2026 Summer workbooks: which to choose, from Preschool to 5th Grade
A summer workbook isn't meant to get a child ahead. It is meant to prevent a child from losing, over eight weeks, the automatisms they spent an entire year building. The key is to pick the right level, dedicate the right amount of time, and choose a workbook that the child will want to open on their own. This guide answers those three questions, grade by grade.
The essentials in 30 seconds
- Always choose the workbook for the grade the child has just finished — not the one they are entering in September.
- Ten to fifteen minutes a day, four to five times a week. Five to ten minutes for preschool.
- What the summer causes them to lose are automatisms, not knowledge: reading speed, times tables, grammar rules.
- The most underestimated criterion: the desire to open the book. A workbook that becomes a chore ends up half-finished.
- To test before you buy: a printable summer workbook is available for free at kidibook.com.
- Our eight workbooks cover from Preschool to 5th Grade, 86 to 96 pages, printed on demand in Europe, free shipping.
Table of Contents
Which summer workbook for which grade
The rule can be summed up in one sentence: choose the workbook for the grade the child has just finished. A child finishing 3rd grade and entering 4th grade should take the 3rd-grade workbook. This is counterintuitive for many parents, who buy the level for the upcoming school year — and end up with a workbook the child cannot do on their own, because it covers concepts they haven't seen yet.
| Workbook | Age | Grade completed | Also called | Key concepts reviewed | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Preschool Workbook | 3-4 years | Preschool (PS) | Pre-K to Kindergarten workbook | first strokes: lines, bridges, waves, circles, simple colors and shapes | €24.99 |
| Pre-K Workbook | 4-5 years | Pre-K (MS) | Pre-K to K workbook | graphism: loops, bridges, waves, zigzags, numbers 1 to 6 | €24.99 |
| Kindergarten Workbook | 5-6 years | Kindergarten (GS) | K to 1st Grade workbook | numbers up to ten and their decomposition, syllables, rhymes, and first sounds | €24.99 |
| 1st Grade Workbook | 6-7 years | 1st Grade (CP) | 1st to 2nd Grade workbook | numbers up to 100, tens and units, addition and subtraction (written and mental) | €24.99 |
| 2nd Grade Workbook | 7-8 years | 2nd Grade (CE1) | 2nd to 3rd Grade workbook | numbers up to 1,000, first multiplication tables (both ways) | €24.99 |
| 3rd Grade Workbook | 8-9 years | 3rd Grade (CE2) | 3rd to 4th Grade workbook | all multiplication tables, written multiplication, and the concept of division | €24.99 |
| 4th Grade Workbook | 9-10 years | 4th Grade (CM1) | 4th to 5th Grade workbook | simple fractions and decimals, large numbers (beyond a million) | €24.99 |
| 5th Grade Workbook | 10-11 years | 5th Grade (CM2) | 5th to 6th Grade workbook | proportionality, fractions and decimals, and the four basic operations | €24.99 |
Each level has its own detailed page: the official curriculum for the year, what needs to be reviewed as a priority, and the corresponding workbook. Click on your child's grade in the table above.
Alternative names
One thing, three ways to name it. Some publishers label the workbook by the transition rather than the grade completed. This is strictly equivalent to our workbooks: the content reviews the year just passed to prepare for the next one. As for the expression "summer homework," it refers to the same material — it simply emphasizes the academic aspect rather than the fun aspect.
What is a summer workbook really for?
Two months without practice is a long time — especially between ages 5 and 11. It is not knowledge that disappears: it remains, somewhere. It is the automatisms that unravel. Reading that slows down, the 7-times table that needs to be reconstructed instead of recited, the grammar rule that takes a moment too long to recall. English-speaking researchers call this the summer slide.
The real cost is not academic, it is psychological. A child who returns in September with the feeling of having forgotten everything approaches the school year on the defensive. A few pages per week are enough to prevent this — and that is truly the only ambition a summer workbook should have.
What a summer workbook is NOT It is not a tutoring manual or a head start on the September curriculum. If your child needs to master specific basics, a summer workbook helps, but it does not replace support. And if they are bored, the solution is not the next level up: it is more enriching activities at the same level.
Our 6 criteria for a good choice
Back-to-school aisles offer a dozen workbooks per grade, and they all look the same from the outside. Here is what actually makes the difference, in order of importance.
| Criterion | What to look for |
|---|---|
| The right level | The one for the completed grade, never the upcoming one. A workbook that is too advanced causes discouragement in three pages. |
| Curriculum coverage | French and math, including the year's key concepts — not just thematic games. |
| Activity duration | Short exercises, doable in ten minutes. One page = one session, otherwise the workbook becomes a chore. |
| Answer keys | Included, and readable by a busy parent. Without answers, you are the one redoing the exercises at night. |
| The desire to open it | A story, a mascot, visible progress. This is the only criterion that decides if the workbook gets finished or abandoned. |
| Format | Large A4 format, softcover, that lies flat on a kitchen table and slides into a beach bag. |
What routine during the summer
Ten to fifteen minutes a day, preferably in the morning, before the beach or pool, when the mind is fresh. In preschool, five to ten minutes are enough. Four or five sessions a week are better than seven: there must be days off, otherwise the workbook becomes homework.
And if your child skips an entire week, it's not a big deal. Three pages done with pleasure in August are better than thirty pages forced in late July. Put the workbook in the same place at the same time, and let the child choose their page: this choice turns an obligation into a personal decision.
Kidibook summer workbooks
Our eight workbooks follow the same principle: your child doesn't just do "exercises," they help a mascot through an eight-chapter adventure. Each page completed moves the story forward, and a diploma awaits at the last page. The content follows the national curriculum guidelines for French and mathematics.
Preschool Workbook · 3-4 years
Titou and the Grand Chalet — Preschool Activity Workbook
86 A4 pages including 64 pages of color activities, with Titou the bear in the mountains and the Grand Chalet.
€24.99Free shipping
What to review in Preschool?
Pre-K Workbook · 4-5 years
Rosie and the Golden Flower — Pre-K Activity Workbook
94 A4 pages including 72 pages of color activities, with Rosie the bee in the garden and the Golden Flower.
€24.99Free shipping
What to review in Pre-K?
Kindergarten Workbook · 5-6 years
Bibou and the Star Tree — Kindergarten Activity Workbook
94 A4 pages including 72 pages of color activities, with Bibou the owl in the forest and the Star Tree.
€24.99Free shipping
What to review in Kindergarten?
1st Grade Workbook · 6-7 years
Plouf and the Magic Seashell — 1st Grade Activity Workbook
86 A4 pages including 64 pages of color activities, with Plouf the fish in the ocean and the Magic Seashell.
€24.99Free shipping
What to review in 1st Grade?
2nd Grade Workbook · 7-8 years
Leo and the Jungle Map — 2nd Grade Activity Workbook
95 A4 pages including 72 pages of color activities, with Leo the lion in the jungle and the lost Map.
€24.99Free shipping
What to review in 2nd Grade?
3rd Grade Workbook · 8-9 years
Astro's Workbook, Space Mission — 3rd Grade Activity Workbook
96 A4 pages including 70 pages of color activities, with Astro the little robot in space and the space missions.
€24.99Free shipping
What to review in 3rd Grade?
4th Grade Workbook · 9-10 years
Rex and the Lost Valley — 4th Grade Activity Workbook
87 A4 pages including 64 pages of color activities, with Rex the dinosaur in the Lost Valley and the dinosaurs.
€24.99Free shipping
What to review in 4th Grade?
5th Grade Workbook · 10-11 years
Gauvain and the Eight Keys — 5th Grade Activity Workbook
87 A4 pages including 64 pages of color activities, with Gauvain the knight in the castle and the Eight Keys.
€24.99Free shipping
What to review in 5th Grade?The entire range is gathered in our collection The Great Adventure Workbooks. For a routine that lasts all school year rather than just the summer, check out My Super Year; and for the winter holidays, check out our Great Advent Workbook.
Printable summer workbook or paper workbook?
Both formats have their uses. A printable summer workbook costs only the price of paper, can be reprinted as many times as you like, and can be sent via email — handy when staying with grandparents or traveling. On the other hand, it requires access to a printer, and loose sheets can get lost.
The paperback workbook, for its part, fits into a beach bag, lies flat on a kitchen table, and above all, gives the child the feeling of having their own object that they fill out from start to finish. This explains the difference in consistency between the two formats. Our advice: try the free PDF to see if your child likes the style, then switch to the paper workbook for the summer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which summer workbook should I choose for my child?
Choose the one for the grade they just finished, never the one they are about to enter. A child leaving second grade (CE1) should use the second-grade workbook: a summer workbook consolidates the past year; it does not introduce the curriculum of the following year, which will be taught in class at the start of the new term.
At what age is a summer workbook useful?
As early as "Petite Section" (pre-K), around age 3, provided the workbook is designed for that age: one major activity per page, written instructions for the parent, and plenty of illustrations. Before age 3, workbooks don't make much sense: physical manipulation and oral language are what matter.
How much time per day should be spent on it?
Ten to fifteen minutes, four to five times a week, is more than enough. In preschool, five to ten minutes. The goal is never to finish the workbook: it is to keep in touch with reading, numbers, and the pencil.
Are summer workbooks really effective?
They are when used regularly and in short bursts. What is lost over the summer is not knowledge, but automatic skills: reading speed, multiplication tables, grammar rules. A few pages a week are enough to maintain them, and that is precisely what a workbook helps to achieve without thinking about it.
Is a summer workbook necessary if my child has good grades?
Yes, but for a different reason: not to catch up, but to maintain. A good student loses their automatic skills just like everyone else. However, there is no need to aim for the higher grade's workbook: revising quickly and well is better than struggling with concepts never seen before.
Do your workbooks follow official curricula?
Yes. Each workbook is written based on the French Ministry of Education's annual progress guidelines for the grade in question, in French and mathematics. The format remains that of a summer workbook: short instructions, illustrations, and an adventure that continues from page to page.
Summer workbook or summer homework: what is the difference?
None in practice: both expressions refer to the same summer review material. "Summer homework" emphasizes the academic aspect, while "summer workbook" emphasizes the fun side. You will also come across terms like "CP to CE1," "CE2 to CM1," or "CM2 to 6e," which name the workbook by the transition rather than by the completed grade.
What are the delivery times?
Each copy is printed on demand at a partner workshop in Europe: allow 5 to 10 working days between ordering and receipt. Delivery is free, with no minimum purchase, throughout mainland France.
Find the workbook for your child's grade
Eight workbooks, from Petite Section to CM2 (5th grade). Printed on demand in Europe, delivered for free.
See all summer workbooksSummarize this page with an AI:
Kidibook designs educational workbooks and books from preschool to high school, written based on the French Ministry of Education's annual progress guidelines and illustrated in-house. All our works are printed on demand in Europe. Have a question about choosing a level? Write to us, we respond within 48 hours.