Vision development in children is a very important part of child development which influences fine motor development, gross motor development, and visual perceptual development. Good visual development in children is necessary for proper brain maturation, and, many cognitive stages of child development may be delayed and learning problems could arise if proper vision development has not occurred.
So what can parents to encourage good visual development in their preschoolers?
Proper play activities are the most important ways that parents can help encourage good visual development in children. When a child plays, he is strengthening not only his muscles, but also strengthening his perceptions. He is learning new skills and letting off excess energy. He is also trying out different solutions to problems and learning how to interact with others.
Good visual play activities allow the child to explore and experience their world with vision driving the action. This kind of play will build upon and enhance gross motor development, fine motor development, balance, eye movements, body awareness, spatial relationships, visualization skills, and much more.
We know that play affects visual development and visual development affects play. Motor development and visual perceptual development are interdependent. If a child experiences delays in motor development, visual perception can be skewed which reduces the child’s ability to explore and learn from the environment.
Remember, when there is a delay in one area of development such as motor development, there is often a delay in other areas as well. School-aged children with functional visual disorders arising from poor vision development often face a lifetime of learning difficulties and frustration in the classroom and in everyday life.
To find out more about visual development in children and proper guided play activities, please visit my website www.VisionTherapyAtHome.com and check on my Visual Development for Preschoolers home program.