If your child struggles with reading despite having 20/20 vision, eye tracking may be part of the problem. At The Office of Dr. Lorelei Zeiler in Caledonia, we help uncover hidden visual challenges that impact learning.
What Is Eye Tracking?
Eye tracking refers to the way your eyes move across a page, follow a line of text, or shift focus from one object to another. These movements need to be smooth, accurate, and coordinated, especially during reading.
When this system isn’t working properly, your child might:
- Lose their place while reading
- Skip words or lines
- Read slowly or out loud to maintain focus
- Struggle to copy from the board
- Avoid reading altogether
Even with perfect eyesight, poor eye tracking can interfere with comprehension and make schoolwork exhausting. This is where functional vision testing and therapy come into play.
How Eye Tracking Affects Reading Skills
Reading isn’t just about seeing clearly, it’s about how well your eyes and brain work together to process information. Kids with eye tracking issues may work harder to keep up but fall behind due to fatigue, frustration, or inconsistent performance.
They might pass a regular eye exam but still show signs of visual dysfunction when reading, writing, or doing homework. These problems are often mistaken for attention issues or learning disorders when, in fact, they’re rooted in the visual system.
Signs Your Child May Have Eye Tracking Problems
Because these challenges don’t always show up in a standard eye exam, they can be easy to overlook. But there are some red flags parents and teachers can watch for:
- Poor reading fluency or slow progress in school
- Complaints of eye strain or headaches after reading
- Writing that’s misaligned or drifts on the page
- Rereading or skipping lines without realizing
- Avoiding near work like homework or reading for fun
If these signs sound familiar, it’s worth scheduling a functional vision assessment, a more in-depth exam that evaluates how your child’s eyes move, focus, and coordinate.
How Vision Therapy Can Help
At our Caledonia clinic, Dr. Zeiler offers personalized vision therapy plans to improve eye tracking, strengthen coordination, and support your child’s reading development. Vision therapy uses proven, non-surgical exercises that retrain the eyes and brain to work together more effectively.
Each program is tailored to your child’s needs and progress, no cookie-cutter treatments here. As tracking and focus improve, many children see real gains in reading speed, attention, and confidence.
This isn’t just about school success, it’s about helping kids feel capable, comfortable, and focused during everyday tasks.
Start with an Evaluation in Caledonia
If your child is falling behind in reading or showing signs of visual stress, we’re here to help you find answers. At The Office of Dr. Lorelei Zeiler, we take a thoughtful, individualized approach to vision care, and that includes identifying the less obvious issues that impact learning.
Book an appointment today to schedule a functional vision assessment. Let’s uncover what your child’s eyes are really doing — and what we can do to help them succeed.