Increased rates of myopia in children isn’t just about screen time. Nearsightedness has been on the increase for decades and many cases could be prevented by delaying formal academics and reading instruction until young eyes are ready.
There is an inversely proportional relationship between the lowering of mandatory school age and the increase of myopia. Too much close-up focusing causes the eye to become elongated, causing images to focus in front of the retina, hence myopia.
Young children don’t need to be laboring over workbooks or staring at screens. They need to be outdoors running, playing, and developing balance and coordination as they practice gross motor skills. If we waited until children were truly ready (both cognitively and intellectually,) to learn to read, they would learn easily in a matter of days or weeks what would have otherwise taken months or years, avoiding so much burnout and failure.
My own son had no reading instruction until age 8. One year later, he was reading on a 5th grade level and went on to become an avid life-long reader and learner (and has perfect vision, BTW.)
Increased rates of myopia in children isn’t just about screen time. Nearsightedness has been on the increase for decades and many cases could be prevented by delaying formal academics and reading instruction until young eyes are ready.
There is an inversely proportional relationship between the lowering of mandatory school age and the increase of myopia. Too much close-up focusing causes the eye to become elongated, causing images to focus in front of the retina, hence myopia.
Young children don’t need to be laboring over workbooks or staring at screens. They need to be outdoors running, playing, and developing balance and coordination as they practice gross motor skills. If we waited until children were truly ready (both cognitively and intellectually,) to learn to read, they would learn easily in a matter of days or weeks what would have otherwise taken months or years, avoiding so much burnout and failure.
My own son had no reading instruction until age 8. One year later, he was reading on a 5th grade level and went on to become an avid life-long reader and learner (and has perfect vision, BTW.)