Health Literacy

Health Literacy is the ability to read, write, and communicate effectively in the healthcare environment.  This means reading and filling out forms at the doctor’s office, understanding prescription medication labels, and deciding with the doctor the best treatment for an illness.  Almost one third of the US population has trouble with these tasks.  The elderly, non-reading adults, and non-English speakers are at the highest risk for being illiterate in the health world.  People who are health illiterate will spend four times as much money on medical treatments throughout their lifetime, and they have a higher risk of cancer, diabetes, and heart disease (for more information, click here). 

Staying Healthy:  An English Learner’s Guide to Health Care and Healthy Living.  Orlando:  Florida Literacy Coalition, 2008.  98 pages.     

To address this problem, the Florida Literacy Coalition in Orlando, FL has created a publication called “Staying Healthy.”  HLC tutors can use this text book with their ESOL and Basic Literacy students to cover topics like taking medication, avoiding chronic diseases, or eating healthy.   

If you’d like to print just a few lessons for your students, download and print from this unit created by HLC.     

Acrobat Reader Required	Tutor Training Packet
	Tutor Guide
	Section 1 - General Vocabulary
	Section 2 - Take Medication
	Section 3 - Eating Healthy
	Section 3 - Eating Healthy (Part 2)
	Section 4 - Parts of the Body
	Section 5 - Medical Forms