Health Literacy Overview
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/
Health Literacy
Literature
Health and Literacy Partnerships: Focus on Basics:
Vol. 9, Issue B, September 2008
Research-based Health Literacy Materials
These health literacy materials meet both the need of adults
to enhance their literacy skills as well as their need to
navigate the health care system. These materials integrate
literacy skills and practice with pertinent health
information. In a scientifically-based research environment,
use of these materials led to an increase in participants’
literacy scores on standardized tests used to validate
literacy gains.
Research Reports
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/healthliteracy/research.html
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Health Literacy
Curricula
CALPRO Online Health Literacy Reference Guide
Online resource to help teachers locate and use a wide array
of currently available health literacy materials and to
guide them in incorporating health literacy information into
instruction.
Health Literacy Curriculum
The
Health and Literacy Compendium
Developed by World
Education in collaboration with the
National Institute for
Literacy with a generous grant from the Metropolitan
Life Foundation, the Health and Literacy Compendium includes
over 80 citations to print and Web materials concerning
health and literacy. Web resources from the Health
Compendium are listed throughout this site. The hyperlinked
HTML version of the entire compendium is available by
clicking on the title above. A
PDF version is also available.
How to
Feel Good: Learning to Relax and Exercise
This Massachusetts Department of Education-funded health
education project on dealing with stress was created by ESOL
students, and their teacher, Lee Hewitt, in a class at
Jamaica Plain Community Learning Centers Adult Learning
Program, Boston, MA. Although its focus is helping
immigrants to deal with stress through relaxation and
exercise the content will also be useful for a broader
audience.
My Life Story With Cancer
by Mary Walker
This is a story written by a student at Somerville Center
for Adult Learning Experiences (SCALE), and adapted for
students with limited English literacy. It also includes a
version for Spanish speakers. For teachers, a section on
using Mary's story in the classroom is included, as well
selected breast and cervical cancer resources.
Question Violence: Love is the Answer
The on-line selections are from a book and project that were
done at the Cambodian Mutual Assistance Association by four
students in the Young Parent Program. Their purpose was to
learn more and to teach others about health and violence in
the community of Lowell. For a more detailed discussion of
the process of developing this resource, go to the
Student
Leadership section.
Read/Write/Now Brochures
The Read/Write/Now Brochure Project is a wonderful example
of how to integrate health content using a participatory
model of curriculum development. It is also an example of
student leadership development. Included in this piece is a
summary of their process, as well as samples of their
brochures in pdf format, which you can download, print, and
adapt for your own use.
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Fostering Health
Collaborations
Caring
About Community: A Workbook on Heart Disease and Stroke
created by the Jackson Mann Community Center Health
Team in Allston-Brighton, MA
These on-line selections introduce the Jackson-Mann Health
Team and give background information on heart disease and
stroke, what to do in emergencies, and worksheets for
classroom use.
HEAL:BCC
Website
The Health Education and Adult Literacy: Breast and Cervical
Cancer (HEAL:BCC) Project is a good example of a
collaboration between the fields of health and literacy.
Based at World Education, HEAL:BCC is a CD-funded program
that brings information on breast and cervical cancer early
detection to adult learners in ABE and ESOL classes.
Massachusetts
Department of Public Health
Important linkages have been made with the State Department
of Public Health. Their web page presents a good way to
learn about the system and learn about possible ways of
collaborating.
Massachusetts Prevention Centers
The ten regional DPH-funded centers are excellent resources
that provide consultation, training, and education in the
areas of public health and community development. Each
center houses an extensive multimedia library with
multilingual and multicultural resources, and has a
well-trained staff offering a wide variety of support
services including assistance with health programming,
organization-building, creating community partnerships, and
working with diverse cultures.
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Encouraging Student
Leadership
Question Violence: Love is the Answer
The online selections are from a book and project that were
done at the Cambodian Mutual Assistance Association by four
students in the Young Parent Program. Their purpose was to
learn more and to teach others about health and violence in
the community of Lowell. Also included are a
teacher's notes on how this resource was created and a
discussion of the
participatory spiral model that influenced this work.
Health and
Literacy Compendium
Completed in early 1999, this online "reference book"
consists of 100 well-annotated bibliographic entries
covering print and electronic health education resources.
The compendium is cross-indexed by subject, format, language
and reading level.
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Ideas and Resources
