4 Troubled Teens Blog

Does your child hate to read - even though he enjoyed reading when he was in the primary grades? If so, you may want to schedule a vision test. Your child may have a common problem that can be corrected with eye training exercises, according to a new government study.

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 0 Comments

Almost one in three of the 22 million American high school and middle school students are "struggling readers," according to a new study funded by the federal government.

• The researchers used a five year statistical analysis from the Carnegie Corporation of New York Council on Advancing Adolescent Literacy.
• They found that almost 70% of eighth-graders and 65% of 12 graders cannot read at grade level.
• Reading proficiency among older children is actually declining.

The report calls for increased federal funding for high school and middle school reading programs. However, the authors noted that statewide reading initiatives for older students in Florida, Alabama, Kentucky, Rhode Island, New Jersey and other states have failed to produce significant results.

Academic struggles that can result from reading deficiencies can lead to a host of other problems for teens, including self-esteem issues, poor self-image, depression and substance abuse.
 

Labels: reading

Posted By: Jane St. Clair 1 Comment