Summer Reading & Math

Lower School Summer Family Bible Memorization Challenge

Each summer, we challenge our LS students to memorize Matthew 5:3-16. As a family, you can choose what Bible version is preferred by your family. 

Family Devotional Challenge:
This year, for the first time, we invite you to participate in our Family Devotional Challenge!  For this challenge, we encourage you to do a devotional together as a family for at least 40 summer days.  Here are some options if you do not have a family devotional you use. 

• Devotionals: The Case for Christ Devotions for Kids
• Bible Recap Kids’ Devotional
• Indescribable: 100 Devotions about God and Science
• Listen-Up: 10 minute-Family Devotional on the Parables by Marty Machowski
• The Chosen for Kids: 40 Days with Jesus
• Praise Him: A 30 Day Devotional with Amber Pike

Let’s Keep Growing and Stretching our Children!

Reading Challenge:
This summer’s reading challenge is to read TEN quality age appropriate books.  These can be an independent student or family reading experience.

We recommend you consider books such as:

Written Reading Response:

For each book read, document the title and write a summary including the important elements of the book. Please also include a biblical connection using the following prompt: What from this book reminds you of a lesson in the Bible or how can this book strengthen what you have learned from the Bible? 

For students who have access to Learning Ally, please feel free to utilize this resource to complete the reading challenges.

Spanish Immersion Tip: Supporting your child’s language development is one way to nurture diligence and perseverance, qualities that reflect God’s character. When learning is approached with patience and grace, it becomes an opportunity to model faith, encouragement, and gratitude for the gifts God is developing in your child.

Students in Spanish Immersion are encouraged to read books in both Spanish and English to strengthen their biliteracy skills. They can also write a summary of what they read in each language. Try alternating languages each day or reading the same story in both languages to build understanding and confidence. Remember, the goal is not perfection, but practice, enjoy the process and celebrate growth along the way! 

• Book Retell: Have your child read a Spanish book and retell using pictures and key words. 
• Draw and tell: Have your child draw a scene from a story and label items in Spanish.  Then challenge your child to write sentences using the labels. 

CHILDREN’S BIBLE – If you’re looking for one that is age-appropriate for your child, this English & Spanish Children’s Bible is a great option!

MATH ENRICHMENT

Summer Math enrichment enhances confidence with foundational concepts and equips children to be stronger problem solvers as they stretch their mathematical minds. Research shows that practice with fact fluency and math skills is critical to math performance and achievement at all levels.

Meaningful Ways to Enrich Math Skills

Math Challenge: 

• Memorize your addition facts 1’s-12’s.  (1st & 2nd)
• Memorize your subtraction facts 1’s-12’s.  (1st & 2nd)
• Memorize your multiplication facts 1’s-12’s. (3rd & 4th)
• Memorize your division facts 1’s-12’s. (3rd & 4th)

The goal is that you would know these with automaticity! 

Math ideas to explore together:

• A backyard garden: calculating planting distances, tracking growth over time, and estimating harvest
• A lemonade stand: budgeting, pricing, and calculating profit across several days of trading
• A trip to grocery: make a grocery list, plan a budget, problem solve with pricing of items
• A cooking time in kitchen: practice measuring and fractions while following recipes
• A birdhouse or simple building project: measuring, scaling, and working with spatial reasoning in a hands-on context
• A road trip: track distance in miles, calculate arrival times, budget daily spending

MATH RECOMMENDATIONS

The Middle School Math Department recommends continued engagement with math practice over the summer to strengthen and retain math skills. There is no specific requirement for math practice over the summer, but we recommend IXL and Khan Academy as quality resources that can be used to support math retention and skill development through their online platforms. We have seen tremendous growth for those that use these programs during the summer months. 

Most of your students already have a school IXL account that will remain active over the summer. If they are not aware of their account credentials or do not have an account already set up, please reach out to kelly.carter@legacyca.com to request account information. Khan Academy is a free resource with accounts that can be created and tied to a parent/guardian email account. Both IXL and Khan Academy have programs and activities geared towards readiness for the upcoming grade level. Links to access these resources are listed below: 

Khan Academy: Summer Get Ready Courses

IXL: Summer Skill Boost Skill Plans

Reading RECOMMENDATIONS

The desire we have for our students is simple: for them to fall in love with reading. We see continued reading as essential in both the development and advancement of our students. Studies show that daily reading offers students several benefits. It improves concentration and memory, critical thinking, vocabulary and language skills, and written expression. Because reading comprehension is a cross-curricular skill, it also yields higher achievement in all school subjects and helps students better deal with increasing demands of schoolwork as they continue their education. Finally, students who read regularly develop empathy for others, learn about the world beyond themselves, become life-long learners, and have a productive way to deal with stress. 

To help students develop these important skills, the LCA English Department encourages students to read at least two (2) books of their choosing over their summer break. If you would like suggestions based on the upcoming year’s curriculum or need help finding the right fit, please contact Kelly Carter (Kelly.Carter@legacayca.com).

Parents, we ask that you help your child with his or her reading goals by encouraging them in their reading as well as sharing books that you have read or would like to read, letting them see you reading for pleasure, or choosing a book you can read and discuss together as a family. Creating a family reading culture will positively impact your child’s learning, deepen family relationships, and forge impactful memories. We also encourage you to be aware of the reading choices your student is making to ensure they coincide with your family values. Plugged In, Redeemed Reader, and Common Sense Media are digital resources that include a plot summary, content evaluation considerations, overall reviews, and valuable discussion topics that we recommend to support you and your student in choosing and engaging with new books. 

**NEW** Summer Reading Challenge Project

This summer, LCA Middle School students are invited to dive deeper into their reading through our Summer Reading Challenge Project! Each grade level (5th–8th) will read at least two books and complete a Detective Journal along the way, responding to thoughtful prompts that build inference, analysis, and biblical worldview thinking. After finishing each book, students will choose a creative final project – from writing a newspaper article to crafting a literary essay – to showcase what they discovered. The prompts grow in depth and complexity across grade levels, equipping students to engage great literature with both their minds and their faith. We can't wait to see what our readers uncover this summer! Please see the project links below, by grade level. Once the project is completed, please email the projects to Mrs. Bahnmiller (melissa.bahnmiller@legacyca.com) or Kelly Carter (kelly.carter@legacyca.com)! We will be celebrating these completed projects with a little surprise at the beginning of August!

• 5th Grade 
• 6th Grade 
• 7th Grade 
• 8th Grade

Spanish Immersion Tip: Supporting your child’s language development is one way to nurture diligence and perseverance, qualities that reflect God’s character. When learning is approached with patience and grace, it becomes an opportunity to model faith, encouragement, and gratitude for the gifts God is developing in your child.

Students in Spanish Immersion are encouraged to read one book in English and one book in Spanish to strengthen their biliteracy skills. They can also write a summary of what they read in each language. Try to expose students to experiences where they can practice what they have learned in Spanish to build understanding and confidence. Remember, the goal is not perfection, but practice, enjoy the process and celebrate growth along the way! 

We hope you and your student both enjoy a great summer of reading!