French Days of the Week: Free Printable Worksheet for Year 3

French Days of the Week is a free printable worksheet for Year 3 (ages 7 to 8), in Key Stage 2. Write the French name for each day. It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, a growing library of free printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795.

It is two A4 pages. Page 1 is the activity for children. Page 2 is for the grown-up: it has notes on how to use the sheet, help for children who find it hard, a stretch idea, and the answers. Print it at home or in the classroom. Black and white printing works well.

What is on the sheet

This worksheet includes a table to fill in.

A look at what children will meet:

  • English
  • French

Who this is for

Year 3 (ages 7 to 8) in Key Stage 2.

Key Stage 2 covers Years 3 to 6, ages 7 to 11. Children are widening what they know and getting better at explaining their thinking, so activities that ask them to reason, not only recall, are especially useful. Use it at home, in class, on a rainy afternoon or at a family gathering.

What children practise

  • French words
  • Spelling
  • Memory

Learn the seven days of the week in French.

Learning focus and curriculum link

Subject: French. Key stage: Key Stage 2. It supports the subject at this level through short, focused practice.

This sheet is a practice and play activity. It supports classroom learning and is not a replacement for it.

How to use it

  1. Print both pages. Page 1 is for the child. Keep page 2 for the grown-up.
  2. Work alone, about 10 minutes. Say each word aloud.
  3. Work through the activity together the first time. Talk about each choice.
  4. Check against the notes on page 2 and the answers.
  5. Come back to it another day. Repeating a familiar activity builds confidence.

If it feels too hard

Cover the word bank after the first go.

To stretch confident children

Say today's day in French.

Make it a game

Learn the months of the year next.

Tips for parents and teachers

  • Print on plain A4 paper. Black and white printing works too.
  • Work through it together the first time, then let children try alone.
  • Praise effort and thinking, not only correct answers.

A screen-free french activity for Year 3

Children spend a lot of time on screens. This is a screen-free french activity that needs only paper and a pencil. It works as quiet time after school, a rainy day activity, a holiday boredom buster or a calm moment before bed. Screen-free learning gives eyes a rest and gets children talking, thinking and writing by hand.

Free french resources for teachers

Teachers can use this worksheet as a starter, a plenary, an early finisher task, a supply teacher resource, a homework task or a table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing. The learning focus and skills are listed above so you can match it to your planning, and page 2 gives support and stretch ideas for mixed ability groups.

French ideas for parents at home

You do not need to be a teacher to use this. Read the sheet through, sit with your child for the first go and let them lead. Short bursts of ten to fifteen minutes work better than long sessions. If you are looking for free french worksheets for Year 3, or simple home learning for the weekend or school holidays, this is a good place to start.

Home education and tutoring

Home educators and tutors can print this as part of a wider french plan. It pairs well with books, outdoor play and everyday talk. Because the sheet is free and printable, you can use it again for brothers and sisters or for revision a few weeks later.

Why it helps children learn

Hands-on, paper based activities slow learning down in a good way. Children read carefully, think before they answer and see their own progress on the page. Games and challenges add a reason to keep going. That mix of play and practice is why printable activities like this are popular with parents, teachers and home educators.

What children will be able to do

  • I can say the seven days of the week in French.
  • I can read the French day words.
  • I can say which day comes next in French.

Check it worked

Ask these when the sheet is finished. Listen for the reasoning, not just the answer.

  1. Which French day word can you say from memory?
  2. What comes after mercredi?
  3. How could you help a friend remember the days in French?

More like this

Same subject, one year up: French Christmas Words

Why the French days of the week matter

The days of the week are one of the first sets of words that children meet in a new language. There are only seven of them. They come round every week. A child can use them every day. That makes them a good first target for French in Year 3, when languages become compulsory in primary schools.

The Ofsted research review for languages, published on GOV.UK, says that the statutory requirement applies to a modern or ancient language in primary schools from the age of 7. It also says vocabulary is crucial for learners to become proficient in languages. The review adds that the 2,000 most common words in a language represent more than 80% of the words in most written and spoken texts. That figure is about word frequency in general. It does not say that the days of the week are among those 2,000 words, so we do not claim that. What it does show is why building a core store of words early is worth the effort.

This sheet asks children to write the French name for each day. Page 1 is for the child and page 2 is for the adult. The words are lundi, mardi, mercredi, jeudi, vendredi, samedi and dimanche. A child who knows these can say what day it is, talk about a timetable, and start to build short sentences such as "Aujourd'hui, c'est lundi."

What the research says children find hard

We could not find a study that looks only at children learning the French days of the week. So we have used the Ofsted review of languages research, which looks at language learning more widely, and we say clearly where it is general.

  • Sounds and spelling do not match English. The review says that clear and reliable pronunciation, and the links between sounds and spelling, are integral parts of second language learning. It also says that knowledge of sound-spelling relations is critical. For the days of the week this matters straight away, because the endings look like English letters but sound different.
  • Listening is fast. The review says listening comprehension usually requires decoding sounds at the speed at which you hear them, and that there is often more time pressure when speaking. Writing, by contrast, is usually "offline" and gives learners time to think. A written sheet is therefore a gentle first step. Saying the words aloud is the harder skill, which is why we suggest doing both.
  • Words fade without practice. The review describes retrieval practice as recalling something you have learned in the past and bringing it back to mind. It also describes spaced practice, where knowledge is rehearsed for short periods over a longer period of time. It recommends a schedule of planned revisiting to make sure words are retained in long-term memory.
  • Time alone is not the answer. The review says that pupils' levels of attainment are clearly based on more than simply the number of hours spent studying languages. How the time is used counts.

None of this means a child who mixes up mardi and mercredi has a problem. Both start with "m" and both end in "di". That is an easy pair to confuse, and it is a reason to practise a little and often.

What Year 3 children are expected to learn

The national curriculum for England sets out a Key Stage 2 programme of study for foreign languages. It is written for the whole of Key Stage 2 (Years 3 to 6), not for one year group. It says that pupils should be taught to:

  • listen attentively to spoken language and show understanding by joining in and responding
  • explore the patterns and sounds of language through songs and rhymes and link the spelling, sound and meaning of words
  • speak in sentences, using familiar vocabulary, phrases and basic language structures
  • develop accurate pronunciation and intonation so that others understand when they are reading aloud or using familiar words and phrases
  • write phrases from memory, and adapt these to create new sentences, to express ideas clearly

The aims for the subject also say pupils should speak with increasing confidence, fluency and spontaneity, and continually improve the accuracy of their pronunciation and intonation. French Days of the Week works on the link between spelling, sound and meaning. Children say each word, write it and match it to its English day. The curriculum does not name the days of the week as a required topic, so we do not say that it does.

Why a short activity can help

A short sheet gives a child a quick go at recalling and writing words. That fits the retrieval and spaced practice ideas in the Ofsted review. It is fair to be clear about what that does and does not show.

The review sets out these ideas as principles drawn from research on language learning in general. We did not find a study that tested a printable like this one, or the days of the week in particular. So treat the link as sensible, not proven for this sheet. The sheet works best as one small piece of a regular French lesson with a teacher, where children also hear the words spoken by someone who pronounces them well.

A practical point also helps. Because the days come round every week, a child can meet them in real life. Saying "C'est mardi" on a Tuesday is real use of a real word, which is the kind of "communicate for practical purposes" the curriculum's purpose of study describes.

How to get the most out of French Days of the Week

  1. Say it before you write it. Read the seven words aloud together first. Do it slowly, then at normal speed. If you are not confident in French, ask a teacher, use a dictionary with audio, or a French speaker you trust. Our pronunciation notes below are approximate.
  2. Write each word from memory. Let your child work alone for about 10 minutes while saying each word aloud. Then go through the first attempt together.
  3. Look for the pattern. Six of the seven words end in "di". Point it out. The endings come from the Latin word for day, which we explain in the questions below.
  4. Link each word to a real day. Put the French day on a calendar. Each morning, ask "C'est quel jour?" and let your child answer.
  5. Come back on another day. Two short goes on different days beat one long one. This is the spacing idea from the Ofsted review.
  6. Stretch. Ask your child to say today's day in French, then tomorrow's, then yesterday's.

Common mistakes, and what to say

  • Mixing up mardi and mercredi. Both begin with "m". Try a trick: mardi is short, mercredi is long. The long word is the middle of the week.
  • Using capital letters. In English, days start with a capital. In the university course materials we read, the French days are written in lowercase, even in example sentences. If your child writes "Lundi" in the middle of a sentence, show them the lowercase version.
  • Saying every letter. A child may sound out the last "e" in "dimanche" or the "n" in "lundi" as separate letters. The pronunciations listed below do not show them as separate sounds. Listen to a French speaker together and copy the rhythm.
  • Thinking the French week starts on Sunday. The course materials we read list lundi first in their calendar grid. Many English calendars start with Sunday. Look at a French calendar together and notice the difference.
  • Forgetting that "le lundi" means every Monday. See question 12 below.

Why teachers matter to us

We are a games company and have made games for families since 1795. We do not think a printable can replace a teacher. A good languages teacher does what no sheet can: they model the sounds, hear a child's attempt, and correct it kindly on the spot. The evidence on teacher quality is strong, though it comes from other subjects. A 2011 interim report for the Sutton Trust looked at teacher effectiveness in the UK. Its examples were from maths and reading, not languages. It found that for poor pupils the difference between a good teacher and a bad teacher is a whole year's learning.

The same report found that gender, race, teaching experience, undergraduate university attended, advanced degrees, teacher certification and tenure explain less than 8% of teacher quality. A University of Bristol working paper on English pupils also found considerable variability in teacher effectiveness. So we are careful not to claim the result applies to French lessons. We use it as a reason to say thank you to teachers, including those who teach a language they did not train in. These sheets are free for you to use as a starter, a plenary or a quick cover task.

A caution on the Sutton Trust figures: the report draws on US studies as well as English ones. The figure that paper credentials explain less than 8% of teacher quality comes from US research. We use them as pointers, not as a promise about any one child.

Why education matters to us

The national curriculum says that learning a foreign language is a liberation from insularity and provides an opening to other cultures. We agree with the spirit of that. A child who can say "lundi" and mean it has started to see that the same world can be described in a different way. Jaques of London has put games into children's hands since 1795, and games are one of the oldest ways of helping a child try something new without fear of getting it wrong. The Mini Minds Hub carries that on: free, screen-free, and built so that a parent at a kitchen table can help as well as a teacher in a classroom.

French Days of the Week: 20 questions and answers

1. What are the seven days in French?
Lundi (Monday), mardi (Tuesday), mercredi (Wednesday), jeudi (Thursday), vendredi (Friday), samedi (Saturday) and dimanche (Sunday).
2. How do you say lundi?
Wiktionary gives the French pronunciation as /lœ̃.di/. The first sound is a nasal vowel, said partly through the nose, and the word ends in "dee". Listen to a French speaker to hear it. English letters only get you close.
3. How do you say mardi and mercredi?
Mardi is /maʁ.di/. Mercredi is /mɛʁ.kʁə.di/, with a colloquial variant /mɛ.kʁə.di/ in which the "r" is dropped. Both end in "dee". The French "r" is made at the back of the throat, not with the tip of the tongue.
4. How do you say jeudi?
It is /ʒø.di/. The first symbol stands for the "zh" sound heard in the English word "measure", not the "j" of "jam". The second is a rounded vowel. It is not "joo".
5. How do you say vendredi?
It is /vɑ̃.dʁə.di/. It starts with a nasal vowel, so do not say the "n" as a separate sound.
6. How do you say samedi and dimanche?
Samedi is /sam.di/ or /sa.m(ə).di/, where the middle sound is optional. Dimanche is /di.mɑ̃ʃ/. It ends with a nasal vowel and then "sh". The final "e" is silent.
7. Why do six of the days end in "di"?
The ending comes from the Latin word for day. Wiktionary traces lundi to Latin "diēs Lūnae", meaning "day of the moon". Mardi comes from "diēs Mārtis", the day of Mars. Mercredi comes from the day of Mercury, jeudi from the day of Jupiter and vendredi from the day of Venus.
8. Where does samedi come from?
Wiktionary traces samedi to the Latin phrase "Sabbatī diēs", meaning "day of the Sabbath". That Latin word came from Ancient Greek, which in turn came from the Hebrew word shabát.
9. Where does dimanche come from?
It comes from Late Latin "diēs Dominicus", glossed as "day of the Lord". It is not named after a planet.
10. Is it true that the days are named after planets and gods?
For five of them, yes, as the Latin names above show. Wikipedia's article on the names of the days says the Romance languages kept the Latin names except for Sunday, and that the Romance name for Saturday was named for the Jewish Sabbath. We have not checked that with a specialist book, so treat the wider history as background.
11. Do French days start with a capital letter?
In the university course materials we read, they are written in lowercase, including in example sentences such as "Aujourd'hui c'est lundi." We did not find the course stating this as a rule, so ask your child's teacher if you need a firm answer.
12. What is the difference between "lundi" and "le lundi"?
The same university course gives "Je ne travaille pas lundi" for "I'm not working this Monday" and "Je ne travaille pas le lundi" for "I don't work on Mondays". Adding "le" turns a single day into a habit. The course notes that the article is not always used.
13. Does French say "on" before a day?
In the example above, "lundi" stands for "this Monday" with no word for "on". English adds "on", French does not.
14. Which day does the French week start?
The course materials we read show lundi first in their calendar grid. The course does not say outright that Monday is the first day, so we only say it starts the grid.
15. How do I say "today is Tuesday"?
"Aujourd'hui, c'est mardi." This follows the same pattern as the course's "Aujourd'hui c'est lundi."
16. What is a quick way to learn all seven?
Say them in order each morning for a week. The Ofsted review says that spaced practice, where knowledge is rehearsed for short periods over a longer time, is a guiding principle. Short daily practice fits that idea.
17. What if my child cannot spell mercredi?
It is the longest word on the sheet. Split it into mer-cre-di and write one chunk at a time. Cover the word bank after the first attempt, as the sheet suggests.
18. Why does pronunciation matter if my child is only writing?
The Ofsted review says that links between sounds and spelling are integral to second language learning. A child who knows how a word sounds finds it easier to remember how it is spelled.
19. Is French in Year 3 compulsory?
The Ofsted review says the statutory requirement applies to a modern or ancient language in primary schools from the age of 7. The school chooses the language. It may not be French.
20. Where can I find more Year 3 languages sheets?
See the More like this section below, or browse all Year 3 printables in the Mini Minds Hub.

Sources

  1. Ofsted, Curriculum research review series: languages (2021): gov.uk.
  2. Department for Education, National curriculum in England: languages programmes of study: gov.uk.
  3. Carrasco, Zahedi and Parrish, French OER 1, 2.05 Le calendrier, LibreTexts: libretexts.org.
  4. Wiktionary entries: lundi, mardi, mercredi, jeudi, vendredi, samedi, dimanche. Wiktionary is a community dictionary, so check pronunciation with a teacher or a recording.
  5. Wikipedia, Names of the days of the week: wikipedia.org.
  6. Sutton Trust, Improving the impact of teachers on pupil achievement in the UK, interim findings (2011): dera.ioe.ac.uk.
  7. Slater, Davies and Burgess, University of Bristol CMPO Working Paper 09/212 (2009): bristol.ac.uk.

Frequently asked questions

What age is French Days of the Week for?

It is written for Year 3 (ages 7 to 8), in Key Stage 2.

What will children practise?

Learn the seven days of the week in French.

How do I use it?

Work alone, about 10 minutes. Say each word aloud.

What if it feels too hard?

Cover the word bank after the first go.

Is it free?

Yes. It is free to print for home and classroom use.

Is French Days of the Week suitable for teachers to use in class?

Yes. Teachers can use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task, homework or table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing.

Is this a screen-free activity?

Yes. It is a screen-free printable that needs only paper and a pencil, so it works well for quiet time, rainy days and school holidays.

Can I use it for home education?

Yes. Home educators and tutors can use it on its own or as part of a wider plan. It is free to print again for brothers, sisters or revision.

How long does it take?

Most children finish page 1 in 10 to 20 minutes. The notes on page 2 suggest ways to make it shorter or longer.

Do I need to print in colour?

No. It prints well in black and white on plain A4 paper.

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