Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums GT Research Help! Research linking early reading and glasses?

KG went to the eye doctor the other day. About half-way through the exam, she said, "does he read a lot?"

I was kind of taken aback, because it's not a typical question ... When I answered with an emphatic yes, she said "hmm," finished the exam, and announced he needed reading glasses.

That also surprised me, because KG's dad and I are both nearsighted. She said, though, that it is fairly common for early readers to need reading glasses.

Now, KG's dad is refusing to even keep track of the (adorable) tiny glasses, saying KG doesn't need them and the eye doctor was just trying to sell us glasses. I'd dearly love to come up with some research that would prove him wrong. Has anyone else heard this before?

The Idea seems to hold some water; children are naturally far-sighted, and early readers start to have to focus earlier, for longer, than the average child--and perhaps the eye overcorrects over time? That's the best I can come with!

Maybe there's a reason the stereotypical "gifted kid" has glasses!

I can't believe he's refusing to deal with the glasses. Sheesh. How irresponsible and passive-aggressive/just plain aggressive he's being!

I have no help for you. I'm just annoyed with your ex!

I would go and see another optometrist to begin with.

From what our eye doctor has told us there is absolutely no coorelation between reading early and a lot and glasses.
Ghost is nearsighted. Has been wearing glasses since first grade. Nobody else in family has glasses (yet, he he).
He was an early reader and read tons at night in poor light.
But so did I

This is what I came up with. It does seem like there's a correlation between early reading and glasses, but some of the studies (if I'm reading them correctly) seem to say it's influenced by genetics as well. HTH!

ETA: I am not horribly good at interpreting actual data, so I just scanned the conclusions of the paper.

http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=14386592

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18579757

http://archopht.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/120/5/620

http://209.85.215.104/search?q=cache:23iCAHODbO0J:www.annals.edu.sg/pdf_1100/tang.pdf+%22near+work%22+OR+nearwork+myopia+children&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=8&gl=us&client=firefox-a

DS 5 just got reading glasses because he will be expected to read smaller print in second grade. But the optometrist said that DS will probably outgrow the need for them in a year or two. Also, DS is only supposed to wear them when he's doing desk work. He's supposed to take them off when playing outside, etc.

Three of my four early readers have glasses, and we are figuring it's just a matter of time before the three year old gets hers. What are we to do? I'm not going to tell them not to read.

My avid reader DD9 got glasses a few months ago for reading. Her optometrist explained that the minor far-sighted problem she has usually goes undiagnosed in children who are not big readers. Children with the problem who like to read complain about the problem; those who don't just do what they can to avoid reading.

It's been ages since I read the data, but what I recall from it was that there was a correlation between nearsightedness and early reading, but not proof of causality. That is, kids who read early were more likely to be nearsighted, but it might be true that nearsighted kids were more likely to be able to read earlier partly because they weren't farsighted.

But just because apparently we can't be normal in anything, DS is farsighted, and was an early reader. He wasn't a voracious early reader though, which could have something to do with the farsightedness... but I figure this gives me license to let him read way too long in poor lighting, in hopes of correcting the farsightedness.

He has had two optometrist checkups in his life (at 7 and at 8, different optometrists) and in both cases they said he was at the oldest end of the range when farsightedness was normal... which makes me wonder just how long they intend to let this go before they want him in glasses and just how come they don't bother correcting it now. Since it hasn't really been an "issue" I'm letting it go, but next year we'll be on to optometrist #3.

I spent a lot of time outside as a kid as well, but my eyes are fine - no glasses.

I still read 4 books a week, but I also spend 1-2 hours outside as well per day.

I think the key is that time outside looking at things at all distances.

Statistics & research are interesting, but they really don't mean anything when it comes to determining if your child needs glasses or not.
If your child's dad does not agree with the doctor, then suggest that dad pay for another doctor's assessment.