There are eye tests that can be used on infants and preschool children who cannot read. If you have any concerns about your child's vision, for instance, if they have a lazy eye or are squinting, you should find a local optician who will test their vision.

However, if you have no concerns, it's perhaps better to wait until your child is a little older - say around three and a half years - before taking them for a full eye examination.

Even if your child's vision seems good, it's worth taking them for a full sight test at a qualified optician when they reach school age, just to make sure that there aren't any issues with their vision that are likely to affect their early school years.

Are children’s eye tests free?

Because children’s eyes are still developing, all children under 16 (and under 19 in full-time education) are entitled to free eye tests on the NHS.

Find out more about Children's Eye Tests >

Does your child might need glasses? Find out the signs to look out for >

How to stay on top of your child’s eye health

Working mum Tobi shares tips on how she stays on top of her child’s eye health, including how to schedule eye tests for your little ones. She emphasises the importance of getting your child’s eyes tested before they start school, so that they can have an extra fulfilling school life.

What happens at my child’s eye test if they can’t read yet?

Senior optometrist Dr Nigel Best emphasises that children do not need to be able to read to get their eyes tested, remarking that his own son had his first eye test at the age of 3 when he couldn’t recognise letters, let alone read.

Our opticians use a range of tests to assess children’s vision, such as:

• Showing small and large pictures that the child will recognise.
• A ‘matching test’ where the child indicates which letters they can see on the chart by matching them to a corresponding sheet in front of them.