Entries by AAWE Guide to Education in France

Reading Disorders in Children

Think back to when you learned to read. I don’t really remember it, do you? I just remember being able to read. I don’t remember putting any effort in (although I am sure my mother would remember the homework). This is pretty common in people for whom learning to read was just one quick stop on our educational journey. But what an important stop! It opened the world to all the other things we needed to learn

Sweet Home Alabama – Part 2

This is a continuation of our experience sending our daughter to the US for a school year.
There were still many niggling details left to take care of before Katie left for Alabama. We informed her orthodontist in the spring that she was leaving for a year and the doctor decided to remove her braces in July, just before she left for the US, and then put them back on when she returned.

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) – Part 2

This is the first of a two-part series on ADHD in France. In this part, I will tell you the basics of ADHD and how it is perceived in France. The second part will be a more practical guide on what to do if your child has an ADHD diagnosis and you are moving to France, or if you already live in France and suspect that your child might have attention deficit problems.

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) – Part 1

This is the first of a two-part series on ADHD in France. In this part, I will tell you the basics of ADHD and how it is perceived in France. The second part will be a more practical guide on what to do if your child has an ADHD diagnosis and you are moving to France, or if you already live in France and suspect that your child might have attention deficit problems.

A History of the French Baccalauréate Exam

Any attempt to understand the French ​Baccalauréate (Bac) ​ and the near mythic status it holds on the French national conscience should begin with a quick look at its long, illustrious history. Established in 1808 under Napoleon Bonaparte as part of his plan to make French society more egalitarian, the Bac​ , as it is often called, was designed to provide universal opportunity to anyone who possessed the talent and intellectual prowess to pass its rigorous exams.

Teen Coach: Open Letter to Families in French Schools

Most of us are very good at seeing what we don’t like about a system that is not our own. Those of us who attended high school in an Anglophone country will find major differences between our experience and that of our teens today in France. And if our teens attended an Anglophone school before entering the French school system, we (and they) may find the differences to be even shocking.
I would like to ask you to look at these differences from the perspective of a coach. And that would mean looking without any preconceived notions; leaving judgment and assumption aside.

Where to turn when you suspect your child needs support or evaluation

For parents, facing concerns about a child’s development or learning can be scary and confusing; doing it in a country known for its bureaucracy and administrative maze of paperwork can be overwhelming. While parents and professionals agree that there is plenty of room to improve supporting and including children with developmental and learning disabilities in […]