Good vision is essential to a child's success as they enter school-age years. As much as 80% of everything students learn is through their eyes, and if their vision is not performing properly their academic performance can suffer. As children progress in school, so does the demand on their visual capabilities; therefore, it is important to start monitoring your child's eye health long before they're in the classroom.
Between the ages of 2 and 5 years old, a child's visual abilities become more and more fine tuned from the abilities they were born with. That is also the frame of time that vision problems can start to develop. Crossed or lazy eyes are problems that can be spotted, but approximately 10% of all preschoolers have vision problems, and most children at that age do not voice their complaints about eye sight. Keep an eye out for these signs that your child may be having vision problems:
- Short attention span for their age
- Difficulty recognizing colors, shapes, letters, numbers
- Sitting close to the TV/holding a book close to their face
- Squinting
- Difficulty with hand-body coordination
By the time your child 3 years old you should take them to an optometrist for a comprehensive eye exam to be sure their eyes are developing properly, and are clear of any signs of eye diseases. With today's diagnostic tests, a child does not need to know the alphabet or be able to read before having an eye exam. You can aid your pre-school age child's visual development at home by engaging in some simple activities such as: playing catch or other hand-eye coordination games, using finger paints, reading, memory games, and interacting with other children.
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