The summer's winding down. Kids everywhere are getting ready for the beginning of the academic year, equipped with brand new bags, new books and loads of energy. This is the ideal time to take your child to an eye exam, if you haven't already covered that base.
Approximately 80% of learning is achieved visually. But even with this obvious connection between sight and learning, a lot of people don't realize how profoundly vision problems affect education, and as a result, don't include comprehensive eye exams as part of their child's back to school health check-up. It's important to know that because vision in kids changes, regular eye exams are central to success at school.
It is extra important to keep an eye out for the indicators of vision problems as your child progresses through school. Warning signs may include not properly seeing numbers or letters, watery eyes and frequent eye rubbing, extra close reading distance, head tilting, and avoiding detailed work.
Not being able to meet the visual requirements at school can potentially affect his/her performance. New educational technology, such as the use of interactive whiteboards, can sometimes heighten previously hidden vision problems. When a student doesn't have good enough vision, it isn't just their school work that suffers. It's mentally and emotionally challenging for them also.
If you're the parent of a glasses-wearing child, the start of the school year is a good time to reassess the suitability of his or her current frames and maybe purchase your child new glasses to start off the new year. Even when a child can see clearly with his or her old glasses, the fit might be wrong or perhaps the optical centers of the lenses are not optimally positioned anymore due to normal growth. If kids don't feel good in their glasses, they probably won't wear them much.
Be sure to visit us as part of your back-to-school routine. We'll do our very best to help our young patients start the year afresh with their vision in check.
