Handwriting for better learning and memory

Post author:DrLee
Post published:March 28, 2016
Post category:kids vision therapy
Post comments:0 Comments

It’s not just what we write that matters, but how. Children read more quickly when they first learn to write by hand, and they are also better able to better generate ideas and retain information.

Printing, cursive writing, and typing on a keyboard were compared in a study of children in grades 2-5. When the children wrote text by hand, they consistently produced more words more quickly, and also expressed more ideas, when compared with the children who wrote on a keyboard. The children with better handwriting showed greater neural activation in areas associated with working memory when they were asked to think of ideas for a composition, as well as a greater overall activation in reading and writing networks.

Physically forming letters when writing is important for learning and memory!

Click here to read more in the NY Times

Eye Exams For Kids

Post author:DrLee
Post published:January 26, 2016
Post category:health kids
Post comments:0 Comments

I have seen many kids who need glasses but the parents had no idea. They don’t tell you, because they don’t know what things are supposed to look like! That’s why it’s important to have a comprehensive eye exam because an optometrist can measure how light focuses in their eyes, even if they can’t read the letters.
All kids under the age of 20 are covered for one yearly exam under OHIP. Through the Eye See Eye Learn program, children in JK can receive a complimentary pair of glasses donated by Nikon and OGI.
Get your child’s eye tested and make sure they are well equipped for learning

Call (905) 666-4848 to book an appointment today!

Gift Ideas for Vision Development

Post author:DrLee
Post published:December 10, 2015
Post category:fun kids
Post comments:0 Comments

Looking for some great gift ideas for any child? Here’s a list of some fun toys/games which also promote vision development!

Building Toys – Develop eye-hand coordination and visualization/imagination
-Mega Bloks
-K’NEX
-Building Blocks
-Legos/Duplos

Fine Motor Skill Toys – Develop visual-motor integration and fine motor skills
-Origami Sets
-Rainbow Loom
-Lite-Brite
-Pegboard and Pegs

Space Perception Toys – Develop depth perception and eye-hand coordination
-Ants in the Pants
-Fishin’ Around
-Operation
-Pick-up Sticks
-KerPlunk
-Jenga

Visual Thinking Toys and Games – Develop visual perceptual skills including: visualization, visual memory, visual discrimination, pattern recognition and sequencing. These skills are important for academics including mathematics, reading and spelling.
-Color Blocks and 1” Cubes
-Bejeweled Board Game
-Tetris Bop It
-Parquetry Blocks
-Perplexus
-Qwirkle
-Card Games (Old Maid, Go Fish, etc.)
-Dominoes
-Qbitz

Head on over to The Vision Therapy Center for the full list! (96 gift ideas)

School Vision Screenings Are Not Enough

Post author:DrLee
Post published:October 14, 2015
Post category:kids
Post comments:0 Comments

Your child may have gotten a vision “screening” at school this year, but it’s not enough! Dr. Mini Randhawa explains why.

Even if your child has 20/20 vision and passes the screening, they still need to have a full eye exam. The Canadian Association of Optometrists recommends infants have their first eye examination between six and nine months of age, and annually during school years.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=99&v=p6vPhFixBks

Children’s Vision Month

Post author:DrLee
Post published:October 7, 2015
Post category:health kids
Post comments:0 Comments

Did you know? Each year, less than 14% of children entering grade one has had an eye exam by a doctor of optometry. This is despite the fact that an estimated one in four has a vision problem significant enough to impair their ability to learn.

Read how this can affect a child’s learning in the Doctors of Optometry blog post all about Children’s Vision Month

Even if your child has “20/20 vision,” they still need to have an eye exam. The Canadian Association of Optometrists recommends infants have their first eye examination between six and nine months of age, at least one eye exam between the ages of two and five, and annually during the school years.

DOCTORS OF OPTOMETRY BLOG