Back to school: how bad eyesight impacts school performance

Bad eyesight could be holding your child back from performing well at school. Read our article for signs your child might need an eye exam.

- 5 minutes to read

How do vision issues affect your child’s performance in school?

Did you know 1 in 5 children has an undiagnosed vision problem that could be affecting their learning? As most kids get ready to go back to school parents should get their children an eye exam, considering that 80% of learning is through visuals for kids under the age of 12. It’s also very possible that a child who has been inaccurately diagnosed as a slow learner, dyslexic or unruly could just be suffering from poor eyesight and is unable to focus in class. To rule these out, getting an eye exam for your child is vital.

There are lots of tell-tale signs that your child might be suffering from an undiagnosed vision problem. In this article, we will tell you about the most common signs that your preschooler or school-age child might have a vision or eye-related problem. If you haven’t taken your child to the optometrist in the last two years it’s time that you do to make sure they can perform at their highest capacity when it’s time to go back to school.

 

Tell-tale signs of vision problems in pre-schoolers

If your pre-schooler has any of the following symptoms you should get their eyes checked out by a professional.

  • Rubs eyes often
  • Have encrusted eyelids
  • Avoids activities like colouring, puzzles or any activity that requires concentration
  • Has difficulty with hand-eye-body co-ordination
  • Frequently bumps into things
  • Has bloodshot eyes or eyelids
  • Eyes produce tears excessively 

 

Tell-tale signs of vision problems in school-age children

If your child is already in school and is experiencing any of the following symptoms it might be time for an eye exam. Same as for pre-schoolers, it is recommended to have your child’s eyes looked at by a professional if they haven’t been to see one in the past two years.

  • Has headaches regularly
  • Does not have neat handwriting
  • Holds reading material close to their face
  • Has trouble keeping track of their place while reading text
  • Has sore, irritated, or red eyes

 

 

How to get an eye exam

You can easily get your child an eye exam at any Vision Express outlet. Before seeing an optometrist, they’ll have an eye-health screening so we can determine if your child has any underlying conditions that might be contributing to their vision problems. When you visit the optometrist, we will ask you about existing medical conditions, if your kid is taking any prescription medication, as well as family-related health problems. You can find more details about what to expect during an eye-test at Vision Express on our website.

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