1st Grade (CP) Summer Workbook: what to review, and which one to choose
Your child has just learned to read. It is the most fragile skill acquired throughout their entire schooling: it relies on daily practice, and two months without opening a book are enough to slow down a decoding skill that has only just taken hold. A 1st-grade summer workbook has only one real role: to keep the connection alive.
The essentials in 30 seconds
- Always choose the workbook for the grade your child has just finished: a child finishing 1st grade (CP) takes the 1st-grade workbook to consolidate their knowledge before entering 2nd grade (CE1).
- Target age: 6 and 7 years old, at the end of 1st grade or the very beginning of 2nd grade.
- The right pace: ten to fifteen minutes a day, preferably in the morning. The goal is never to finish the workbook, but to keep the connection alive.
- What to review first: numbers up to 100, tens and units, addition and subtraction (written and mental), sentences, capitalization, punctuation, and singular/plural.
- Also known as a 1st grade to 2nd grade transition workbook or 1st grade summer homework: it is the same workbook, named after either the previous grade or the transition.
- To test the style before buying, a free printable summer workbook is available at kidibook.com.
- Our workbook: Plouf and the Magic Seashell — Large 1st Grade Activity Workbook, 86 pages, A4 large format including 64 pages of full-color activities, €24.99 with free shipping, printed on demand in Europe.
Table of Contents
The 1st 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 1st grade (Cycle 2) annual benchmarks require, in math and French.
In mathematics
Numbers now go up to 100. Your child reads, writes, compares, and orders them, and understands the value of tens and units. They add and subtract — mentally for small numbers, by writing out the operation for others — and solve simple one-step problems. They measure lengths, tell time to the hour, recognize plane figures like squares and triangles, as well as solids: cubes, spheres, and cylinders.
In French
The year of reading. Your child has moved from syllable-by-syllable decoding to reading actual sentences and then short texts aloud. They write short sentences themselves, not just copying. They recognize sentences, capitalization, and punctuation, distinguish singular from plural, and begin to identify nouns, verbs, and the short words preceding nouns.
Concretely, what a 1st grade workbook must cover
- numbers up to 100, tens and units
- addition and subtraction, written and mental
- one-step problems
- reading sentences and short texts
- writing short sentences
- sentences, capitalization, punctuation, and singular/plural
The principle to remember A 1st grade summer workbook covers the curriculum of the year your child has just completed, 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 remedial textbook.
Why review during the holidays
In 2nd grade (CE1), reading ceases to be an objective and becomes a tool: children read to understand instructions, problems, and stories. A child who is still struggling to decode in September falls behind in all subjects, including math.
Two months without practicing is a long time for a 6 or 7-year-old. It's not that their knowledge disappears — it remains somewhere — it's the automatic skills: reading slows down, they have to reconstruct a math table instead of reciting it, or they miss a grammar rule they usually know. Researchers call this the "summer slide." A few pages a week are enough to avoid it.
It's not about keeping the child busy: it's about sparing them the unpleasant feeling in September that they have forgotten everything. It’s a matter of confidence as much as academic level.
How to choose a 1st Grade summer workbook
Back-to-school aisles offer a dozen workbooks for the same grade, and they all look the same on the outside. Here are the six criteria that actually make a difference, in order of importance.
| Criterion | What to look for |
|---|---|
| The right level | That of the grade completed, never the one to come. A workbook that is too advanced will be discouraging within three pages. |
| Curriculum coverage | French and math, including key concepts of the year — not just themed 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 answer keys, you end up re-doing the exercises 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, paperback, that lays flat on a kitchen table and slips 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-finished on a shelf, and the revisions with it. That's why our workbooks tell a story rather than just lining up worksheets.
Our 1st to 2nd grade transition workbook: Plouf and the Magic Seashell
1st Grade Summer Workbook · 6-7 years
Plouf and the Magic Seashell — Large 1st Grade Activity Workbook
86 pages, large A4 format, including 64 pages of full-color activities, driven by an 8-chapter story featuring Plouf the fish.
€24.99Free delivery · printed on demand in Europe
Discover the 1st Grade workbookThe principle is simple: your child doesn't "do exercises," they help Plouf the fish in the ocean and the Magic Seashell. Each chapter advances the story, and each finished page moves the adventure forward. This isn't just window dressing: it’s what makes a child reopen the workbook the next day without being asked.
What the workbook contains
- 86 pages in large A4 format, including 64 pages of full-color activities.
- The 1st grade curriculum in French and mathematics, covering the notions listed above.
- Games between exercises: mazes, word searches, coloring, observation games.
- All answer keys at the end of the workbook, to check at a glance — or let the child self-correct.
- Visible progress and a diploma to fill out on the last page.
- Printed on demand in Europe, delivered for free, with no minimum purchase.
One hour of tutoring costs about €30. This workbook costs €24.99 and accompanies your child throughout the entire summer.
How to use it without ruining the summer
Ten minutes or so 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 the connection with reading, numbers, and the pencil.
And if your child skips an entire week, it's not a big deal — really. Better to have three pages done with pleasure in August than thirty pages torn through in late July. At 6 and 7 years old, consistency matters more than volume.
The ritual that works Put the workbook in the same place at the same time, and let your child choose their page. The choice changes everything: it turns an obligation into a decision. And keep the answer keys for the end — self-correcting is part of the learning process.
Which workbook based on your child's grade
The reference is always the same: the grade your child has just finished. A child coming out of 1st grade (CP) takes the 1st-grade workbook, even if they are entering 2nd grade (CE1) in September.
| Grade completed | Age | Workbook | Mascot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-K (Petite Section) | 3-4 years | PS Summer Workbook | Titou |
| K (Moyenne Section) | 4-5 years | MS Summer Workbook | Rosie |
| 1st Year Kindergarten (GS) | 5-6 years | GS Summer Workbook | Bibou |
| 1st Grade (CP) | 6-7 years | 1st Grade Summer Workbook (current page) | Plouf |
| 2nd Grade (CE1) | 7-8 years | CE1 Summer Workbook | Léo |
| 3rd Grade (CE2) | 8-9 years | CE2 Summer Workbook | Astro |
| 4th Grade (CM1) | 9-10 years | CM1 Summer Workbook | Rex |
| 5th Grade (CM2) | 10-11 years | CM2 Summer Workbook | Gauvain |
"1st Grade to 2nd Grade Summer Workbook": what are we talking about?
Many publishers — and many parents — name the workbook by the transition rather than the grade: 1st Grade to 2nd Grade summer workbook. It is exactly the same work as the 1st grade workbook: it reviews the 1st-grade curriculum to prepare for 2nd grade. You will also see the phrase 1st 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 grade completed in the first case — the workbook reviews the basics step-by-step — and also for the second case: reviewing quickly and well is better than floundering in concepts never seen before. Our FAQ details special cases.
Other Kidibook formats
For the school year: My Super 1st Grade Year
The summer workbook covers the summer. If you are looking for a daily ritual during the year, My Super 1st Grade Year — Kidibook offers one challenge per day, a star to color, and badges to unlock throughout the school 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's a good way to see if the format appeals to your child before ordering the paperback version.
For the winter holidays
The Great Advent Workbook follows the same principle over 24 days, with all six mascots gathered together. The entire range is included in the Great Adventure Workbooks collection. And if your child is learning to read this year, our guide on choosing a book to learn to read will help you support them effectively.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which summer workbook to choose for a child who just finished 1st grade (CP)?
The one for the grade they just finished, so the 1st grade workbook. A summer workbook consolidates the past year: it is not intended to introduce the 2nd grade curriculum, which will be taught in class at the start of the school year.
What age does the 1st grade summer workbook correspond to?
Children aged 6 and 7, at the end of 1st grade or the very beginning of 2nd 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 wanes and the workbook becomes a constraint. A short daily session is better than a long weekly one.
My child had difficulties this year, is this suitable?
Yes. The workbook covers the basics step-by-step without assuming everything is mastered. It is the perfect opportunity to review what went wrong in a calm environment, without the pressure of grades or the judgment of the class.
Are the answer keys included?
Yes, all answer keys are at the end of the workbook. You check in a glance without having to redo the exercises yourself, and your child can also correct their own work whenever they like.
What is the delivery time?
Each copy is printed on demand in a partner workshop in Europe: allow 5 to 10 working days between ordering and receipt. Shipping is free, with no minimum purchase, everywhere in metropolitan France. The 1st grade workbook is €24.99.
Can it be used during the school year, not just the summer?
Absolutely. Many families open it during the autumn break or make it a weekend ritual. The exercises are short and include answer keys, making them easy to integrate at any time.
What is the difference between a 1st grade summer workbook and 1st grade summer homework?
None, in practice: both terms refer to the same summer review material. "Summer homework" emphasizes the academic aspect, "summer workbook" focuses on the fun side. You will also encounter the term "1st Grade to 2nd Grade summer workbook," which names the workbook by the transition rather than the grade finished.
My child still reads slowly, is this the right workbook?
Yes. The texts in the 1st grade workbook are short and the instructions are only one line long, precisely for a beginning reader. Read them together for the first few days: very quickly, they will take charge of them on their own, and that is exactly the training they need.
The 1st Grade summer workbook, ready to go on holiday with you
86 pages, 64 pages of full-color activities, all answer keys included. Printed on demand in Europe, delivered for free.
Order the 1st 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 curriculum's annual programming guidelines and illustrated in-house. All our works are printed on demand in Europe. A question about choosing a level? Write to us, we respond within 48 hours.