The Importance of Vision Health for Children
The Role of Vision in Child Development
Vision is one of the most vital senses, playing a fundamental role in how children perceive, interact with, and learn about the world.
Yet, the importance of vision health in early childhood is often underestimated, with many problems going undetected until they begin to hinder a child’s development or academic performance.
Ensuring optimal vision health lays the groundwork for a child’s educational success, social development, and overall well-being.
Sight is a primary channel through which children absorb information, both formally in classroom settings and informally as they explore their environment.
Approximately 80% of what a child learns is through sight.
From recognizing faces and reading emotions to learning to read and write, vision underpins almost every aspect of growth:
Did you know? 80% of learning is dependent upon vision.
Children may struggle in school if they cannot clearly see the teacher, see writing on the whiteboard, if they have difficulty changing their visual focus from far to near distance, or have problems following words in a book or on a tablet.
It is important that children have a chance to achieve their full learning potential, beginning with eye health.
As many as 1 in 4 children have a vision problem that may impair their ability to learn.
Children rarely complain of vision problems, often because they are not aware of them. Optometrists are able to determine if a child can see clearly up close and at a distance and if the child’s eyes are working together properly.
There is significantly improved success when treating vision problems if they are found early in a child’s life.
Has your child had an eye examination?​
