4 Powerful Strategies to Teach the Days of the Week in French with Confidence

Let’s be real—teaching the days of the week in French should be easy. Seven little words. A nice, predictable sequence. It should just stick, right?

But noooope. Instead, we get:
❌ Lundi? Oh, I thought that was Wednesday.
❌ Wait, vendredi is Friday? I thought it was Monday.
❌ Ugh, Madame, why does every French word have to be so hard?!

And just when you think you’ve escaped the madness, you find yourself absentmindedly humming that song—the French days of the week song set to the Flintstones theme. Because it doesn’t just get stuck in students’ heads… it gets stuck in yours, too. Forever.

Of course, even with a catchy tune, students need more than just singing along to really retain the days of the week. So how do we make them stick? We make them interactive, repetitive in a fun way, and connected to daily classroom routines so students hear and use them constantly. Here’s how:

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1. Make It a Daily Ritual (aka Sneaky Learning!)

The best way to teach the days of the week in French is to embed them into something students already expect: your morning meeting or calendar time. If students know they’ll be talking about the day, every day, they’ll start picking up the words naturally.

🌟 Try this: Use a digital or printable French calendar routine where students actively move pieces, say the days out loud, or predict what tomorrow will be. Bonus points if you get them to chant it dramatically—because everything is more memorable with some dramatic flair.
👉 Check out these ready-to-use French Digital Calendar & Weather Activities that make it easy to integrate French days of the week into your routine!

📌 Want to build a strong, structured French routine that keeps students engaged? Check out my post: 4 Steps to Finally Create a Core French Routine That You Love!

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2. Get Moving with Kinesthetic Learning

Let’s face it—kids remember things when they move. Sitting still and reciting mercredi 10 times isn’t going to cut it. Instead, try getting them on their feet:

🚶‍♀️ Hopscotch: Write the days of the week in French on the floor (or tape them down) and have students jump from one to the next while saying the words.

👯 Human Timeline: Give each student a day of the week and have them scramble to get in order—without speaking English! (This works best in groups of 7.)

🎤 Sing It Out: Songs are magical. Whether it’s the Flintstones-inspired French days-of-the-week song or another tune you find on YouTube, music locks words into memory.

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3. Connect It to Real Life

Students will remember jeudi a whole lot faster if they associate it with something they actually care about. Try:

📅 Classroom Events: “Vendredi, c’est le jour des bonbons!” (Okay, maybe not candy, but something fun like a game or special activity.)

⚽ Student Interests: Link days to sports, holidays, or anything relevant: “Samedi, c’est le match de soccer!”

🛒 Visual Reminders: A calendar with the days in French, like this editable one right here, gives students a reference point every time they glance at it.

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4. Tell a Story with the Days of the Week

One of the best ways to help students remember vocabulary is through storytelling. When words are placed in a meaningful or humorous context, they become much easier to recall.

📖 Try this: Create a simple, silly story using the days of the week in French. For example:

“Lundi, le chat a décidé de devenir chef cuisinier. Mardi, il a mangé une pizza énorme. Mercredi, il a fait une sieste toute la journée…”

Have students add their own twists to the story, making it as funny or outrageous as possible. You can even illustrate it as a class book or act it out for extra engagement!

🎭 Role-play: Assign each student a day of the week and have them act out something funny that happens on their assigned day. Bonus points if they use props or costumes!

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The Bottom Line: Repetition + Engagement = Success!

Teaching the days of the week in French doesn’t have to be a struggle. By weaving them into daily routines, making them interactive, and using hands-on activities, you’ll see your students actually remember that mardi isn’t Friday. (Victory!)

And if you want to make your life easier (because let’s be honest, teachers have enough on their plates), check out these ready-made resources that will do the heavy lifting for you:

✔️ French Digital Calendar & Weather Activities
✔️ Editable French Calendar
✔️ FSL Beginners Growing Bundle

Now, go forth and conquer those jours de la semaine! 🚀