4th Grade (CM1) summer workbook: what to review, and which one to choose
4th grade (CM1) is the year when mathematics shifts into the abstract: fractions, decimals, and large numbers. These are precisely the concepts that fade the fastest, because they rely on understanding rather than rote memory—and understanding that is not reinforced eventually slips away.
The essentials in 30 seconds
- Always choose the workbook for the grade the child has just finished: a child finishing 4th grade (CM1) should use the 4th grade workbook to consolidate their knowledge before entering 5th grade (CM2).
- Target age: 9 and 10 years old, at the end of 4th grade or the very beginning of 5th grade.
- The right pace: ten to fifteen minutes a day, preferably in the morning. The goal is never to finish the workbook, but to stay in practice.
- What to review as a priority: simple fractions and decimals, large numbers beyond a million, and the past simple and compound tenses.
- Often called a 4th to 5th grade summer workbook or summer homework: it is the same book, named either by the previous grade or by the transition.
- To test the style before buying, a free printable summer workbook is available on kidibook.com.
- Our workbook: Rex and the Lost Valley — Large 4th Grade Activity Book, 87 pages in large A4 format, including 64 pages of color activities, €24.99 with free shipping, printed on demand in Europe.
Table of Contents
The 4th Grade curriculum in detail
A good summer workbook doesn't guess: it covers, notion by notion, what your child actually worked on this year. Here is what the annual 4th grade (cycle 3) benchmarks require in mathematics and French.
In mathematics
Mathematics moves into the abstract. Your child discovers fractions, simple ones at first, then decimals—those numbers with a decimal point that must be read, compared, and placed. Large numbers go beyond the million. They perform two-digit multiplications and approach division. In measurements and geometry, they calculate perimeters and areas, and compare angles. They also learn to read and construct tables and charts, and discover 3D shapes: cubes, rectangular prisms, and their nets.
In French
Grammatical agreements become more complex: subject-verb even when the subject is distant, agreement in the noun phrase, past participle with "être". Your child conjugates using compound tenses and discovers the "passé simple," the tense of narratives and stories. They enrich their vocabulary, work on word families, and write structured texts of several paragraphs.
Concretely, what a 4th grade workbook must cover
- simple fractions and decimals
- large numbers, beyond a million
- two-digit multiplication and division
- perimeters, areas, and angles
- difficult agreements and the past participle with "être"
- the "passé simple" and compound tenses
The principle to remember A 4th grade summer workbook covers the curriculum of the year your child has just finished, not the following year. We consolidate before the start of the school year, we don't get ahead—this is what distinguishes a summer workbook from a tutoring textbook.
Why review during the holidays
5th grade (CM2) consolidates all of this and sets the course for middle school. 4th grade concepts are precisely what 6th grade builds upon: it is better for them to be stable before adding anything else.
Two months without practicing is a long time for a 9 or 10-year-old. It is not that knowledge disappears—it stays somewhere—it is the automatisms: reading slows down, multiplication tables need to be reconstructed instead of recited, and agreement rules are recalled with a delay. Researchers call this the "summer slide." A few pages a week are enough to avoid it.
And it's not about keeping the child busy: it's about avoiding the unpleasant feeling in September of having forgotten everything. It is as much a matter of confidence as it is of level.
How to choose a 4th grade summer workbook
Back-to-school shelves offer a dozen workbooks for the same grade, and they all look the same from the outside. Here are the six criteria that really make a difference, in order of importance.
| Criterion | What to look for |
|---|---|
| The right level | That of the completed grade, never the next one. A workbook that is too advanced will be discouraging after three pages. |
| Curriculum coverage | French and mathematics, with the key concepts of the year—not just thematic games. |
| Duration of activities | 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 them, you end up redoing the exercises yourself in the evening. |
| Desire to open the book | 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, which lies flat on a kitchen table and slips easily into a beach bag. |
The last criterion is the one most underestimated. A summer workbook that becomes a chore has already lost: it will end up half-filled on a shelf, and the revisions along with it. This is the reason why our workbooks tell an adventure rather than just listing worksheets.
Our 4th to 5th grade summer workbook: Rex and the Lost Valley
4th Grade Summer Workbook · 9-10 years old
Rex and the Lost Valley — Large 4th Grade Activity Book
87 pages in large A4 format, including 64 pages of color activities, driven by an 8-chapter story featuring Rex the dinosaur.
€24.99Free shipping · printed on demand in Europe
Discover the 4th Grade workbookThe principle is simple: your child doesn't "do exercises," they help Rex the dinosaur in the Lost Valley. Each chapter advances the story, and each completed page moves the adventure forward. It is not just window dressing: it is what makes a child reopen the workbook the next day without being asked.
What the workbook contains
- 87 pages in large A4 format, including 64 pages of full-color activities.
- The 4th grade curriculum in French and mathematics, covering the concepts listed above.
- Games between exercises: mazes, word searches, coloring, observation games.
- All answer keys at the end of the book, for a quick check—or to let the child correct themselves.
- Visible progress and a certificate to fill out on the last page.
- Printed on demand in Europe, delivered for free, with no minimum purchase.
One hour of private tutoring costs about €30. This workbook costs €24.99 and accompanies your child throughout the summer.
How to use it without ruining the summer
Ten minutes a day, no more. Preferably in the morning, before the beach or the pool, when the mind is fresh. The goal is never to finish the workbook: it is to maintain contact with reading, numbers, and the pencil.
And if your child skips an entire week, it's not a big deal—really. It is better to have three pages done with pleasure in August than thirty pages torn out at the end of July. At 9 and 10 years old, consistency matters more than volume.
The ritual that works Keep the workbook in the same place, at the same time, and let your child choose their page. Choice changes everything: it transforms an obligation into a decision. And keep the answer keys for the end—correcting oneself is part of the learning process.
Which workbook based on your child's grade
The benchmark is always the same: the grade your child has just finished. A child leaving 4th grade (CM1) gets the 4th grade workbook, even if they are entering 5th grade (CM2) in September.
| Finished Grade | Age | Workbook | Mascot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-K | 3-4 | Pre-K Summer Workbook | Titou |
| Kindergarten | 4-5 | Kindergarten Summer Workbook | Rosie |
| 1st Grade (GS) | 5-6 | 1st Grade Summer Workbook | Bibou |
| 2nd Grade (CP) | 6-7 | 2nd Grade Summer Workbook | Plouf |
| 3rd Grade (CE1) | 7-8 | 3rd Grade Summer Workbook | Léo |
| 4th Grade (CE2) | 8-9 | 4th Grade Summer Workbook | Astro |
| 5th Grade (CM1) | 9-10 | 4th Grade Summer Workbook (current page) | Rex |
| 6th Grade (CM2) | 10-11 | 6th Grade Summer Workbook | Gauvain |
"4th to 5th grade summer workbook": what are we talking about?
Many publishers—and many parents—name the workbook by the transition rather than the grade: 4th to 5th grade summer workbook. It is exactly the same book as the 4th grade workbook: it reviews the 4th grade curriculum to prepare for entry into 5th grade. You will also see the term 4th grade summer homework, which refers to the same thing.
Are you hesitating between two levels, because the year was difficult or, conversely, very easy? Take the one for the finished grade in the first case—the workbook covers the basics step-by-step—and the one for the finished grade in the second case as well: reviewing quickly and well is better than floundering in concepts never seen. Our FAQ details special cases.
Other Kidibook formats
For the school year: My Super 4th Grade Year
The summer workbook covers the summer. If you are looking for a daily ritual during the year, My Super 4th Grade Year — Kidibook offers one challenge per day, a star to color, and badges to unlock throughout the 4th grade year. Both complement each other: one maintains, the other accompanies.
To try before buying: the printable workbook
If you want to test how we design our exercises, a free printable summer workbook is available on our main site. It's a good way to see if the format suits your child before ordering the softcover version.
For winter holidays
The Great Advent Workbook follows the same principle over 24 days, with all six mascots reunited. And the whole range is gathered in the collection The Great Adventure Workbooks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which summer workbook to choose for a child who finished 4th grade?
The one for the grade they just finished, so the 4th grade (CM1) workbook. A summer workbook consolidates the past year: it is not intended to introduce the 5th grade curriculum, which will be taught in class at the start of the school year.
What age does the 4th grade workbook correspond to?
To children 9 and 10 years old, at the end of 4th grade or the very beginning of 5th grade.
How much time per day should be spent on it?
Ten to fifteen minutes is enough, four or five times a week. Beyond that, attention drifts and the workbook becomes a burden. Better a short daily session than one long weekly session.
My child had difficulties this year, is it suitable?
Yes. The workbook covers the basics step-by-step, without assuming that everything is mastered. It is precisely the opportunity to review what was stuck in a calm environment, without the pressure of grades or the judgment of the class.
Are answer keys included?
Yes, all answers are at the end of the workbook. You can check at a glance without having to redo the exercises yourself, and your child can also correct themselves when they want.
What is the delivery time?
Each copy is printed on demand at a partner workshop in Europe: allow 5 to 10 business days between ordering and receipt. Delivery is free, with no minimum purchase, everywhere in metropolitan France. The 4th grade workbook is €24.99.
Can it be used during the school year, not just in summer?
Absolutely. Many families open it during the autumn break or make it a weekend ritual. The exercises are short and include keys, making them easy to integrate at any time.
What is the difference between a 4th grade summer workbook and 4th grade summer homework?
None, in reality: both expressions refer to the same summer review material. "Summer homework" emphasizes the academic aspect, "summer workbook" the fun side. You will also come across the phrasing "4th to 5th grade summer workbook," which names the book by the transition rather than the finished grade.
Are fractions and decimals really covered?
Yes, this is the heart of the 4th grade program and the workbook devotes several chapters to it: reading and placing a fraction, comparing decimals, and switching between the two. These are the concepts that 5th grade immediately resumes, so they are the ones best kept fresh.
The 4th grade summer workbook, ready to go on vacation with you
87 pages, 64 pages of color activities, all answer keys included. Printed on demand in Europe, delivered for free.
Order the 4th grade workbook — €24.99Summarize this page with an AI:
Kidibook designs educational workbooks and books from kindergarten to high school, written based on the National Education's annual curriculum guidelines and illustrated in-house. All our works are printed on demand in Europe. A question about choosing a level? Write to us, we will respond within 48 hours.