Keiki Vision Kealakehe: Seeing Results!

Posted by Tammy Kelly

on Oct 12, 2011

October 12, 2011

On a seemingly ordinary Wednesday morning, Rotary Club of Kona and community volunteers were accomplishing extraordinary service. On October 12, 2011 Keiki Vision: Kealakehe Elementary took place screening 166 third grade students in several key areas:

· Distance Vision (for seeing the chalkboard)

· Far-sighted Screening (to test for far-sightedness, which can affect reading)

· Near Vision (for reading and writing)

· Eye Movements (both gaze and convergence)

· Binocular vision (to make sure both eyes are working together)

Working with at least one optometrist at each Keiki Vision / Dictionary distribution project, our program provides a screening exam to point out to the schools and to the parents those children who will benefit from a comprehensive vision test by an optometrist.

On a national level, 25% of school age children have vision problems. Only 33 states and the District of Columbia require vision screening programs.

Testing Summary:

Tested 166 students and 5 students were absent and not tested. All of those tested are in third grade at Kealakehe Elementary.

88 students or 53% passed all phases of the vision test

78 students or 47% failed one or more aspects of the vision test and were recommended for a comprehensive eye examination.

Only nine third grade students reported having glasses, which is lower than the national norms for this age level. Only six had glasses to wear at the screening, and all nine failed to pass the screening.

We have received reports of dramatic improvements in educational achievement for many students who have been examined pursuant to recommendations from these screenings. We hope that more such success stories will follow from this year’s project.

Following the vision screening, each student was presented with their own personal student dictionary. The Hawaii Rotary Club Keiki Vision Screening / Dictionary Project is designed to aid third grade teachers in their goal to see all their students leave at the end of the year as good writers, active readers, and creative thinkers. The dictionary is for the children to keep, so they can take it with them into the fourth grade and use it throughout their school career.

Rotary Club of Kona’s Keiki Vision Screening / Dictionary Project will reach a total of 550 West Big Island students in seven different schools this year.