Lower School Summer Challenges

June 2023

Dear Lower School Parents,

Here are some ideas to help your child(ren) over the summer to combat “summer slide” and keep up learning skills in all areas. 

For literacy, there are many resources around us to help us read during June, July, and August.  The libraries offer free reading programs and librarians always have great recommendations.  Also, our own retired CTA Librarian Mrs. Miller has made wonderful Suggested Summer Reading Lists that are located on the CTA website.  

CTA Reading Challenge:

Incoming 1st grade-2nd graders:  Read 20 books which can include picture books.  

Incoming 3rd-6th graders:  Read 15 or more new chapter books.   

Bring in a list of the books that you read or a copy of your child’s Summer Reading Challenge form from one of the local free library reading programs (Bexley, Columbus, etc)  Return the summer book challenge to your general studies teacher on the first day of school.  The prizes will be announced at that time.

CTA Hebrew Reading Kriyah Challenge:

Use the packet that was sent home with your child or one of the ones below to read 2 pages over the course of a week and to spend at least 40 days this summer practicing your Hebrew reading fluency using one of the challenge packets that were sent home with your child.  A parent should sign each day, the length of time, and return the packet to the Judaic teacher on the first day of school. 

Kriyah Red Packet – Letters
Kriyah Orange Packet – Text

CTA Hebrew Challenge:

Work on reading fluency and/or review basic vocabulary from the year. 

Incoming 3rd-4th graders: Read 10 minutes every week, ANY Hebrew text . It can be from the Ivrit B’Click website (use your student ID & passcode), a prayer book, the Chumash, or a book you have at home. Bonus Challenge: Teach your parents 5 Hebrew words you learned this year. 

Incoming 5th-6th graders: Read 15 minutes every week, ANY Hebrew text . It can be from the Bishvil HaIvrit website digital Book 1 (use your student ID & passcode), a prayer book, the Chumash, or a book you have at home. Bonus Challenge: Teach your parents 10 Hebrew words you learned this year. 

Record the text you read and/or the Hebrew words you taught your parents on the form. Please bring and give the form to your Hebrew teacher on the first week of school!

CTA Math Challenge:

Work on fact fluency and review grade level concepts from the year.  Freckle is a wonderful tool for this.  

Incoming 1st-3rd graders should know their addition and subtraction facts from 0-20.  Spend 10 minutes a day developing those skills 4 days a week for a total of 360 minutes for the entire summer.  

Incoming 4th-6th graders should be fluent in multiplication and division.  We ask students to spend 15 minutes a day working on these skills 4 days a week for 540 minutes for the summer.  This can include math practice.  

CTA Judaic Challenge:

Incoming 1st-6th graders:  Daven every day.  Keep track of your davening on a daily chart.   Turn your chart in to your Judaic Studies teacher on the first day of school

Incoming 1st-6th graders:  Learn 5 minutes of Torah every day, ie:  read Jewish content books, practice shorashim and pasukim you have learned, or read about the weekly parsha.

Most importantly, have your children enjoy their break.  Have fun with them!  Happy Summer Break!