Why My Child Complains of Headaches or Tired Eyes When Reading
In our view, have the eyes checked, and tell the doctor about the headaches. Ask for an eye exam that includes near vision. If reading is hard too, work out which job of reading is going wrong. The exception is a skill that was there and has gone. Our position is that a lost skill goes to a doctor first.
TL;DR
- We cannot tell from here why your child has headaches or tired eyes. In our view, if headaches come with reading, the doctor should know.
- In our view, tell your child's doctor about the headaches. Have your child's eyes checked.
- Some children avoid close work, rub their eyes or lose their place. In our view, that is a reason for a full eye exam. Ask for one that includes near vision. In our view, sore or tired eyes during reading are worth an eye exam.
- An eye problem and reading trouble can come together in one child. In our view, each needs its own check.
- In our view, have the eyes checked, and tell the doctor about the headaches. Ask for an eye exam that includes near vision. If reading is hard too, work out which job of reading is going wrong. The exception is a skill that was there and has gone. Our position is that a lost skill goes to a doctor first, not a tutor.
Dyslexia is a name for a pattern of trouble reading words, spelling, or both. Struggling to read says nothing about how smart your child is.
”DyslexiaHeadaches or tired eyes during reading
We cannot tell from here why your child has headaches or tired eyes.
In our view, if headaches come with reading, the doctor should know.
Tell the doctor about the headaches
In our view, tell your child's doctor about the headaches. Say when they come, and what your child was doing.
Have the eyes checked
Have your child's eyes checked. A child who cannot see the print clearly needs that found.
Some children avoid close work, rub their eyes or lose their place. In our view, that is a reason for a full eye exam. Ask for one that includes near vision.
In our view, sore or tired eyes during reading are worth an eye exam.
If an exam finds an eye problem, that problem needs its own care.
When there is reading trouble too
An eye problem and reading trouble can come together in one child. In our view, each needs its own check.
What to do about the reading
In our view, have the eyes checked, and tell the doctor about the headaches. Ask for an eye exam that includes near vision. If reading is hard too, work out which job of reading is going wrong. The exception is a skill that was there and has gone. Our position is that a lost skill goes to a doctor first, not a tutor.
In our view, a hearing or vision check may change where reading work starts.
When to ask for help
Each of these is a reason to ask for help on its own.
- Little change, even with steady practice and good teaching.
- Reading well below what school expects.
- A teacher who raises a concern about reading.
- Extreme upset about reading.
- Complete avoidance of reading.
- Hopelessness about learning.
- Sadness or worry that lasts.
- Significant delays in speech, language or motor development.
- A skill that was there and has gone. Our position is that a lost skill goes to a doctor first, not a tutor.
Start with the teacher. Say what you are seeing at home, and what you have tried. Beyond the teacher, the right person depends on what it turns out to be about. If the work is too hard, someone who works on that school skill. If worry or mood is the thing, someone who works with children's mental health. In our view, delays in speech, language or movement are worth raising with your child's doctor. In our view, if you are worried enough to ask, a professional evaluation is worth asking about.
Any talk of hurting themselves is a same-day call to your doctor or a crisis line.
In the classroom
Describe what you see, not a cause. For example: "She rubs her eyes after a page of reading."
Two sentences for an email home: "She often rubs her eyes during reading. Has anyone checked her eyes recently?"
Key Takeaways
In our view, tell your child's doctor about the headaches.
Some children avoid close work, rub their eyes or lose their place. In our view, that is a reason for a full eye exam. Ask for one that includes near vision. In our view, sore or tired eyes during reading are worth an eye exam.
An eye problem and reading trouble can come together in one child. In our view, each needs its own check.
In our view, have the eyes checked, and tell the doctor about the headaches. Ask for an eye exam that includes near vision. If reading is hard too, work out which job of reading is going wrong. The exception is a skill that was there and has gone. Our position is that a lost skill goes to a doctor first, not a tutor.
We cannot tell from here why your child has headaches or tired eyes. In our view, if headaches come with reading, the doctor should know.
This week, write down when the headaches or tired eyes come. Note what your child was reading, and for how long. Take the notes to the doctor and to the eye exam.
”What to do tonightWhat to use next
A set of questions you answer about what you see at home. A screener is a starting point, not a diagnosis. If your child might need formal accommodations (an IEP or 504 plan), or you suspect a vision, hearing, or medical cause, pursue a professional evaluation too — that's the only route to those supports.
A short reading and spelling practice. Each word appears letter by letter. The picture comes only once the word is complete. So guessing from the image is not available. It includes writing words from memory. That practices the spelling and the writing of a word at the same time.
Common questions from parents
Why do my child's eyes hurt when reading?
We cannot tell from here why your child's eyes hurt. Some children avoid close work, rub their eyes or lose their place. In our view, that is a reason for a full eye exam. Ask for one that includes near vision. In our view, sore or tired eyes during reading are worth an eye exam.
Why does my child get a headache after reading homework?
We cannot tell from here why your child has headaches or tired eyes. In our view, tell your child's doctor about the headaches. Have your child's eyes checked. A child who cannot see the print clearly needs that found.
What should we do about the reading?
In our view, have the eyes checked, and tell the doctor about the headaches. Ask for an eye exam that includes near vision. If reading is hard too, work out which job of reading is going wrong. The exception is a skill that was there and has gone. Our position is that a lost skill goes to a doctor first, not a tutor. In our view, a hearing or vision check may change where reading work starts.