The study found that one in twenty students has "convergence insufficiency," which means their eyes do not focus correctly when they read. The problem usually does not show up until a student graduates from picture books and large type fonts such as the ones that are used in books for primary grades.
Students with this vision problem see fine print as blurry or doubled, which in turn causes them to develop headaches and eyestrain from reading. They typically tell their parents or teachers, "I hate to read," or "I can't concentrate on the pages."
Eye doctors can diagnose convergence insufficiency through vision tests, and can then prescribe a series of simple exercises to help the child learn to focus on print. A study of 220 people ages 9 to 20 found that 75 percent of those who did the exercises in their eye doctors' offices improved their reading performances.
Labels: schools, eyesight, reading
Posted By: Aspen Education Group