Reading with Vision

According to “Relearning to See” by Thomas R Quackenbush:

 

The activity of reading itself doesn’t strain the eyes.  It’s the incorrect vision habits that do.

 

Incorrect reading habits:

*  Straining the eyes

*  Locked neck and head (only moving the eyes)

*  Poor posture

*  Diffused reading (looking at large areas, whole paragraphs, or whole words at a time)

 

Possible Solutions:

Habits and principles of normal vision are the same at all times and during all activities.  (Principles will be discussed in further detail elsewhere.)

• Relaxation – Pretty self explanatory.  Relaxation doesn’t mean laziness.
  • correct posture
    • reduce head tilt
    • use a book support
  • blink frequently, softly, and quickly
  • breath abdominally
  • palm and rest often
  • take a break if become tired while reading
  • use bright light initially (pinhole effect)

• Movement – Eyes meant to see things as moving objects.  Either the object moves, or our head/eyes move.  Objects not meant to be stared at and visually held still.
  • move eyes and head together (page should appear to move in opposite direction of eye/head)

• Centralization – Clear eyesight limited to a small portion of the eye (aka “central vision”).  The smaller the area viewed, the more distinct the sight and the least strain upon the eye. 
  • use a fingertip, pencil tip, paper clip, or laser beam to track where eyes should be centralizing, keeping attention on one word or word part at a time
  • gradually decrease closeness or size of print as eyes improve
  • expect slower reading and reduced comprehension as relearn how to read with good habits