Free vision screenings are available Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. at Sears Optical locations across the country, including Cape Girardeau.

All-American Eye Check Day, sponsored by the National Society to Prevent Blindness, kicks off National Eye Exam Month, an educational and philanthropic event co-sponsored with Sears Optical.

Brian Smith, president of Sears Optical said, "It is being held because informal surveys conducted by the Sears Optometric Advisory Council indicate that Americans are not taking care of their vision the way they should."

In one survey, elementary school teachers noted their experience with students whose poor academic performance was the result of undetected vision problems.

For children, the NSPB recommends an eye examination shortly after birth, by 6 months of age, again between the ages of 3 and 5 and periodically throughout the school years. One in every 20 preschoolers has a vision problem. For school-age children, the numbers jump to one in four.