- Standard 3: Students demonstrate health literacy by accessing valid and reliable health information, products, and services to enhance health.
Description
Health literacy is essential to promoting health, preventing disease, leading a safe and healthy lifestyle, and achieving overall wellness. Students become health literate by being able to locate and use valid and reliable health information, products, and services to enhance health. Valid means that health information, products, and service are accurate, credible, and not misleading. Reliable means they are consistent and trustworthy.
This standard focuses on two of the many types of health literacy: functional health literacy and interactive health literacy. Functional health literacy is the ability to read, write, and speak about health. Interactive health literacy involves interpersonal communication between people and their ability to access and use audio, print, and electronic materials to enhance health.
Students use health literacy skills when learning functional knowledge that leads to healthy behaviors.
Teachers foster students’ self-efficacy, competence, and confidence in functional health knowledge when they:
- Discuss the importance and relevance of health literacy that supports healthy behaviors and well-being.
- Explain that students have the capability of learning to be health literate by accessing valid and reliable health information, products, and services that support healthy behaviors.
- Present health literacy skills to access valid and reliable health information, products, and services that support healthy behaviors.
- Model how to be health literate by accessing valid and reliable health information, products, and services that support healthy behaviors.
- Use real-life health literacy scenarios to access valid and reliable health information, products, and services that support healthy behaviors.
- Allow time and opportunity for students to practice health literacy skills by accessing valid and reliable health information, products, and services that support healthy behaviors.
- Provide performance-based feedback and reinforcement for health literacy skills by accessing valid and reliable health information, products, and services that support healthy behaviors.
3.2.1 Use functional health literacy (e.g., reading, writing, and speaking) to access trustworthy health information to learn functional health knowledge.
3.2.2 Locate a trusted adult in the school building in order to access valid and reliable health services (e.g., teacher, administrator, counselor, speech language pathologist, occupational therapist, social worker, school nurse).
3.2.3 Demonstrate interactive health literacy by talking with a trusted adult to obtain valid and reliable health information.
3.2.4 Describe the role of trusted adults in clinical and community settings in order to obtain valid health information and services.
3.2.5 Discuss reasons for going to a health appointment (e.g., eye doctor, dentist, psychologist, healer, pediatrician).
3.2.6 Read visual-textual health and safety signage at school.
3.5.1 Use functional health literacy skills (e.g., reading, writing, and speaking) to access valid and reliable health information to learn about health behaviors.
3.5.2 Access multimodal health messages (e.g., words, pictures, numbers, and/or gestures) in print or electronic materials to practice interactive health literacy.
3.5.3 Discuss which trusted adults and resource people in the community (e.g., doctor, dentist, nurse, police officer, firefighter, faith-based leader, elders) can help a person obtain credible health information and trustworthy services.
3.5.4 Document interactive health literacy by talking with a trusted adult or health professional about health information to be a proactive, well-informed patient.
3.5.5 Read a variety of print material (e.g., books, magazines, billboards) from valid and reliable health resources to develop functional health knowledge.
3.5.6 Interpret visual and numerical representations (e.g., graphs, figures, tables, charts) to understand a health product.
3.5.7 Write about a health-related product that supports a health decision or health habit.
3.5.8 Evaluate healthy and unhealthy messages depicted in the media and in advertisements.
3.8.1 Demonstrate functional health literacy by decoding health information that is represented in visual, textual, gestural, and/or linguistic ways.
3.8.2 Engage in an interpersonal conversation about a health-related product or technology to make an informed health decision.
3.8.3 Interpret numerical and graphical information to make an informed health decision.
3.8.4 Analyze the validity of health information in print and electronic sources (e.g., news articles, magazines, visual signage, social media, podcasts, and websites) using established criteria.
3.8.5 Analyze health-related messages in print and electronic materials to determine credibility of the health message.
3.8.6 Demonstrate interactive health literacy by talking about print media and social media that address different populations, perspectives, and practices.
3.8.7 Describe why it is important to seek valid and reliable health care to be a proactive, well-informed patient.
3.8.8 Read to interpret health-related product information with a trusted adult to determine the benefits and risks.
3.8.9 Access credible websites or health-related applications using technology to support health behaviors.
3.8.10 Explain health literacy as a determinant of health that can reduce health inequities.
3.12.1 Demonstrate functional health literacy (e.g., reading, writing, and speaking) to evaluate valid and reliable health information about a health behavior.
3.12.2 Interpret signs and symptoms including symbols (i.e., numerical expressions, letters, abbreviations) that prevent disease and promote health.
3.12.3 Access valid and reliable health information from print and electronic materials that are available from credible health organizations (e.g., federal, professional, voluntary).
3.12.4 Write about a health-related issue using valid and reliable sources of information.
3.12.5 Use written, gestural, and/or spoken language to practice interactive health literacy with a trusted person or health professional.
3.12.6 Make inferences from a valid and reliable written document to comprehend health-related information that supports a health decision.
3.12.7 Read textual or digital information to support healthy behaviors.
3.12.8 Use technology to access multiple sources of valid and reliable health information to locate a health-related product or health care provider.
3.12.9 Analyze written documents to determine validity and reliability of health information or health products using established criteria (e.g., written by a current and credible source).
3.12.10 Analyze why health literacy is a determinant of health that can reduce health inequities.
3.12.11 Access healthcare professionals, providers, and insurance websites to be a proactive, well-informed patient.
Contact Information
Further Information
© National Consensus for School Health Education
Design by ToucanEd, Inc.