Reading and Vision:

After much research in my forty years plus teaching in the public schools, I am still amazed at how little primary teachers look at vision as an important component of reading.  Vision is critical to reading ability.

If your child is lagging in reading skills, observe and see if he displays any of these things when reading…rubs his eyes, his eyes water or he begins to yawn. All of these may indicate that his vision is not adequate.  It is important to seek professional help if you suspect his reading lags are due to visual problems.

I would suggest that you find a pediatric eye doctor who specializes in children’s visual problems.  Make sure that he examines your child for the following;

Acuity, binocular coordination, dominant eye, convergence, tracking and the ability to cross midline.  You cannot wait until the child is in fifth or sixth grade to find these problems and remediate them.  Early intervention is key to building success with the reading process.  Problems in any of these areas will hamper your child’s reading.