When Kids Lose Their Place: Understanding Saccades and Visual Shifting

October 14, 2026

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Have you ever watched a child read or copy from the board and noticed that they seem to “get lost” on the page?

They may skip words, lose their place, leave out information when copying, or take much longer than expected to finish a visually demanding task.

One visual skill that may play a role is saccadic eye movement.

What Are Saccades?

Saccades are the quick movements our eyes make when shifting from one visual target to another. Rather than smoothly moving across every part of a page, our eyes make small, rapid jumps to gather new information.

Children use saccades throughout the school day when they:

• Read across a line of text

• Move from one line to the next

• Copy information from the board

• Shift between a question and an answer

• Search a worksheet for information

• Move their eyes between objects during play

Saccades vs. Visual Tracking

Saccades and visual tracking are related but different.

Saccades involve quickly shifting the eyes between separate targets, while smooth pursuits allow the eyes to follow a moving object.

For example, watching a ball move across the room requires smooth pursuit. Looking from the ball to the person throwing it requires a saccadic shift.

Both skills contribute to functional visual performance.

What Might You Notice?

A child who has difficulty with visual shifting may demonstrate:

• Frequently losing their place while reading

• Skipping words or lines

• Using a finger to keep their place

• Difficulty copying from the board or another paper

• Leaving out letters or words when copying

• Taking a long time to scan a worksheet

• Becoming tired or frustrated during visually demanding work

These signs do not automatically indicate a saccadic impairment. Similar behaviors can have many possible causes, so they should be considered as part of the child's overall performance.

Why Does This Matter for OT?

Saccadic movements are especially important during tasks that require repeated shifts between visual targets.

Think about copying from the board:

Look at the board → find the information → look back at the paper → write → look back again.

If this process is difficult, the child may appear inattentive or careless when the task may actually be placing a significant visual demand on them.

Pediatric OTs can observe how visual skills affect functional activities such as reading, copying, handwriting, worksheets, and visual search tasks.

Supporting Visual Participation

Rather than simply asking a child to “look harder,” consider reducing unnecessary visual demands.

Some strategies include:

• Covering unused portions of a busy worksheet

• Breaking longer assignments into smaller sections

• Using a finger or visual marker to help maintain place

• Providing clearly organized materials

• Reducing distracting visual clutter

• Allowing additional time for visually demanding tasks

Visual activities such as word searches, visual scanning games, matching activities, and finding specific objects can also provide opportunities to practice shifting between targets.

The Bigger Picture

Saccades may be small eye movements, but they support many everyday school activities. When a child repeatedly loses their place, skips information, or struggles to move between visual targets, it is worth looking at what the task is asking their visual system to do.

For pediatric OTs, teachers, and parents, the goal isn't to immediately label the problem. Instead, observe the child's functional performance, provide appropriate supports, and consider referral to the appropriate vision professional when concerns persist.

More Pediatric OT Resources

At Funtastic OT Tools, we create practical and engaging resources for pediatric occupational therapy, including activities targeting visual motor skills, fine motor development, sensory processing, and everyday childhood occupations.