A few weeks ago, I was sitting in my living room reading when I heard a knock at the door. Having already seen his friend walking up our driveway, my son came darting down the hallway eager to answer it. Thirty seconds later came the question I knew was inevitable as soon as the weather started to warm up: "Mom, can we play baseball in our yard?" Within a few short minutes a small group of children was gathering in front of my house.

I put my book down, preparing to go to the garage and get out the bats, balls, and bases, when the kids informed me they had it under control and didn't need me. Sure enough, not even five minutes later they had organized a pickup game of baseball right in our front yard. Twelve neighborhood children, ages 5—12, set up the game, chose teams, and started to play, all on their own. 

Watching them play, it was as though winter had never come to interrupt their play from the summer before. They knew what to do and how to do it, and they really wasted no time in getting started right away. The time spent the year before helping them sort through various challenges (such as what is considered in and out, who goes first, how to pick teams, and so on) paid off. 

I find this is very similar to students who have experience with Daily 5.  Expected behaviors are communicated so clearly, and practiced so repeatedly, that even after a summer vacation, students still remember what to do and how to do it. The muscle memory doesn't forget.

The transition back to school after a lengthy break can be made even smoother by following a few ideas highlighted in this week's tip for enhancing summer learning and preventing the summer slide.   

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