As another school year winds down, teachers across Natrona County will likely be celebrating the academic growth their students made in 2008-2009.

But almost three months of sunshine and relaxation, combined with lots of television time, is just long enough to undo all that progress.

"We lose ground every single summer because [students] quit reading," said Willard Elementary principal Leslie Madden.

Research shows that summer can be a cruel time for a child's academic development, especially for students from low-income families. For many, the progress made in reading, writing, math and other subjects stalls once school ends.

A study done by a Johns Hopkins professor and his colleagues found that about two-thirds of the academic gap between advantaged and disadvantaged children can be explained by what happens over summer.

Sociology professor Karl Alexander's study monitored academic progress for almost 800 children in Baltimore, beginning when they were in first grade and continuing until they were in adulthood.

Reading is where many students lose the most ground, Natrona County educators said. But math and writing skills also suffer while students are on summer vacation.

Educators said students can lose anywhere from two months to one quarter's worth of academic progress once school lets out.

"And we can tell," Madden said, adding that student test scores show the loss. "We've got the proof to verify that if they don't read all summer, they lose ground."

Diane Weiss, a reading coach at University Park Elementary, said there are ways parents can embed learning into their child's everyday activities. Doing so will help lessen the effect of a summer away from academics.

For example, parents can ask students to read aloud road signs on the way to the grocery store, or pick out a letter from a license plate and list words beginning with that letter.

"You don't have to tell your child to go sit and read in a chair on a nice day," Weiss said.

University Park kindergarten teacher Talea Doner said parents can also take advantage of educational video games and Web sites to engage tech-savvy children.

"A lot of these kids are so into their video games," she said.

In addition, parents could ask students to plan out meals for the family by giving them a budget and having them read through grocery store ads. Students will have to use their math knowledge to budget accurately.

"They have fun with that kind of stuff," Doner said. "They're making their own choices."

"They love the responsibility," Weiss added.

Mary Ohnemus, a reading teacher at Grant Elementary, said taking students to museums and other historical places in Casper and Wyoming will also help students academically once fall rolls around.

"It's really important that they get that background," she said. "Life experiences help them as much in school as does reading, writing or math."

Reach education reporter Jasa Santos at (307) 266-0593 or at jasa.santos@trib.com. Read her education blog at tribtown.trib.com/JasaSantos/blog.

Keep the learning going

Research shows students will lose academic ground once school lets out for the summer. Natrona County educators suggested trying the following to help students stay on top of their game.

Use a deck of cards or a pair of dice to review math facts.

Take time to read with your child.

Going swimming? Have your child figure out how much it will cost.

Workbooks are a great way to encourage fun learning.

Trade every minute of reading for a minute of television or video games.

Explore Casper by taking a hike, walking around downtown or stopping by a museum.

Want to see a movie? Ask your child to find show times in the newspaper and pick they time he'd like to go.

Find video games or Web sites for your children that have an academic focus.

Talk to your child about what he or she would like to do over the summer.

Set learning goals.

Let your children plan a family dinner. Give them a spending limit, and have them read grocery store ads to find the best prices.

Have your child figure out how much time it takes to run simple errands-a trip to the post office, a grocery store run, a visit to the library.