Getting Started 2h – Learning Readiness Test 5

Lesson 5 – More on Visual Acuity

1 – Vertical Tracking

As you did with horizontal tracking, place your finger 14” to 18” in front of your student’s eyes. Without moving his head, have him track your finger as you move it up and down. He should say when he can no longer see it. The finger should be a few inches above the head and could be below his navel before he cannot see it.

If your student can see your finger at these ranges, good.

If not, try these exercises:
1 – Have him open his eyes as wide as he can and hold them that way for a few seconds. Do this only twice, a couple times a day.
2 – With his head straight forward, have him look to the left, stretching his eyes in that direction. Change and look to the right.
3 – Repeat the above exercise with the student looking up and then down. CAUTION: Just a second on the upper look is enough. It may very well cause upset or dizzy feelings or disorientation.

2 – Depth Perception

Depth perception is necessary to be able to focus, thus learning to read, do arithmetic, etc.

To test for depth-perception go to
http://www.mediacollege.com/3d/depth-perception/test.html (copy to browser)
and perform the two top tests given there.

NOTE: DO IT YOURSELF FIRST, so you can better assist your student. It may take a minute to have the student be able to do the test correctly.

If there is a problem try the exercises that follow. If after two to three weeks, there is no improvement, it is time to see the professional.

From http://www.livestrong.com/article/332038-depth-perception-eye-exercises-for-children/

Depth perception refers to our eyes’ ability to focus on an object and calculate its distance from us. When one eye is stronger than the other, depth perception becomes distorted causing your child to be unable to focus. Regular exercise helps to retrain your child’s eyes, helping him balance sight and focus.

Eye Rolling
During problems with depth perception, it is possible your child suffers from weakened nerves in one or both eyes. According to “Keeping Eyes Healthy and Bright with Chimotherapy” by Harold C. Lee, eye rolling can help strengthen nerve impulses that allow for proper depth perception and perfect eyesight. Just as your body requires regular exercise to keep you healthy, so do your eyes. When experiencing problems with depth perception, rolling your eyes can be medically therapeutic.

Shifting Sight
Partnered with eye rolling, having your child shift her gaze slowly also helps to strengthen eye weakness. According to SeeingWithoutGlasses.net, eye shifting allows your child to regain focus on inanimate objects. Swift shifting of her eyes can cause strain at first, so it is important to start out slowly and gradually increase speed as she progresses. Results are noticeable within two weeks with most patients.

Dominant Rest
Retraining a weaker eye is beneficial for overall eyesight. When one eye is stronger than the other, eyestrain on the weaker eye is inevitable. According to MedlinePlus, a 2010 study showed that covering the dominant eye for several minutes allows the weaker eye to take on full vision responsibilities. In turn, eyesight improved as well as depth perception within ten days of beginning the study. As test subjects’ vision balanced through this exercise, sensory eye dominance was greatly reduced.

Light Deprivation
Resting your child’s eyes from the light may help with depth perception issues. This is because your child’s eyes must rest from over-stimulation during daily activities. According to Lee, light deprivation helps your child’s eyes to regroup, if you will. This allows for the dominant eye to release pressure while preventing eye strain in the weaker eye. This form of eye rejuvenation goes beyond nightly sleeping patterns to frequent resting periods during the day. As your child opens his eyes from brief light deprivation, both eyes must adjust simultaneously allowing for better depth perception.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/332038-depth-perception-eye-exercises-for-children/#ixzz2459egmSe (Copy to Browser)

Remember to do your mazes for the day.