Many kids don’t complain about vision problems because they think everyone sees like them. Teachers who work with young children often detect their students’ vision problems before their own parents. At home, parents see the progression of these problems at a gradual rate, and they often don’t have a room full of kids to compare their child to. 

Here are some common symptoms of eye problems in school. Teachers should notice this in the classroom, and parents can watch for some of these at home, too.

• Squinting
• Inching desk forward
• Constantly walking up to the board to read
• Moving around furniture in the room to get a better view
• Saying out loud that they can’t see, or asking what something very obvious is 

We want youngsters to see friends down the hall, recognize a familiar pet greeting them, and play safe in sports and on the playground. We want them to have every opportunity to learn about the world around them. Every child should have an eye exam before the age of 3. They should see an optometrist once per year (psst! Alberta Health Care covers that!).