How Your Child’s Vision Impacts Their Ability to Read and Learn

Reading is an essential part of your child’s ability to learn and thrive in school and beyond. Unfortunately, undiagnosed vision problems can make reading a difficult, stressful, and even painful task.

Below, our Troy eye care team at Unger Eye Care discusses the connection between vision and learning and how we can help set your child up for success.

The Connection Between Vision and Learning

When your child reads, they need more than just 20/20 vision. Their eyes need to be able to move smoothly across a page, focus on words and switch seamlessly from one line to the next. Often, children who experience difficulties with these and other visual tasks have trouble keeping up with their peers in school and may become discouraged, losing interest in reading altogether.

Common vision problems that may cause your child difficulty with reading include:

Visual Focus Issues

Visual focus is the ability to clearly see and maintain focus on objects at different distances. When reading, children need to focus on the words on the page, and shift focus between the page and their surroundings, such as the classroom board or their notes. A child who struggles with focusing may experience blurred vision, headaches, or frequent eye strain. These symptoms can make it difficult to concentrate, leading to slower reading progress and a lack of engagement in schoolwork.

Eye Tracking Problems

Eye tracking refers to the eyes' ability to move smoothly and accurately across the page while reading. If your child has trouble with eye tracking, they might lose their place, skip words or lines, or have to use their finger to guide their reading. Eye tracking issues can also lead to difficulty with comprehension, as the child may have to reread passages multiple times to understand the content, and may experience confusion between similar letters such as “b” and “d,” or “p” and “q.”

Binocular Vision Dysfunction

Binocular vision is the coordination between both eyes to work together as a team. When this coordination is weak, known as binocular vision dysfunction (BVD), the eyes may not align properly, causing double vision or difficulty with depth perception. For a child learning to read, BVD can lead to headaches, eye strain, and difficulty focusing on close-up tasks like reading. This condition can make the reading process exhausting, causing children to avoid reading and struggle with school performance.

Why an Eye Exam Is Crucial for Reading Success

If your child is having trouble with reading, it’s important to consider their vision and eye health as part of the equation. Even if your child passes a basic vision screening, they may still have underlying issues like eye tracking problems or binocular vision dysfunction that affect their ability to read. A comprehensive eye exam can detect these issues and help address them with the right treatment. Correcting vision problems can lead to improved reading skills, better academic performance, and a more enjoyable learning experience.

Setting Your Child Up for Success

Reading is a fundamental skill that opens the door to lifelong learning. If your child is struggling with reading or shows signs of discomfort while reading, it’s essential to rule out any vision problems. Help your child thrive in school and develop a love for reading by scheduling an eye exam at our eye clinic today.