In a study published in the journal Ophthalmology, researchers found children with uncorrected farsightedness performed poorly on preschool literary tests.
Researchers recruited 492 four- and five-year-olds, 244 of whom were farsighted and 248 of whom had normal vision. All the children were given the Test of Preschool Early Literacy, which includes subtests on print knowledge, definitional vocabulary and phonological awareness. None of the children in the study wore glasses.
Here are five points:
1. The children in the study with hyperopia performed worse on the test than those without, and the lowest scores were in children with worse near vision or decreased depth perception.
2. Between 4 percent and 14 percent of preschool children have hyperopia.
3. There is not a large amount of research done on the effects of hyperopia on early reading and learning development.
4. Elise Ciner, a professor in the Pennsylvania College of Optometry at Salus University in Elkins Park, said this study is helping how medical professionals can approach moderate farsightedness in the preschool age group.
5. Researchers said further studies need to be done to see if prescribing glasses improves the children's scores.