Sight is not the same as vision. 

“Eyesight” is a physical process of focusing light within our eyes, whereas “vision”involves our ability to understand what is seen. 

 

It is estimated that as much as 80 percent of all learning during a child’s first 12 years comes through vision. 

 

Because a child has 20/20 visual acuity according to the Snellen Test (eye chart) does NOT mean he or she has good vision. The eye chart used by most schools for visual 
screening assesses if a child is able to identify letters at a distance that a normal child would be expected to see—20 feet. 

 

The Snellen Test does not identify the following problems: 

•  Near focusing (Most learning is done within an arm’s length; such as reading from a book or working at a desk.) 

• Eye coordination (binocularity) and focusing 

• Convergence (a visual skill required for reading) 

• Eye movement and tracking 

• Depth perception and peripheral vision 

• Visualization 

• Strabismus (crossed or wandering eye) 

 

While statistics show vision disorders are the number one handicapping condition for children, according to the American Foundation for Vision Awareness, use of the Snellen chart alone only identifies five percent of the vision problems in children.