PA Key’s September Health Trend Focuses on How Early Literacy Supports Well-Being
As part of September’s National Early Literacy Month, The Pennsylvania Key’s monthly Health Trends in Early Childhood is providing resources on how early literacy helps to support children’s well-being and health.
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Early childhood literacy is important because it lays the foundation for the lifelong health and well-being of a child, The Pennsylvania Key writes. It was chosen as September’s health trend because exploring and cultivating literacy in young children enhances their ability to understand and use health-related information effectively to make healthy choices.
Some resources cited by The Pennsylvania Key include Sesame Workshops that can support families and children to practice healthy habits and build health literacy, a workshop to help children develop healthy relationships with food, and a list of books that encourage young children to develop habits that promote their health and hygiene, from diet and dental care to exercise and sleep.
The Key defines family health literacy as families being able to find and understand health information and use it to support their health, being able to reflect on and evaluate their health experiences, and being able to share accurate information and new learning to family, friends, and neighbors.
Actions to Promote Health Literacy
Actions to promote health literacy include:
Enhance children’s health literacy through engaging books to inform, inspire, and entertain them on everything from germs and personal hygiene to body systems and anatomy.
Share culturally, linguistically, and developmentally appropriate science-informed health education materials with children, families, and staff. Make sure the materials are accessible to learners with disabilities.
Get children interested in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and medicine) at an early age.
Utilize Reach Out and Read, which helps integrate guidance about reading into pediatric practices, advises families about the importance of building healthy relationships, and shares books that promote healthy childhood development.
Start reading to children at an early age.