Struggling Readers? Have You Considered This 1 Cause To Be The Reason?

So many times over the years, I have had struggling readers who also struggle with handwriting, and writing skills, geometry and spatial skills, only to find through many months of evaluations, parent/teacher meetings, and ESAP meetings that the problem is a vision problem…not a “you need glasses” vision problem, but a learning-related vision problem. This issue has been especially high on my radar because my own son was diagnosed with a learning-related vision problem when he was 9 years old, and recognizing that problem and getting to the root of it was a major turning point in his life!

Struggling Readers: The Eye-Opening Facts

Recently I was very fortunate to be able to attend a seminar explaining exactly what is going on for children with these types of vision problems and it was so enlightening! Fascinating stuff, friends! 

Like, did you know… 

Now, these are not “just get your glasses and you will be all fixed up” vision problems… those vision problems are usually caught in a standard eye exam given in the pediatrician’s office or the nurse’s office. 

These vision problems go beyond 20/20 vision tests.

Beyond 20/20 Vision

What you need to know about those “standard” vision exams that students get from the pediatrician or the school nurse is… 

Many students are entering our classrooms with a “clean bill of health” as far as vision is concerned because they have been told they have 20/20 vision. 

But in reality, they are riddled with vision problems that interfere with their ability to read, learn, comprehend, and even pay attention!

The Importance of a Fully Functional Visual System

A fully functional visual system allows us to answer the following questions:

• Where am I?
• Where are other things in space?
• What is it that I see?
• What can I tell you about what I see?

It is not only important for a child’s brain to use the eyes to receive information effectively, but it must also comprehend that information quickly and react to it appropriately.

Why Don’t Struggling Readers Speak Up?

Ok, you are thinking, but why then don’t these students ever complain about not being able to see properly? 

They don’t realize that what is happening to them when they are trying to read or do math is any different than anyone else in the room…they just figure it is one more thing they just don’t seem to do very well!

Recognizing the Signs

So if the students aren’t telling us, how are we supposed to know there is a problem? Well, there are lots of signs and signals to look for in a child who is having learning-related vision problems. 

Classroom Red Flags

Unfortunately, because the problems these children are having affect how their eyes focus, work together, or move along a line of print when reading, these learning-related vision problems cause children to struggle unnecessarily. 

They can also result in their being mislabeled as learning disabled or having Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

How often have you had a student whose learning behaviors are just “off” and you can’t exactly put your finger on what is going on? 

In my experience, the signs that have stood out the most to me in my classroom that have been red flags have been: 

• skipping lines when reading
• saying that the words are “moving” on the page
• horrible handwriting, especially when copying from the board
• holding the book far away from their face to read
• excessive erasing
• only doing part of the work and then just stopping/giving up
• doing great with math computation but struggling any time we work with geometrical shapes and figures
• very strong school-related anxiety.

Walking in Their Shoes

During the seminar, we were able to “walk in the shoes” of the students who struggle with visual learning problems, and we were given the opportunity to view things in the ways that these children view them. Below is an example of what a child with blurred vision or trouble focusing may constantly deal with in the classroom.

Can you imagine how difficult and exhausting this would be for a child? In the time that we were at the seminar, after experiencing briefly the different visual problems students may face, the adults in the room were FRUSTRATED, EXHAUSTED, AND OVERWHELMED!

Taking Action

So once we see these signs and symptoms and suspect there is a learning-related visual problem, then what? 

Talk to Parents

Well, the student needs to be evaluated by a Developmental Optometrist who can then determine the exact problem or problems the child is having. Many of these students are then placed into a vision therapy program, which is a program of activities specifically designed to help the patient develop the visual abilities/areas, which are inadequate for schoolwork. Vision therapy trains the visual system to function properly.

Assure them that progress IS POSSIBLE! Over the years, I have seen several success stories as a direct result of working with Developmental Optometrists and Vision Therapy programs. If you would like more information about vision therapy and learning-related vision problems you can visit www.seemybest.com. 

Raise Awareness

And finally, raise awareness about vision-related learning issues and the importance of eye care for children. 

Check out this FREE vision information flyer you (or your school!) can use to help parents understand the importance of eye care for children and a special consideration for struggling readers. It’s perfect for school nurses, new student registration, back-to-school packets, and more! 

Your students are so blessed to have such a caring teacher who is always learning more for them!

Let me know if you have any questions about anything you see here. Don’t forget to pin this post to refer to it later!

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