This message and lesson plan is from our Children’s Participation in Eye Health and the Promotion of Good Vision resource book for teachers and educators. Read more about the book and download it now!

Message 12

Eye checks find out why a person cannot see clearly and show
eye health personnel what to do to improve vision.

Learning Objectives

• Children will know and feel able to share the message, Eye Health Check.
• Children can describe why having an Eye Health Check is important.
• Children have reflected on the session.
  
• Children have planned a question they can ask a family what happened during an eye test.

Preparation

There may be children with spectacles in the group. If so, speak to them before this session and tell them what you are going to talk about in the class. If they feel confident, invite them to tell their classmates about their experiences and answer questions. Do not force any child to speak.

Steps

1. Introductory activities, e.g. an icebreaker, game or The Memory Line.
2. Repeat in chorus the Eye Health Check message. Add actions to this message to make it more memorable.
3. In pairs or threes, children practice the message.
4. Explain the following, capital words should be said by the children:

For many people, their eyes do not work well, which means they do not see clearly. Some find it hard to see things close to them, but can see things far away very clearly. Others find it hard to see things far away. These are called refractive errors. What are they called? REFRACTIVE ERRORS

For some, this happens in childhood and for others, this happens as they get older.

People can easily be helped to see clearly. They wear lenses. What are they called? LENSES

These are fitted to spectacles, or contact lenses that are worn on the eye. What are they called? SPECTACLES OR CONTACT LENSE

When it is discovered that someone cannot see clearly, they have their eyes checked. This can be at school or in a clinic.

After checks, the person is told what refractive error they have. Eyes can have different refractive errors. Each person is different; each person is told the ‘lenses’ they need for each eye. Then each person selects the spectacle frames that they like.

The lenses are put into the frames, and the person can wear them and see more clearly. When a person wears the spectacles for the first time, it’s important to have the spectacles fitted properly so that the frame sits comfortably on the face and do not fall off!

Eyes change over time, so it’s important for people with spectacles to go back to the optician once a year (or when they feel their spectacles are not working well). Sometimes one eye will change more than the other eye.

If a person’s eyes have the same refractive error once they find out what the error is, they can buy spectacles from a shop. When the lenses needed for each eye are different, they have to get custom- made spectacles.

5. In pairs or threes, ask children to come up with one question about eye checks.
6. Ask each pair or three to join another group to ask each other the questions and to see if they can answer them.
7. Ask the children to write down their question and put it in a box.
8. Select one question. Ask the children to answer it.

Reflection Circle

In a circle, the children say in turn what they learned and enjoyed about this session.

Closing Activity

Repeat the message together and ask those that know the message to share it with classmates, friends and family. Ask the Good Question of a family member or friend who has had their eyes checked:

What happened at the eye check?

We have an Extension Activity for this message: Children checking children’s vision.

Download Children’s Participation in Eye Health
and the Promotion of Good Vision now!