Learn to read in French · ages 4 to 7
Glisse ton doigt. Les mots s'allument.
“Slide your finger. The words light up.” Your child learns to read in French through play, step by step: sounds, syllables, words, then sentences and little books. A few minutes a day, and it's fun.
Floors 1 and 2 are free, no credit card needed.
What your child does
Short play sessions. Every instruction is spoken aloud in French, so your child can play alone, even before reading.
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A letter and its sound
Each new letter arrives on its own. Your child hears it, traces it, and finds it at the start of words.
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Sounds blend together
Your child slides a spark under the word: each sound lights up, the syllables form, and they tap the right picture. The game never says the word before it is read.
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Sentences and books
Higher up the tower, words become sentences, then little books to read alone. Your child also writes: spelling syllables, then whole words.
Why they keep coming back
The Grand Effaceur (the Great Eraser) switches off the tower's letters. To light them up again, you have to read them. On every floor he tries a new trick, and your child foils it by reading.
Between spells: chests to open, stars to earn, and a trunk full of costumes to dress their apprentice.
The method
Lumilire follows explicit and systematic phonics, the structured literacy approach behind Ontario's Right to Read report and its 2023 French-language curriculum. Each step builds on the last:
- letters
- syllables
- words
- sentences
- books
- Phonological awareness
- Listening before reading: finding a sound in a word, clapping a word into syllables.
- Letter-sound correspondences
- One magic letter at a time (a, ch, ou, eau…), always in the same order, floor by floor.
- Blending and decoding
- The spark under the word: sounds follow left to right and blend into syllables, then words.
- Decodable texts
- Every word, sentence and book uses only sounds already taught. Your child never has to guess.
- Spelling
- Writing from floor 2: choosing the letters of a syllable, then spelling whole words.
- Fluency and comprehension
- High-frequency words read at a glance, speed games, and instructions to read and act out.
The tower's 12 floors
Every sound of kindergarten and Grade 1 French.
- 1La Grande Sallea i o · hearing vowels
- 2Le Couloir des Portraitsu é l m r · first syllables
- 3La Salle des Fantômese s f ch · first words, silent letters
- 4Le Laboratoiren ou t p · three-syllable words, first book
- 5La Ménageriev on d an b · capital letters
- 6L’Observatoirec oi j · high-frequency words, first sentences
- 7Le Clocherè z g au · bl, tr, cr
- 8La Serre enchantéein eu qu ai x · spelling whole words
- 9Les Coulisseseau gn ill ph ain · o, au or eau?
- 10Le Pont des Nuagesce ci ge gi er en · plurals
- 11La Bibliothèque interditeun oin ien eil · il, elle, ils dansent
- 12Le Nid du Dragonreading stories fluently
- One sound at a time, in a fixed order, instead of a pile of words to memorize.
- Never a sound that hasn't been taught in anything your child has to read.
- One payment, no subscription, for the whole family.
- No ads, no trackers, nothing for sale to your child.
For teachers
Lumilire covers the French letter-sound correspondences of Kindergarten and Grade 1 (Ontario) and of maternelle and 1er cycle (Québec), with decodable texts and tracking for every sound: heard, read, written. A classroom version is planned. Would you like to try it with your students? Write to us.
What you see
The parents' corner opens by holding a button down, out of reach of little fingers.
- Every sound, in three marks: heard, read, written.
- “Acquired” only after a success without help, at least three days later.
- The sounds to review, and the floor your child is on.
- This week's play time, day by day.
Privacy
- Data stored in Canada.
- Only the adult has an account. Your child has no email and no password.
- No ads, no trackers, no data sold.
- The microphone only opens when your child taps Plume's ear to write a word. Nothing is kept.
The price
The whole tower
$39$49 CAD, one time
- All 12 floors: every sound of kindergarten and Grade 1
- One payment, no subscription
- Up to 4 children, on all your devices
- Refunded on request for 30 days
Founding price for the first 100 families: enter the code FONDATEUR on the payment page.
Get the towerQuestions
I don't speak French. Can I still help?
Yes. The game speaks every instruction aloud, in French, so you don't need to read with your child. The sign-up screens are in English, and the game does the teaching.
Is it right for French immersion?
Yes. Lumilire teaches the French sounds of kindergarten and Grade 1 with explicit, systematic phonics. It works well as a few minutes of practice at home each day, alongside class.
What age is it for?
Ages 4 to 7: from Kindergarten through the end of Grade 1. A child who already reads a little can take the Test magique and start on the right floor.
Which devices?
A tablet, a computer or a phone, in the browser, with nothing to download from an app store. Add Lumilire to your home screen and it also works without Internet.
Why do I need an account?
To keep your child's progress and find it on all your devices. Only the adult signs in, with Google or a code sent by email. No password.
What if I have several children?
Up to 4 children per family, each with their own apprentice and their own progress.
How long each day?
A session lasts a few minutes. A little every day beats one long game: the parents' corner shows this week's play time.
What if it isn't right for my child?
Try floors 1 and 2 for free first. After buying, we refund on request for 30 days.