MODEL

Reading K-3

Systems Change

Factor Connections

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We use our Vision to perceive information about the world. Reading requires being able to see the detailed features of text clearly. Students with uncorrected Vision issues can have difficulty distinguishing letters and reading at the same rate as peers with normal or corrected Vision.

Main Ideas

Reading encompasses several different Vision characteristics and skills:

  • Visual acuity is the ability to see objects clearly at a given distance.
  • Visual fixation is the ability to maintain gaze on one location.
  • Visual field is the entire area that a student can see, including peripheral and central vision.
  • Binocular fusion is the brain’s ability to form one image from visual input received from two eyes.
  • Convergence is moving eyes toward each other to focus on a nearby object.
  • Accommodation is maintaining focus on an object as the distance to the object changes.

Early identification of Vision problems is critical for preventing academic difficulties later. However, Vision screenings at school typically only assess visual acuity, so it is possible for a student to have a Vision problem in other areas even though they pass the screening. Thus, if a student is at risk for having Vision problems, they should receive an extensive eye examination regardless of screening results.

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