There is no doubt that having good eyesight is linked to doing well in school. About 80% of what a student learns in school, according to experts, is given visually. We see things every day. So, a student of any age needs to be able to see well in order to reach his full potential and do well in school.

Your child may be nearsighted (can’t see things far away, like a blackboard), farsighted (can see things close up, like reading a book), or have astigmatism, which makes things blurry because the eyes can’t focus light properly.

Watch for these symptoms in conjunction with school challenges:

• Headaches or eye strain
• Blurred vision or double vision
• Crossed eyes or eyes that appear to move independently of each other
• Dislike or avoidance of reading and close work
• Short attention span during visual tasks
• Turning or tilting the head to use one eye only, or closing or covering one eye
• Placing the head very close to the book or desk when reading or writing
• Excessive blinking or rubbing the eyes
• Losing place while reading, or using a finger as a guide
• Slow reading speed or poor reading comprehension
• Poor eye-hand coordination

Having your student’s eyes checked is fast, easy and can relieve a lot of worry and guess work as you help to have him succeed in school.