If you’re looking for ways to help your child improve their reading skills, the answer might be simpler than you think: send them outside to play. According to Dr. Rick Graebe FCOVD, a developmental optometrist at the Children’s Vision and Learning Center in Versailles, Kentucky, the benefits of unstructured play extend far beyond physical fitness.
The Decline of Play in Modern Times
The time children spend in unstructured, outdoor play has decreased dramatically since the 1960s. In his book Children at Play: An American History, Howard Chudacoff highlights the sharp decline in free play over the last 50 years. This has coincided with a decrease in creativity and emotional expression among today’s children. At the same time, test scores for creative thinking have dropped, creating a generation that struggles with imaginative and verbal expression, critical skills for reading comprehension and overall learning.
Why Play Matters for Learning
One of the critical skills developed through play is visual-spatial awareness, which is essential for reading. Dr. Graebe explains that these visual-spatial skills allow children to coordinate what they see with how they move. Kids who lack these skills may struggle with hand-eye coordination and often appear clumsy, but more critically, they may also struggle to move their eyes smoothly across a page while reading.
When children play outside, they practice visualization—an ability to create and manipulate images in their mind. Not all children develop this skill equally, but it is crucial for reading comprehension. Dr. Graebe compares a lack of visualization skills to reading a foreign language: the words are there, but they don’t form a meaningful picture in the child’s mind.
How Vision Therapy Helps
For children who struggle with reading, Dr. Graebe and his team at the Children’s Vision and Learning Center offer a specialized, one-on-one vision therapy program. The program helps kids develop their visualization abilities by turning pictures into words and vice versa. This process is fun and interactive, tailored to the child’s individual needs.
“Our therapists assess each child’s current skills and adapt the program to match their level,” Dr. Graebe says. Through these personalized sessions, children learn to overcome visual and reading challenges, giving them the tools they need to succeed in school and beyond.
The Prescription for All Children: Play More
While Dr. Graebe’s therapy helps children facing specific challenges, his advice for all parents is universal: allow your kids more time to engage in unstructured, outdoor play. The benefits of outdoor play extend far beyond just fun—it’s a critical part of their development, supporting both physical and mental growth.
Unlock Your Child’s Potential: Schedule a Vision Evaluation Today
Are you concerned about your child’s reading difficulties or developmental vision issues? Dr. Rick Graebe FCOVD at the Neuro-Visual Performance Institute, with locations in Versailles serving the greater Lexington area and Somerset in Southern Kentucky, offers comprehensive evaluations and customized vision therapy programs. Take the first step in supporting your child’s learning and visual development by calling us today at 859-879-0089 to schedule an appointment.
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This blog is based on information from Dr. Rick Graebe as compiled and written by John Lynch.