5th Grade (CM2) Summer Workbook: what to review, and which one to choose
After 5th grade comes the biggest transition in schooling: multiple teachers, several subjects, and much more autonomy. 6th grade does not re-teach primary school, it builds upon it. A summer of light review is not a luxury: it determines how your child will experience their first trimester.
The essentials in 30 seconds
- Always choose the workbook for the grade your child has just finished: a child finishing 5th grade takes the 5th grade workbook to consolidate before entering 6th grade.
- Target age: 10 and 11 years old, at the end of 5th grade or the very beginning of 6th grade.
- The right pace: ten to fifteen minutes a day, preferably in the morning. The goal is never to finish the workbook, it is to keep skills sharp.
- What to prioritize for review: proportionality, fractions and decimal numbers, the four operations, grammatical homonyms, and complex sentences.
- Also called 5th grade to 6th grade summer workbook or summer homework: it is the same workbook, named after the starting grade or the transition.
- To test the style before buying, a free printable summer workbook is available on kidibook.com.
- Our workbook: Gauvain and the Eight Keys — Large 5th Grade Activity Workbook, 87 A4-size pages including 64 pages of color activities, €24.99 with free shipping, printed on demand in Europe.
Table of Contents
The 5th grade curriculum in detail
A good summer workbook does not guess: it goes over, concept by concept, what your child actually worked on this year. Here is what the 5th grade annual benchmarks (cycle 3) require, in mathematics and French.
In mathematics
The year of assessment and heading toward 6th grade. Your child consolidates fractions and decimal numbers, adds, subtracts, and multiplies decimals, and discovers proportionality — a concept that will be used throughout middle school. They perform the four operations. In geometry, they use a compass, construct figures from a set of instructions, calculate perimeters, areas, and volumes, and manipulate angles. They read and create tables and graphs.
In French
All conjugation tenses are now combined: present, imperfect, future, passé composé, passé simple, and compound tenses. Your child masters agreements, distinguishes between grammatical homonyms, and analyzes complex sentences. They write long, argumentative texts and take notes. This is exactly what 6th grade will expect of them in September.
Concretely, what a 5th grade workbook should cover
- proportionality
- fractions and decimal numbers, and the four operations
- perimeters, areas, and volumes
- symmetry, angles, and construction exercises
- all conjugation tenses
- grammatical homonyms and complex sentences
The principle to remember A 5th grade summer workbook covers the curriculum of the year your child has just finished, not the following year. You consolidate before school starts, you don't get ahead — that is what distinguishes a summer workbook from a tutoring manual.
Why review during the summer
Entering 6th grade is the biggest disruption in schooling: several teachers, multiple subjects, and much more independence. A child who arrives with weak foundations in French and mathematics catches up very quickly, because no one stops to look back.
Two months without practicing is a long time for a 10 or 11-year-old. It is not that the knowledge disappears — it remains, somewhere — it is the automatic habits: reading slows down, multiplication tables must be reconstructed instead of recited, and agreement rules are retrieved with a delay. Researchers call this the "summer slide." A few pages a week are enough to avoid it.
And this is not just about keeping the child busy: it is about sparing them the unpleasant feeling in September of having forgotten everything. It is a matter of confidence as much as level.
How to choose a 5th grade summer workbook
Back-to-school aisles 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 the order of importance.
| Criterion | What to look for |
|---|---|
| The right level | That of the finished grade, never the one to come. A workbook that is too advanced will discourage them in three pages. |
| Curriculum coverage | French and mathematics, with the key concepts of the year — not just thematic games. |
| Activity duration | Short exercises that can be done 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. |
| Desire to open the workbook | A story, a mascot, a visible progression. This is the only criterion that decides if the workbook is finished or abandoned. |
| Format | Large A4 format, paperback, that lays flat on a kitchen table and slides 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, along with the reviews. This is the reason why our workbooks tell a story rather than just lining up worksheets.
Our 5th to 6th grade summer workbook: Gauvain and the Eight Keys
5th Grade Summer Workbook · 10-11 years old
Gauvain and the Eight Keys — Large 5th Grade Activity Workbook
87 A4-size pages, including 64 color activity pages, driven by an 8-chapter story with Gauvain the knight.
€24.99Free delivery · printed on demand in Europe
Discover the 5th grade workbookThe principle is simple: your child is not "doing exercises," they are helping Gauvain the knight in the fortress and the Eight Keys. Each chapter moves the story forward, and each completed page advances the adventure. This 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 large A4 pages, including 64 pages of full-color activities.
- The 5th 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 workbook, for a quick glance — or let the child check their own work.
- Visible progression and a diploma to fill out on the last page.
- Printed on demand in Europe, delivered for free, no minimum purchase.
One hour of tutoring costs about €30. This workbook costs €24.99 and accompanies your child all summer long.
How to use it without ruining the summer
Ten minutes a day, no more. Preferably in the morning, before the beach or pool, when the mind is fresh. The goal is never to finish the workbook: it is to keep in touch with reading, numbers, and the pencil.
And if your child skips a whole week, it is not a big deal — really. Better to have three pages done with pleasure in August than thirty pages forced in late July. At 10 and 11, consistency matters more than volume.
The routine 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 level based on your child's grade
The reference point is always the same: the grade your child just finished. A child who just finished 5th grade takes the 5th grade workbook, even if they are entering 6th grade in September.
| Finished Grade | Age | Workbook | Mascot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-K | 3-4 years | Pre-K Summer Workbook | Titou |
| Junior Kindergarten | 4-5 years | JK Summer Workbook | Rosie |
| Senior Kindergarten | 5-6 years | SK Summer Workbook | Bibou |
| 1st Grade | 6-7 years | 1st Grade Summer Workbook | Plouf |
| 2nd Grade | 7-8 years | 2nd Grade Summer Workbook | Léo |
| 3rd Grade | 8-9 years | 3rd Grade Summer Workbook | Astro |
| 4th Grade | 9-10 years | 4th Grade Summer Workbook | Rex |
| 5th Grade (CM2) | 10-11 years | 5th Grade Summer Workbook (current page) | Gauvain |
"5th grade to 6th grade summer workbook": what are we talking about?
Many publishers — and many parents — name the workbook by the transition rather than the grade: 5th grade to 6th grade summer workbook. It is exactly the same book as the 5th grade workbook: it reviews the 5th grade curriculum to prepare for the 6th grade entry. You will also see the expression 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 also the finished grade in the second case: reviewing quickly and well is better than floundering in concepts never seen. Our FAQ details specific cases.
Other Kidibook formats
For the school year: My Super 5th Grade Year
The summer workbook covers the summer. If you are looking for a daily routine during the school year, My Super 5th Grade Year — Kidibook offers one challenge per day, a star to color, and badges to unlock throughout the 5th grade year. The two complement each other: one maintains, the other accompanies.
To try before you buy: 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 is a good way to see if your child likes the format before ordering the paperback version.
For winter holidays
The Great Advent Workbook uses the same principle over 24 days, with all six mascots gathered. And the entire range is collected in the Great Adventure Workbooks collection.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which summer workbook to choose for a child finishing 5th grade?
The one for the grade they just finished, so the 5th grade workbook. A summer workbook consolidates the past year: it is not intended to introduce the 6th grade curriculum, which will be taught in class in the fall.
What age does the 5th grade summer workbook correspond to?
Children aged 10 and 11, at the end of 5th grade or the very beginning of 6th 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 a long weekly one.
My child had difficulties this year, is it suitable?
Yes. The workbook covers the basics step by step, without assuming everything is mastered. It is the perfect opportunity to review what was challenging in a calm environment, without the pressure of grades or classmates.
Are the answer keys included?
Yes, all answers are at the end of the book. You check in a glance without redoing the exercises yourself, and your child can also correct their own work when they wish.
What is the delivery time?
Each copy is printed on demand in a partner workshop in Europe: expect 5 to 10 business days between order and receipt. Shipping is free, with no minimum purchase, everywhere in mainland France. The 5th grade workbook is €24.99.
Can it be used during the school year, not just in summer?
Absolutely. Many families use it during the fall break or make it a weekend routine. The exercises are short and include answers, making them easy to integrate at any time.
What is the difference between a 5th grade summer workbook and 5th grade summer homework?
None, in practice: both expressions refer to the same summer review material. "Summer homework" emphasizes the academic side, "summer workbook" the playful side. You will also see the phrase "5th to 6th grade summer workbook," which names the book by the transition rather than the grade finished.
Does this workbook prepare for the 6th grade entry?
It prepares by consolidating 5th grade, which is the best preparation possible: 6th grade does not re-explain primary school. If you are looking for material that covers the 6th grade curriculum itself, our 6th grade all-in-one textbook is what you need to open at the start of the school year.
The 5th 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, free shipping.
Order the 5th grade workbook — €24.99Summarize this page with an AI:
Kidibook designs educational workbooks and books from kindergarten to high school, written based on the annual curriculum benchmarks of the French Ministry of Education 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.