Schools

Health literacy skills start early in life and are part of the process of caring for and educating children, adolescents and young adults. All students should graduate with health literacy skills that will help them lead healthier lives.

The resources on this page can help the following recognize and respond to students’ (and family members’) health information and communication needs:

• Childcare providers
• Early childhood educators
• K-12 educators
• University educators

The resources may also help other individuals and organizations identify common interests and opportunities to work with educators and childcare providers.

Early Childhood

Teachers can help children develop health literacy skills early in life.

• Curriculum
  • Ray and the Sunbeatables: A Sun Safety Curriculum for Preschoolers and K-1external icon, free registration required (University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center 2015-2021)
  • Creating a Culture of Health in Head Start Communities: Summary Reportpdf iconexternal icon (UCLA  Health Care Institute 2019-2020)
• Early Literacy and Head Start Research
  • Head Start & Early Head Startexternal icon resources (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children & Families)
  • Reach Out and Readexternal icon (Reach Out and Read National Center 2011)
• Research supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Child Development and Behavior Branch
  • Early Learning and School Readiness Programexternal icon (NIH National Institute of Child Health & Human Development 2010)
  • Language, Bilingualism and Biliteracyexternal icon (NIH National Institute of Child Health & Human Development 2010)
  • Reading, Writing and Related Learning Disabilities Programexternal icon (NIH National Institute of Child Health & Human Development 2010)

For more information, please review the complete text of Goal 3 pdf icon[666 KB, 73 Pages]external icon in the National Action Plan to Improve Health Literacy. See: Section 3, Goal 3.

K-12 and University

College students can be future health literacy educators.

• Curriculum
  • Be Sunbeatable: Grades 2-5external icon, free registration required (University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center 2015-2021)
  • Eagle Books and the Eagle Books Toolkit provide healthy living and diabetes prevention curricula and free downloadable books and resources for children in grades K-4 and grades 5-8. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2015)
  • Health Information Literacy Outreach: A Curriculum for Improving Health Information Literacy of 6th Grade Childrenexternal icon (Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences 2013)
• Educational Standards and Assessment
  • National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)external icon (National Center for Education Statistics 2021)
  • National Health Education Standards (American Cancer Society 2007)
• Health and Science Education
  • Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) at CDC (CDC 2021)
  • Is This Legit? Accessing Valid and Reliable Health Informationexternal icon (NIH, National Institute on Drug Abuse 2021)
  • Health Education Curriculum Analysis Tool (HECAT) e-Learning (CDC Healthy Schools, Division of Population Health 2017)
  • School Health Index (CDC Healthy Schools, Division of Population Health 2017)
  • Characteristics of an Effective Health Education Curriculum (CDC Healthy Schools, Division of Population Health 2015)
  • National Library of Medicine Digital Collectionsexternal icon (NIH National Library of Medicine)
  • National Library of Medicine Exhibitionsexternal icon (NIH National Library of Medicine)
  • Science Education Partnership Award Teaching Resourcesexternal icon (NIH National Institute of General Medical Sciences)

For more information, please review the complete text of Goal 3 pdf icon[666 KB, 73 Pages]external icon in the National Action Plan to Improve Health Literacy. See: Section 3, Goal 3.