17 Visual Skills Needed for Learning

When we think of vision, most of us think of 20/20 eyesight. But seeing clearly is only one small part of how the visual system functions. There are 17 crucial visual skills that children need for reading, writing, attention, and academic performance.

These visual skills go beyond just “seeing well.” They reflect how the brain and eyes work together to understand, process, and respond to visual information. When even one of these skills is underdeveloped, it can make learning harder—even for bright and motivated students.

Why This Matters

More than 80% of classroom learning is visual. From reading textbooks to copying from the board and organizing written work, students rely on these skills every day. Vision problems that go undetected can masquerade as learning disabilities, attention issues, or poor behavior.

The good news? These skills can be tested—and improved—with a functional vision exam and vision therapy under the care of an optometrist trained in vision development.

Let’s explore the 17 essential visual skills:

Visual Acuity – The ability to see clearly at all distances.
Accommodation (Focusing Ability) – The ability to shift focus quickly and accurately between distances.
Vergence (Eye Teaming) – Coordinated use of both eyes to focus on objects, especially up close.
Pursuits (Smooth Tracking) – Following moving objects smoothly with the eyes.
Saccades (Quick Eye Movements) – Rapidly moving eyes from one object or word to another.
Fixation – Maintaining steady visual attention on a single object.
Binocular Fusion – Combining input from both eyes into one clear image.
Depth Perception (Stereopsis) – Judging distances and spatial relationships.
Peripheral Awareness – Noticing what’s happening at the edges of vision while focusing centrally.
Eye-Hand Coordination – Coordinating visual input with motor actions of the hand.
Visual Discrimination – Seeing differences and similarities between objects or letters.
Visual Memory – Recalling visual information from memory.
Visual Sequential Memory – Remembering sequences of letters, numbers, or images.
Visual Motor Integration – Ability to coordinate vision with both the gross and fine motor systems.
Visual Spatial Relationships – Understanding object positions and relationships in space.
Visual Figure-Ground – Focusing on a specific object while ignoring background distractions.
Visual Closure – Recognizing an object or word when only parts are visible.

A Functional Vision Problem Isn’t Always Obvious

A child may pass a basic school vision screening or pediatric eye exam and still struggle with one or more of these 17 visual skills. Symptoms can include:

Poor fluency or losing place while reading
Poor handwriting
Fatigue or headaches after school
Short attention span
Trouble remembering what was read
Avoiding reading altogether
Difficulty with learning sight words or spelling

The Solution: Optometric Vision Therapy

If a child has underdeveloped visual skills, vision therapy—supervised by a developmental optometrist—can make a profound difference. Vision therapy trains the brain and eyes to work together more efficiently through customized, evidence-based exercises.

At New Horizons Vision Therapy Center, Dr. Valerie Frazer uses a comprehensive developmental vision evaluation to assess all 17 visual skills. From there, we create individualized therapy plans to build the strong visual foundations needed for confident learning.

Let’s Build a Better Learning Experience

If your child is struggling in school, don’t overlook vision. Reach out to us at 608-849-4040 or info@newhorizonsvision.com and schedule a functional vision evaluation and find out if a hidden visual skills problem could be holding them back.