September is National Early Literacy Month: The Link Between Early Literacy and Children’s Health | Health Trends in Early Childhood Education (ECE) – September 2026

August 17, 2026

Trend

There is growing recognition that early childhood health literacy is crucial because it lays the foundation for lifelong health and well-being.

Explanation

Exploring and cultivating health literacy in young children enhances their ability to understand and use health-related information effectively to make healthy choices.

Support healthy habits

Learn how Sesame Workshop resources can support staff, families, and children to practice healthy habits, address tough topics, and build health literacy. Each video focuses on important health, behavioral health, or safety topic.
Help children develop healthy relationships with food. Eating Well – Sesame Workshop
Encourage younger children to develop habits that promote their health and hygiene, from diet and dental care to exercise and sleep. 15 Books to Inspire Healthy Habits in Kids

Impact

When families use health literacy to improve their health, they build healthy habits together and set the foundation for a lifetime of well-being.

Family health literacy means:

Families can find and understand health information and use it to support their health
Families can reflect on and evaluate their health experiences.
Families can share accurate information and new learning with family, friends, and neighbors.
Using Health Literacy to Improve My Family’s Health (Head Start)

Accessing trustworthy health information is key to health literacy.

Most people get their health information from social media, so it is important to identify health influencers who deliver clear, evidence-based information directly on these platforms.

Find a Starter Guide to Trustworthy Medical Evidence at The Evidence Collective.

Action

Enhance children’s health literacy through engaging books to inform and inspire young children. Health – Free Kids Books
Children’s health books are fabulous for young readers because they entertain and educate on everything from germs and personal hygiene to body systems and anatomy. Toddler – Preschool Songs & Books | AbridgeClub.com | Interactive
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. Culture and Language | Health Literacy | CDC

How to Boost Children’s Health Literacy

Get children interested in STEM. “We need to get kids interested in STEM — science, engineering, technology, and medicine. We’re bringing these topics to kids to get them interested at an early age and inspire that passion.” Angela Mattke, a pediatrician with Mayo Clinic’s Children’s Center, Mayo Clinic Minute: Boosting kids’ health literacy – Mayo Clinic News Network
Reach Out and Read! “At Reach Out and Read, we believe all families should have the tools and information they need to make shared reading a daily routine. We help integrate guidance about reading into pediatric practices, advise families about the importance of building healthy relationships, and share books that serve as a catalyst for healthy childhood development and family bonds.”
Explore Early Literacy (American Academy of Pediatrics). “It is never too early to start reading to a child!” Watch the video as Dr. Dipesh Navsaria talks about why it is important to read to children early.

Credible Resources

Children’s Book about Oral Health: Brush, Book, Bed: How to Structure Your Child’s Nighttime Routine (HealthyChildren.org)
Children’s Stories About Families Without Homes (PA Promise for Children)
Happily Ever Elephants (curated book lists from a former elementary school librarian)

Sesame Workshop – Health Resources

The SPACES Book – A Book about Emotions by Omari Baye

References

Keep the bedtime story: A daily reading ritual improves empathy and creativity in children. Winter M, Willy AJ, Ingersoll J, Meyer MJ, Clabough EBD (2026). Keep the bedtime story: A daily reading ritual improves empathy and creativity in children. PLoS One 21(1): e0340068.

Health Literacy in Early Childhood: A Systematic Review of Empirical Studies. Bánfai-Csonka, H.; Betlehem, J.; Deutsch, K.; Derzsi-Horváth, M.; Bánfai, B.; Fináncz, J.; Podráczky, J.; Csima, M. Health Literacy in Early Childhood: A Systematic Review of Empirical Studies. Children 2022, 9(8), 1131.

Elucidating the child’s perspective in health promotion: children’s experiences of child-centred health dialogue in Sweden. Derwig, M.; Tiberg, I.; Hallström, I. Elucidating the child’s perspective in health promotion: Children’s experiences of child-centered health dialogue in Sweden. Health Promotion International, Volume 36, Issue 2, April 2021, Pages 363–373.

Supporting children’s health literacy development: A systematized review of the literature. C. Otten, N. Kemp, M. Spencer, R. Nash. International Journal of Educational Research, Volume 115, 2022.

Children and Adolescents’ Health Literacy in the United States of America. Fleary, S.A., Joseph, P.L., Ali, Z. (2024). Children and Adolescents’ Health Literacy in the United States of America. In: Nash, R., Cruickshank, V., Elmer, S. (eds) Global Perspectives on Children’s Health Literacy. Springer, Cham.

Health Literacy in Children and Adolescents. A Review of the State of the Art. Navarro Rubio MD, Blay C, 2023. Health Literacy in Children and Adolescents. A Review of the State of the Art, Medical Research Archives, [online] 11(6).

About Child Trends in Early Childhood

Welcome to Health Trends in Early Childhood, the monthly release from The Pennsylvania Key, focused on trending health issues related to children birth to age five and their families and caregivers.

Each month, find information about a recent health trend, learn why it is important, discover the impact it has on children, their families and caregivers, and the community, as well as actions we all can take to ensure the health and well-being of children in our communities. Also, find reliable resources to learn more about the issue.

Visit The Pennsylvania Key's Health Trends in Early Childhood Education (ECE) Page

Disclaimer: This is the most updated information at release time. The information in Health Trends is not a Pennsylvania regulatory requirement for early childhood providers. Pennsylvania early childhood providers with regulatory requirements should contact their Cert rep or the Bureau of Certification.