{"id":20149,"date":"2021-12-12T07:48:50","date_gmt":"2021-12-12T07:48:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/?page_id=20149"},"modified":"2021-12-12T07:48:50","modified_gmt":"2021-12-12T07:48:50","slug":"why-is-my-child-reading-below-grade-level","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/vision-therapy\/guide-vision-and-learning-difficulties\/why-is-my-child-reading-below-grade-level\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Is My Child Reading Below Grade Level?"},"content":{"rendered":"

An estimated 25% of students have undetected vision problems that may be impacting their reading success.\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n

Many children who struggle with reading fluency<\/a> are intelligent and astute \u2014 they just lack the visual skills<\/a> necessary for success in reading.<\/p>\n

Reduced visual skills create challenges for students who are expected to read at grade level, as strong visual skills are <\/b>crucial <\/b>for all areas of academic achievement.<\/b><\/p>\n

The visual skills play an important role when it comes to reading<\/a>, writing<\/a>, spelling<\/a>, and virtually all other academic skills required for success in learning.<\/p>\n

For children with visual dysfunction, or reduced visual skills, reading can be a frustrating and daunting task\u2014 which often leads to avoidance of the activity altogether.<\/p>\n

Here are four of the main reasons why your child may be struggling to read, and how vision therapy<\/a> can help your child become a confident reader \u2014 and maybe even enjoy reading!<\/p>\n

1. Eye tracking problems<\/b><\/h2>\n

Eye tracking is when the eyes move in coordination, both smoothly and accurately. Tracking skills allow a student to move their eyes along a line of text, from word to word, without losing the place.<\/p>\n

A child with eye tracking problems will have slow and inaccurate eye movements, causing them to frequently lose their spot and skip words or lines of text while reading<\/b>.<\/p>\n

To compensate for this reduced visual skill, the child may present with eye flickering or tilt their head while reading to gain clarity. This takes a lot more energy and effort from the child\u2014 resulting in a loss of fluency and comprehension.<\/p>\n

2. Eye teaming problems<\/b><\/h2>\n

Eye teaming is when the eyes work in sync with one another to send visual information to the brain. Each eye sends a slightly different image to the brain to be fused together into a cohesive image\u2014 enabling a clear view of the letters and words on the page.<\/p>\n

A child with eye teaming problems may experience blurry or double vision, eye strain and headaches.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

The words may even appear to float on the page. This often results in reading difficulties, reduced attention for reading and even avoidance of reading.<\/p>\n

SEE RELATED:<\/b><\/p>\n

Vision and Learning Difficulties<\/a><\/h3>\n

If your child is reading below grade level, schedule a consultation with an eye doctor near you.\u00a0<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n\n\t

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Find a Vision Therapy Eye Doctor Near You<\/h3>\n\t\t\n\t
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