Have you ever noticed how young children have a natural curiosity to learn new things? If you ask any four-year-old child if they are excited for school and the answer is almost always yes. Ask the same question of a middle or high school student, and they will moan at the thought of returning for another school year.
Why such a massive difference between the two age groups? School often requires children to spend hours each day memorizing things that don’t interest them. Any subject that is mentally boring causes more concentration and the eyes to strain. Not every school is the same, but children are often forced to memorize and learn things in an tedious way.
The eyes strain when forced to concentrate on images that don’t hold interest. Just as rows of numbers on a spreadsheet at work arent going to interest all employees, mathematics, science, and English won’t interest every student. This doesn’t mean that have a boring subject should be thrown out the window. It just means there needs to be a change in how children are educated.
The Bates Method was discovered by Dr. William Bates, a famous eye doctor. He put together a large, poster-sized card covered in common shapes and letters recognizable to most school age children.
The card was hung at the front on the classroom and offered the students something to look at when they were feeling weary or overwhelmed. Its purpose was to give the children a chance to relax their eyes. Looking at new material puts strain on the eyes, but familiar objects allow the eyes to relax.
Remember – bad habits learned in childhood tend to follow us through life. Teaching children not to strain their eyes from a young age will help keep their vision sharp for years to follow.
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