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Teachers, did you know that vision health can directly impact a student’s focus? A long day of looking at reading materials can take its toll on students’ eyes and cause blurry vision, headaches, and other symptoms that get in the way of learning.
Take advantage of these fun eye health exercises to give your students a well-deserved break and help them refocus.
The 20-20-20 Rule
Try the 20-20-20 rule: Encourage students to give their eyes a break by looking at an object 20 feet away for 20 seconds after every 20 minutes of screen time.
This exercise prevents digital eye strain by helping the eyes relax, but it can also be a learning opportunity:
- Put a student in charge of tracking time and letting you know when 20 minutes have passed.
- Ask students to describe the object they chose to focus on using only three adjectives. Challenge other students to guess what it is!
- You can also have students count the 20 seconds to see who is the most accurate.
Shifting Focus
Take a ten-minute break between lessons and have students practice shifting their focus to strengthen their eye muscles.
Students should begin by placing their index finger close to their face and focusing on it. Next, they should maintain this focus while slowly moving their index finger away from their face.
Then, they should shift their focus to an object further away for a few seconds before focusing back on their index finger while bringing it back closer to their face.
Eye Movements
Help your students release ocular tension and strengthen their eye muscles by performing eye movements. Start with up-and-down or side-to-side movements before introducing more complex shapes once students are comfortable with the exercise.
You can, for instance, have students trace circles and other geometric shapes you studied in math class or even trace numbers and letters with their eyes. To make the exercise more engaging, have students create their own routine involving multiple shapes before challenging each other to complete the routines they created.
After Eye Health Exercises: Palms for Relaxation
Palming is a simple way for students to relax their eyes after these exercises. Make sure to discuss the importance of washing their hands before doing this exercise.
Have students start by rubbing their hands together to create warmth. They should then place their palms over their closed eyes with their fingers crossed without applying pressure. You can combine this exercise with breathing or mindfulness exercises for a relaxing break.
Palming can also help your students find a moment of calm and focus, especially when they need to regulate their emotions.
Making Student Eye Health More Accessible
These eye exercises will help you create a vision-friendly classroom. However, you can go further by paying attention to students who might struggle with vision-related problems.
It’s important to talk with parents about their child’s eye health and recommend a routine eye exam if needed. Vision Care Direct of Oklahoma offers families discounted optometry services to make regular pediatric eye exams more accessible. Find out more about the benefits of recommending our plans.
Summary: Teachers, are you taking steps to prevent eye strain in your classroom? We share four eye health exercises for fun, vision-friendly breaks.
