Research

Hyperopia and Emergent Literacy of Young Children: Pilot Study

  • The purpose of this study was to compare preschool and early-school-aged children to determine whether there were differences between hyperopic and emmetropic children in their emergent literacy skills, as well as their visual cognitive skills.

  • A longitudinal study was conducted and 41 children ages 4 through 7 years were recruited from a vision follow-up on the basis of their refractive status.

  • No differences found in single letter VA for hyperopes and emmetropes and crowded letters for the right eye.

  • Results indicate that there are no differences between hyperopes and emmetropes in visual cognitive abilities.

  • No statistically significant differences between the 2 groups were found for visual motor or visual perceptual skills, age, and some family variables known to contribute to emergent literacy skills.

  • Hyperopia and the poorer progress in emergent literacy relationship is complex.

  • It is not clear if the relationship of these factors is causal, and whether the hyperopes will catch up to the emmetropes with time.

This article was identified as a reference for a VII-commissioned systematic review on the Impact of URE on Children.

Publication date

December 7, 2016

Authors

Shankar, S., Evans, M.A. and Bobier, W.R.
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