Keiki Vision Kealakehe: Seeing Results!
October 12, 2011
Keiki Vision
Kealakehe: Seeing Results!
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.