaching, practice, or repetition, but can make repeated exposure more effective over time.

The approach is grounded in evidence-based literacy practice and structured language explanation. Meaning is prioritised first, with historical context used only where it makes the word more logical and easier to retain.

What’s included

• A clear visual timeline showing how bâtiment developed from early building verbs into a modern noun

• Explicit explanation of how the action of building became the name for the thing built

• Simple black-and-white illustrations designed to anchor meaning and reduce verbal explanation

• Links to related words and meanings that help learners see patterns rather than isolated facts

How to use

Best used in short sessions (5–10 minutes), revisited over time. Start with what bâtiment means in modern French, then use the images to support discussion. An adult guides use and decides when to stop. This resource supports classroom learning, tutoring, and home education, but does not replace teaching or practice.

Who it’s for

• Dyslexic learners studying French

• KS3–KS4 pupils who struggle with vocabulary retention

• Parents, tutors, and intervention teachers

• Learners who benefit from explicit, structured language explanation

Format

• Printable PDF

• Black-and-white printing fully supported

• Laminating optional

© Great Expectations Education

For personal use in home education and tutoring only.

View a free sample of this approach:

Salut (French) – Structured Vocabulary Support (Free Sample)

A structured vocabulary resource designed to support learners who find French vocabulary harder to retain when words are taught as isolated items to memorise. This resource focuses on the high-frequency French word maison, showing how its meaning developed over time and how it connects to related forms in English, including mansion.

Rather than relying on definition-only teaching, this resource makes meaning more stable by showing how maison grew from earlier ideas of staying, dwelling, and household. Historical information is used as an explanatory tool to support understanding, not as content to be learned or recalled. Learners are not expected to remember dates, language stages, or historical detail.

This resource was designed with dyslexic and neurodivergent learners in mind, particularly those who benefit from explicit structure, reduced verbal load, and visual anchoring. It supports recognition, confidence, and sense-making around vocabulary encountered in lessons or reading. It does not replace practice, repetition, or formal teaching, but can make repeated exposure more effective over time.

The approach is grounded in evidence-based literacy practice and structured language explanation. Meaning is prioritised first, with history used only where it clarifies why the word behaves as it does.

What’s included

• A clear visual timeline showing how maison developed from Latin to Modern French

• Parallel reference to the English word mansion to highlight shared origins and semantic change

• Simple black-and-white illustrations designed to anchor meaning and reduce verbal explanation

• Guidance on how meanings broadened or narrowed over time without requiring memorisation

How to use

Best used in short sessions (5–10 minutes), revisited over time. Begin with the modern meaning, use the images to support discussion, and stop before cognitive load increases. An adult guides use and decides when to pause. This resource supports classroom learning and home education but does not replace teaching or practice.

Who it’s for

• Dyslexic learners studying French

• KS3–KS4 pupils who struggle with vocabulary retention

• Parents, tutors, and intervention teachers

• Learners who benefit from explicit, structured language explanation

Format

• Printable PDF

• Black-and-white printing fully supported

• Laminating optional

© Great Expectations Education

For personal use in home education and tutoring only.

View a free sample of this approach:

Salut (French) – Structured Vocabulary Support (Free Sample)

A structured resource designed to support dyslexic learners who find French vocabulary hard to retain when words are taught as isolated items to memorise.

Rather than focusing on definitions alone, this resource shows how the word ancien is built, where it comes from, and how its meaning has developed over time in French — with links to English where this supports understanding. By making structure and meaning visible, the resource helps learners approach vocabulary with greater confidence and less reliance on rote memorisation.

The historical information is included to explain meaning, not as content to be learned or memorised. Learners are not expected to remember dates, terminology, or stages of language history.

This approach is grounded in evidence-based literacy practice and was originally developed for my own dyslexic son to support his experience of learning French in school. It has been refined through real use, focusing on what reduces cognitive load and helps words “stick” over time.

What’s included

• A clear visual timeline showing how ancien developed from Latin to Modern French

• Simple illustrations to anchor meaning and reduce verbal explanation

• Links to related English forms where helpful

• Guidance designed to support recognition, understanding, and confidence

How to use

Best used in short sessions (5–10 minutes), revisited over time. An adult guides discussion and decides when to stop. This resource supports classroom learning but does not replace teaching or practice.

Who it’s for

• Dyslexic learners studying French

• KS3–KS4 pupils who struggle with vocabulary retention

• Parents, tutors, and intervention teachers

• Learners who benefit from explicit, structured language explanation

Format

Printable PDF

Black-and-white printing supported

Laminating optional

© Great Expectations Education

For personal use in home education and tutoring only.