Understand health literacy and implement health literate practices.
Use health literacy principles in everyday practice. That includes communicating with families and staff, choosing products and materials for your programs, training staff, and delivering comprehensive services.
Leadership is key to supporting an organizational culture that promotes health literacy. Leaders in early childhood programs can boost their skills by growing their understanding of organizational health literacy. They can also identify best practices for integrating health literacy principles into program operations. This begins with learning what health literacy is and why it’s important.
Once leaders increase their knowledge and understanding of organizational health literacy, they can prioritize health literacy as an organizational value. They can also help their program foster a culture of health literacy.
Skill Development
- Watch 5 Things to Know About Health Literacy to learn about the importance of organizational health literacy. The video talks about proven strategies organizations can use to make health information and services easier to find, understand, and use.
- Read Health Literacy: Tips for Health Managers to learn strategies to help families understand health information so they can make good health choices.
Learning Activity
The health literacy checklist is an effective tool for assessing organizational health literacy in early childhood programs. The checklist was adapted from the National Academy of Medicine’s 10 Attributes of Health Literate Health Care Organizations.
Complete the checklist with a group of staff members, a team, or a specific site. Use the results to discuss organizational strengths and find areas of growth for promoting health literate practices.
Afterward, it’s important to engage program leadership in conversations and action planning. To make ongoing efforts last, program leaders should outline strategies for integrating health literacy throughout the organization. They should also promote a culture of health literacy.
Resources
The Introduction to Health Literacy video explores the definition of health literacy. It shows how health communication is a process. You’ll learn why it’s important for programs to include health literate practices in service delivery.
Last Updated: March 4, 2024