Your Child’s Eyes: How They Affect His Learning

Your child’s eyes are one of the most important learning tools he brings into the classroom everyday. A child that can’t clearly see the chalkboard or read his workbook is missing out on much of what goes on during the day.

If your child is having difficulty learning at school, frequently rubs his eyes, squints, reports eye strain, or in other ways indicates difficulty seeing, then make sure he receives a thorough examination from a licensed optometrist or ophthalmologist.

Sometimes, all it takes to remedy a learning problem at school is a good pair of eye glasses. Other times, however, visual problems can be more subtle. Your child may have perfect vision, yet still have problems coordinating eye movements or processing visual input from the outside world.

Behavioral or developmental optometrists can help alleviate many of these problems through specially designed exercises that relax eye muscles and train the eyes to effectively process academic material.

For more information, write Optometric Extension Program, 2912 S. Daimler, Santa Ana, California, 92705.

Thomas Armstrong, Ph.D. is an award-winning author and speaker with twenty-eight years of teaching experience from the primary through the doctoral level, and over one million copies of his books in print on issues related to learning and human development. He is the author of nine books including Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom, In Their Own Way, Awakening Your Child’s Natural Genius, 7 Kinds of Smart, The Myth of the A.D.D. Child, ADD/ADHD Alternatives in the Classroom, and Awakening Genius in the Classroom. His books have been translated into sixteen languages, including Spanish, Chinese, Hebrew, Danish, and Russian.