Dysorthographia exercise: plural of nouns

The plural of nouns is one of the first rules of grammatical spelling. Yet many children with dysorthographia regularly forget the final “s”, because it cannot be heard. They need to be taught to recognise the plural through meaning and through the small words that signal it. Here are progressive exercises, from the “s” to special plurals.

An "s" you cannot hear

“Un chat” and “des chats” are pronounced almost the same way: only the small word in front changes. The plural “s” is silent. A child who writes what they hear therefore has no reason to add it.

To help them, they need to learn to think about meaning: is there one object or several? They must also learn to spot the words that indicate the plural. This reasoning needs to become automatic. The page apprendre le pluriel presents this approach.

Spotting the words that signal the plural

Certain small words show that a noun is in the plural: “les”, “des”, “mes”, “tes”, “ses”, “ces”, “deux”, “plusieurs”, “beaucoup de”. They can be written on coloured cards. The child learns to recognise them.

One exercise involves offering groups of words and asking the child to circle the small word that signals the plural. They then add the “s” to the noun. This visual link between the determiner and the “s” helps them remember it. You can draw an arrow between the two.

Changing from singular to plural

Groups of words in the singular are given, which the child must put into the plural: “le chien” becomes “les chiens”, “une fleur” becomes “des fleurs”. They change the determiner and add the “s”. Start orally, then move on to writing.

You can then do the reverse exercise, from plural to singular. The child sees that the “s” appears and disappears depending on the number. They understand the logic of the rule. This back-and-forth reinforces learning.

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Plurals in x

Certain nouns take an “x” in the plural instead of an “s”. Nouns ending in “eau” and “eu” generally take an “x”: “des bateaux”, “des jeux”. Seven nouns ending in “ou” also do: “bijou”, “caillou”, “chou”, “genou”, “hibou”, “joujou”, “pou”.

This list can be learnt as a rhyme or a short story. The child can draw the seven objects to remember them. These cases are worked on after the plural in “s”, once that is well established. The rule and the exceptions should not be mixed up too early.

Plurals in aux

Nouns ending in “al” often form their plural in “aux”: “un cheval, des chevaux”, “un journal, des journaux”. Here the sound changes, which helps the child. They hear the difference between “cheval” and “chevaux”.

There are exceptions, such as “bal”, “carnaval” or “festival”, which take an “s”. These can be noted separately, without dwelling on them. The essential thing is to master the general rule. The page on accord de l’adjectif extends this work on the plural.

Rereading to catch forgotten plurals

After writing a text, the child can reread it looking for all the small words that signal the plural. For each one, they check that the noun that follows does carry the plural marking. This targeted rereading is quick and effective.

This point can be added to their proofreading checklist, first, as it is one of the most frequent errors. Once it becomes automatic, adjective agreement can be added. The child progresses step by step. The page on relecture details this method.

Forgotten plural: when to consult

If the child very often forgets the plural despite practice, it may be a grammatical dysorthographia. The speech and language therapist can propose specific work on agreement. These exercises support the speech and language therapist’s work, without replacing it.

To find a speech and language therapist, consult the directory ProfessionnelsDys, searching by town and by disorder. Bring writing samples where the omitted plurals are visible. The page mon enfant oublie les accords covers this topic.