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This study, funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (890-2025-0054), conducted in collaboration with the Conseil scolaire catholique Franco-Nord, will follow the language development and cultural identity of students from Kindergarten to Grade 3 in four schools in the North Bay area: Saints-Anges, Saint-Vincent, Saint-Raymond, and Saint-Thomas-d’Aquin. For more information, please contact the principal investigator, Chantal Mayer-Crittenden: [email protected]
Two groups of students will be followed over 5 years:
Each year, speech-language pathologists and members of the school support team will assess the children’s oral language skills. In Kindergarten, they will use the Profil des Compétences Langagières Orales (ProCLO). From Grade 1 to Grade 3, they will use Ontario’s Trousse de progression des apprentissages langagiers en français (TPALF). Finally, a language profile will be completed each year to better understand the development of the students’ cultural identity.
Two groups of students will be followed over 5 years:
- The first group will take part in an exploratory approach that includes several training sessions and research-based strategies for teachers.
- The second group will receive regular instruction.
Each year, speech-language pathologists and members of the school support team will assess the children’s oral language skills. In Kindergarten, they will use the Profil des Compétences Langagières Orales (ProCLO). From Grade 1 to Grade 3, they will use Ontario’s Trousse de progression des apprentissages langagiers en français (TPALF). Finally, a language profile will be completed each year to better understand the development of the students’ cultural identity.
2025-2026 year in review
As part of the 2025–2026 school year, several milestones were achieved:
- Recruitment of participants (children) from the four schools
- Assessment of children from the four schools using the Profil des compétences du langage à l’oral (ProClo)
- Meetings with parents during report card evenings to explain the project
- Training sessions for teaching staff
- Ongoing support for teaching staff
- Classroom observations
- Development and distribution of resources for parents in the experimental schools
- Workshops for parents in the experimental schools
The project was also presented at the 33rd Journée des sciences et savoirs of Acfas–Nouvel-Ontario.
Upcoming presentation: The 93rd Acfas Congress: Your gateway to science and research in French
Research Team
Here is a video that explains the main points of the study (with English subtitles).
FAQ for parents
Question 1
What happens to my child’s class if I do not give consent for them to participate in the study?
Your child will remain in the same class and take part in the same activities as the other students. All students in the class will receive the same education and programming. The only difference is that the research team will not collect any information or data about your child for the study.
Question 2
What happens if I withdraw my child from the study while they are already in the class of a teacher receiving coaching?
If you withdraw your child from the study, nothing will change in terms of their schooling. They will remain in the same class with the same teaching staff, but their data will not be collected or used by the research team.
Question 3
If all parents in a class give consent, how do you decide which children are placed in the experimental group?
All children in the selected class will be invited to participate in the study. The experimental group will follow the new program, while the control group will receive regular instruction. If the class is part of the experimental group, all students in that class will benefit from it as well.
Question 4
If there is no maximum number of students who can participate, how will you create two groups (an experimental group and a control group)?
It is the classes themselves, not individual students, that will be divided into two groups. The classes in the experimental group will receive teacher training, while those in the control group will continue with regular instruction.
Question 5
What is the difference between Teacher Group 1 and Teacher Group 2?
Teacher Group 1 will follow a new program designed to support teachers in teaching French in a minority-language context, as well as awareness sessions for parents on the challenges of learning a minority language. Teacher Group 2 will continue with regular instruction, which, just like in Group 1, is designed according to best practices.
For questions relating to the ethical aspects of this study, you should contact Laurentian University’s Research Office at 705-675-1151 or 1-800-461-4030, extension 2429, or by email at [email protected].
What happens to my child’s class if I do not give consent for them to participate in the study?
Your child will remain in the same class and take part in the same activities as the other students. All students in the class will receive the same education and programming. The only difference is that the research team will not collect any information or data about your child for the study.
Question 2
What happens if I withdraw my child from the study while they are already in the class of a teacher receiving coaching?
If you withdraw your child from the study, nothing will change in terms of their schooling. They will remain in the same class with the same teaching staff, but their data will not be collected or used by the research team.
Question 3
If all parents in a class give consent, how do you decide which children are placed in the experimental group?
All children in the selected class will be invited to participate in the study. The experimental group will follow the new program, while the control group will receive regular instruction. If the class is part of the experimental group, all students in that class will benefit from it as well.
Question 4
If there is no maximum number of students who can participate, how will you create two groups (an experimental group and a control group)?
It is the classes themselves, not individual students, that will be divided into two groups. The classes in the experimental group will receive teacher training, while those in the control group will continue with regular instruction.
Question 5
What is the difference between Teacher Group 1 and Teacher Group 2?
Teacher Group 1 will follow a new program designed to support teachers in teaching French in a minority-language context, as well as awareness sessions for parents on the challenges of learning a minority language. Teacher Group 2 will continue with regular instruction, which, just like in Group 1, is designed according to best practices.
For questions relating to the ethical aspects of this study, you should contact Laurentian University’s Research Office at 705-675-1151 or 1-800-461-4030, extension 2429, or by email at [email protected].