If you’ve heard about Son-au-graphe or UFLI but aren’t quite sure how to use them in your classroom or at home — this guide is for you. In this post, we walk through everything you need to know to get started with Son-au-graphe French phonics lessons, based on our most-watched video tutorial.
What Is Son-au-graphe?
Son-au-graphe is a structured literacy program specifically designed for French Immersion and Core French classrooms. It was adapted from the UFLI (University of Florida Literacy Institute) Foundations program — an evidence-based, explicit, and systematic phonics curriculum — with permissions from the University of Florida by educators at a Greater Essex County District School Board.
While UFLI is designed for English classrooms, Son-au-graphe mirrors its structured approach but targets the unique phonics patterns of the French language. If you’re teaching French reading and writing, this is one of the most powerful, research-backed tools available.
What Is UFLI and Why Does It Matter?
UFLI (University of Florida Literacy Institute) is an evidence-based phonics program that is:
- Explicit — each sound and concept is taught directly
- Systematic — skills build on each other in a logical sequence
- Structured — lessons follow a predictable routine that students can rely on
Each UFLI lesson reviews previously learned skills and introduces one new concept. Son-au-graphe follows this exact same logic but for French — making it ideal for any French Immersion or Core French educator.
Where to Find Son-au-graphe Files
All Son-au-graphe resources are freely available through the Greater Essex County District School Board. Here’s how to access them:
- Go to publicboard.ca
- Click on Programs and Learning
- Select French as a Second Language
- Scroll to the bottom and click View Teaching Resources
- Click on Son-au-graphe
There you’ll find all the lesson plans, PowerPoint presentations, decodable texts, and assessment tools.
Understanding the Son-au-graphe Files
Once inside the Son-au-graphe folder, you’ll find many files. Here’s what each one does:
Le Guide (The Main Guide)
This is your master document — currently containing 75 lessons. After the table of contents, you’ll find:
- The recommended lesson order
- A pronunciation guide for all French sounds
- A detailed lesson plan for each sound
The PowerPoint Presentations
Each lesson has its own PowerPoint. The slides are organized in folders. When you open a lesson’s presentation, the thumbnails on the left show you the steps to follow. Always click “Present” for full-screen mode — this is important for classroom delivery.
Le Tableau de Fusion (Blending Board)
This is a digital blending board that lets you manipulate sounds within words. You’ll need to exit the PowerPoint to use it. Some teachers prefer to simply write words on a whiteboard marker instead.
Decodable Texts
Each lesson comes with decodable reading texts that also appear in the PowerPoint. Teachers may choose to print these for reading comprehension activities at the end of the lesson.
What Materials Do Students Need?
Son-au-graphe is designed to be low-cost and practical. Each student should have:
- A dry-erase surface (whiteboard or sentence strip)
- Dry-erase markers and an eraser
- Magnetic letters or letter tiles (optional but helpful for word work)
That’s it! No expensive materials required. A whiteboard and marker will get the job done.
Which Lesson Should You Start With?
Your starting point depends on your students’ grade level:
- Kindergarten or Grade 1 French Immersion: Start at Lesson 1
- Grade 2 (if immersion begins in Grade 1): Begin around Lesson 39, after a review of Lessons 1–38
A quick reading assessment can help you determine where most of your students need support. This lets you tailor your starting point to your class’s needs.
A Walk-Through of a Son-au-graphe Lesson
Each Son-au-graphe lesson is divided into two days. Here’s what each day looks like:
Day 1: Introducing the New Sound
The lesson begins with a visual schedule so students know what to expect. Then it moves through these steps:
- Fusion & Segmentation (Phonemic Awareness) — Students blend sounds together (fusion) or break words apart (segmentation). The teacher models at the carpet: “a…t…i → ati” (blending) or “café → c·a·f·é” (segmenting).
- Letter-Sound Review (Exercice) — Students go through slides showing each letter. They say the letter name and its sound.
- Dictée (Sound-to-Letter Spelling) — The teacher says a sound aloud; students write the corresponding letter(s) on their whiteboard.
- Blending (Tableau de Fusion) — Students read sounds in a word and blend them together using the blending board or whiteboard.
- New Concept Introduction — The lesson’s PowerPoint guides the teacher through how to introduce the new sound, including where it appears in a word (beginning, middle, end), how it’s articulated (oral vs. nasal, voiced vs. unvoiced, continuous vs. stop sound).
Students also practice writing the new letter using a letter formation guide (ground, grass, and sky lines) and read new vocabulary words using the I do / We do method.
Day 2: Review and Word Work
- Review of Previous Lesson — The class reviews the letter-sound correspondence from Day 1.
- Word Work (Travail de Mots) — Students use magnetic letters or whiteboards to encode (spell) and decode (read) target words. The teacher calls out a word, students build it, then change specific letters to create a new word — building flexibility and automaticity with French sounds.
- Mots de Coeur / Heart Words — These are high-frequency words with irregular sounds (not yet taught). They’re marked with asterisks in the guide. Students practice reading and spelling them, and learn which parts to “remember by heart” (shown with a heart icon).
- Texte Connecté (Connected Text) — Students practice reading sentences and a decodable text to build fluency. The teacher models reading aloud, then students read together.
Assessment Tools
Son-au-graphe includes two key assessment tools:
- Dé (Weekly Assessment) — Tells you what to assess each week according to each lesson
- Fiche de Consolidation — A comprehension sheet used after the completion of both days. Students read a decodable text and draw a picture to show understanding. Used for Tier 2 (small group) instruction and progress monitoring.
Free Home Practice Resources from MME Ontario
Want to reinforce Son-au-graphe at home? MME Ontario has created a full series of free video lessons that follow the Son-au-graphe sequence, as well as free printable worksheets you can download for each lesson group.
These resources are designed to help parents support their French Immersion children at home — using the same structured literacy routine their teacher uses in the classroom.
Tips for Implementing Son-au-graphe Successfully
- Follow the lesson order — the sequence is intentional and research-based
- Be consistent — the predictable routine helps students build confidence and automaticity
- Use the lesson plan during delivery — it includes timing guidance, vocabulary, and detailed instructions
- Watch the OMLTA implementation videos — the Ontario Modern Language Teachers’ Association has additional guidance on how to implement Son-au-graphe in your program
- Start where your students are — a quick assessment helps you meet your students’ needs
Related Resources from MME Ontario
Ready to dive deeper? Here are some other helpful resources on this site:
- Getting Started with Son-au-graphe: Transforming French Immersion Literacy
- Free Son-au-graphe Home Practice Worksheets
- Building a Strong Foundation: Structured Literacy in French Immersion
- Browse All Son-au-graphe Video Lessons
Have questions about Son-au-graphe or French structured literacy? We’d love to hear from you. And don’t forget to subscribe to the MME Ontario YouTube channel for new lessons every week!
