Vision & Age
Eye Development
Keep it stimulating
While the eye's greatest physical development occurs during the first year
of life, children continue to hone their vision skills throughout childhood.
Eye muscles strengthen, and nerve connections multiply. You can help this
process by supplying plenty of visual stimulation for your child.
Preschoolers--ages two to five--are eager to draw and look at pictures. By
connecting stories with illustrations you can help coordinate your child's
hearing and vision. Children are also captivated by moving patterns--such as
pinwheels--and "I spy" games.
Put out the lights
In a recent retrospective study conducted at the University of Pennsylvania, only 10% of children who slept in the dark before age two later tested as nearsighted. A surprising 35% of those who slept with a nightlight and 55% of those who slept with the light on later tested as nearsighted. While medical authorities have drawn no official conclusions, you may want to consider putting out the lights.
How the eye works
To us, looking at something seems like a simple process. But the eye is an extremely complex organ, relying on an intricate interconnection of signals to transmit data from the outside world to the brain. Discover how it works.
Keep an eye out
One child in 20 has crossed eyes (strabismus) or trouble tracking (amblyopia). Yet these problems are not always obvious; almost half of all cases aren't detected until after age five, far past the time when they can be treated most effectively.
