Vision Development in Childhood – A Concise Overview

children smiling for photo

ADAPTED FROM: https://www.aao.org/eye-health/tips-prevention/children-vision-development

David Turbert
Reviewed by Michael X. Repka
Edited by Daniel Porter
Published July 12, 2024

A child’s visual system develops rapidly in the early years. Vision is not just about seeing 20/20-it involves focusing, eye coordination, depth perception, and tracking. As the brain and eyes mature together, children gain stronger visual skills that support learning, reading, sports, and daily activities.

Key Visual Skills That Develop

Accommodation: The ability to quickly shift focus from near to far.
Tracking: Following moving objects smoothly.
Convergence: Both eyes working together to focus on near tasks like reading.
Depth perception: Seeing in three dimensions and judging distances accurately.

Milestones:

At Tacoma Eye, we’ll examine children ages 5+. At this age, letter recognition and early reading skills are developing. As eye coordination strengthens, children can follow words across a page. Fully developed depth perception allows better performance in sports and confident movement.

Children develop at different rates. However, signs such as squinting, head tilting, frequent blinking, or avoiding close work should prompt a discussion your optometrist at Tacoma Eye.

Common Childhood Vision Problems

Refractive Errors

Blurry vision caused by focusing problems:

Hyperopia (farsightedness): Blur, headaches. The eye axial length tends to be shorter than typical.
Myopia (nearsightedness): Distance blur – the eye axial length tends to be longer than typical
Astigmatism: Blurry or distorted vision at all distances

These are typically corrected with glasses or contact lenses. Untreated refractive errors can interfere with school performance and healthy visual development.

Strabismus

Misaligned eyes that do not point in the same direction. Both eyes must work together for proper visual development.

Amblyopia

Also called “lazy eye,” this occurs when one or both eyes fail to develop normal vision, often due to strabismus or uncorrected refractive errors.

Because children may not recognize or report blurry vision, routine screenings are essential during early childhood.

Supporting Healthy Vision

Encourage visual development with:

Puzzles, building blocks, peg boards
Drawing and painting
Stringing beads
Playing catch

Protect vision with:

Sunglasses and hats outdoors
Regular eye screenings and exams

Outdoor Time and Myopia

Research suggests that children who spend more time outdoors have a lower risk of developing myopia or severe myopia. Balancing outdoor play with indoor activities supports overall eye health and well-being. We recommend 60-90 minutes outside!

Source: Adapted from “Vision Development: Childhood” by David Turbert, reviewed by Michael X. Repka, MD, MBA, and edited by Daniel Porter (July 12, 2024).

Posted On: February 24, 2026 @ 9:59pm
Posted In: Myopia Tips