articles

Those Pre-School Eyes Are Becoming Wise

by Dr. Steve Jacobs, OD

May 16, 2013

 

90% of the information we process is visual.  As your youngster enters the pre-school years, he relies on his eyes more and more to predict and interact with his world.  Whereas a toddler spends much time matching the roundness of a ball with the way it rolls, or the sound a plastic toy makes when it hits a table, a pre-schooler knows that carpet will feel different than tile, and a marshmallow will sound different when it hits the floor than an apple.  His eyes, alone, now provide accurate information about what things are, where they are, how they likely feel, etc..  As these concepts form and solidify, the building blocks of the skills necessary for learning throughout life are being laid.

 

Much about play, whether physical, social or sitting by oneself, enhances this development.  Running around, throwing or kicking a ball, hiding, climbing, etc.. all teach him what visual information is most important for each task and how to best gather and coordinate that information.  Play with puzzles and Legos help develop visual perceptual skills including visual closure (essentially seeing what the whole object is when only a part of it is visible) and figure-ground perception (picking out a particular object in a cluttered background).  Each of these skills play roles in all levels of reading, comprehension, and dealing with various situations encountered every day.

 

Read to your child every day and let him see the book and begin to associate the lines of the letters with the sounds you are making.  Pick a simple word and have him find it wherever it is on the page (figure ground discrimination at work).  And remember, the visual learning that goes on with outdoor play is just as valuable, even if it isn’t specifically “pre-reading”.


Dr. Steve Jacobs is an optometrist in Blacksburg, Virginia who works with patients of all ages. He is a sponsor of NRV Macaroni Kid and you can find him here. In a series of short articles we’ll take a peek at the eyes and vision development from infancy thru the early school years, and point out some basic things to look for (and to look out for). Some segments may key on a particular age, whereas others will address common questions or concerns. If you’d ever like more information, please feel free to contact Dr. Jacobs at 540-953-0136 or sjacobs07@comcast.net  or speak to your child's physician.
 See more of the series here.