Supporting Your Child Through Tennessee’s 3rd Grade Retention Law

The Tennessee 3rd Grade Retention Law, passed in 2021, has brought significant changes to academic benchmarks for young students. Under this law, students must meet or exceed expectations in the English Language Arts (ELA) portion of the TCAP test to advance to 4th grade. Those who don’t achieve the required scores must participate in intervention programs, such as summer school or tutoring, to move forward.

At Kelly Vision Center, we understand how stressful this can be for parents and students in Goodlettsville. Many families are turning to vision assessments to rule out or address any issues that could hinder a child's performance. Our team is here to help your child succeed academically and ensure vision isn’t a barrier to their growth.

Vision and Academic Success

When a child struggles in school, vision issues are often an overlooked factor. 80% of learning in children is visual and so it’s easy to see the strong overlap between vision and learning. Even if a child has 20/20 eyesight, other aspects of their visual system may not function efficiently. Skills like focus, tracking, and eye teaming play a critical role in reading comprehension, fluency, and sustained attention – these are all factors that are vital for academic success.

Common signs of vision-related learning difficulties include:

• Trouble keeping their place while reading.
• Complaints of headaches or eye strain.
• Difficulty understanding or remembering what they’ve read.
• Avoidance of reading or homework altogether.

At Kelly Vision Center, we offer comprehensive vision evaluations designed to assess these critical areas and recommend solutions tailored to your child’s needs.

How We Can Help

Our practice specializes in diagnosing and addressing vision issues that impact school performance. We’re here to determine whether your child’s academic blockages are a result of undiagnosed vision issues and develop a treatment plan to help them overcome them. During your child’s visit, we’ll evaluate their overall visual function, including:

• Tracking Skills: Ensuring the eyes can smoothly follow text across a page.
• Focus Flexibility: Testing the ability to shift focus from near to far, which is essential in classroom settings.
• Eye Coordination: Checking how well the eyes work together, especially during reading.

If we identify a visual challenge our team will create a personalized plan to support your child as they navigate challenging academic spaces. Solutions may include glasses, vision therapy, or exercises to strengthen their visual system.

The Role of Vision in ELA Success

Success on the TCAP ELA test requires strong reading and comprehension skills, both of which are heavily influenced by vision. By addressing any potential vision concerns early, your child can approach learning with confidence and focus, reducing the likelihood of struggling with interventions later.

Give Your Child the Gift and Confidence of Clear Vision

If your child is preparing for the TCAP or has already shown signs of struggling in school, now is the time to schedule a vision assessment. At Kelly Vision Center, we’re committed to supporting families in Goodlettsville and helping students thrive academically.

Give your child every opportunity to excel. Contact Kelly Vision Center to schedule an appointment and discover how we can help them overcome challenges and succeed in school.