Across the United States, childhood literacy rates are a growing concern, with significant implications for students’ future academic success and overall well-being. Now, a novel approach is emerging from Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, where pediatricians are beginning to screen young children for reading readiness as early as age 3. This initiative aims to identify potential struggles before they become entrenched, offering a proactive step toward bolstering literacy skills and closing achievement gaps.
The program, launched in 2022, reflects a broader national trend of recognizing the critical importance of early literacy intervention. Nationally, just over 30% of fourth graders are considered proficient in reading, a figure that has declined by 4 percentage points since 2019, according to the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress. The pandemic exacerbated existing learning losses, prompting a search for innovative solutions to support young learners.
Nationwide Children’s Hospital is addressing this challenge by integrating literacy screenings into routine pediatric visits. “They are all doing developmental screenings, they’re all talking to parents repeatedly,” explained Sara Bode, the hospital’s medical director of school-based health. “So this is an opportunity.” The hospital strategically selected clinics for the program based on their proximity to schools with lower kindergarten readiness assessment scores. Data from Columbus City Schools revealed that more than 63% of kindergarteners were behind in language and literacy skills during the 2024-2025 school year, highlighting the urgent need for early intervention.
Early Detection: A Shift in Pediatric Care
Traditionally, pediatric assessments have focused on physical and developmental milestones like walking and talking. However, a child can meet these benchmarks and still lag in pre-reading skills essential for kindergarten success. The hospital’s program aims to fill this gap by assessing skills such as letter recognition, sound awareness, and basic reading comprehension during regular check-ups. These screenings aren’t intended to diagnose learning disabilities like dyslexia, but rather to identify areas where children might benefit from additional support.
The screenings, conducted by literacy coordinators, take approximately 10 minutes and utilize a tool that assesses children as they read through a book, available in both English and Spanish. Coordinators are mindful of timing, avoiding assessments immediately following vaccinations when children may be distressed. Following the screening, a personalized literacy plan is created, outlining areas for improvement and suggesting activities for parents to practice at home.
Empowering Parents as First Teachers
A key component of the program is empowering parents to become active participants in their child’s literacy development. Carneshia Edwards, who leads the hospital’s kindergarten readiness team, emphasized the importance of modeling reading activities at home. “When we’re doing the screenings, families are kind of concerned that their kids don’t understand certain things and it’s not necessarily about that piece of it,” Edwards said. “It’s just more so exposing them more than anything.”
To facilitate this, coordinators provide families with literacy kits containing tools and activities for at-home practice. These kits, assembled with input from Columbus City Schools teachers, often include dry-erase boards for letter writing, books, safety scissors, and pencils with grips to enhance motor skills. The contents are largely dependent on donations received by the program.
The hospital too connects families with additional resources, such as Head Start and the SPARK program, which offers educational home visits. Follow-up appointments allow coordinators to track a child’s progress and provide ongoing support. Quintina Davis, grandmother to 4-year-old Juri Sleet, shared how the program helped her understand activities she could do at home to support Juri’s learning. “She didn’t know as much, but our coordinator was particularly patient with her,” Davis said. Juri has since enrolled in preschool and is thriving, according to her grandmother.
A Growing Movement in Pediatric Literacy Support
While Nationwide Children’s Hospital’s initiative is relatively new, it’s part of a growing trend of pediatric centers recognizing the link between early literacy and overall child development. Boston Children’s Hospital, for example, promotes early literacy resources to families. Devin Kearns, an early literacy professor at North Carolina State University, noted that having support outside the education system to identify reading difficulties is a positive step, but emphasized the importance of using appropriate screening tools.
The program at Nationwide Children’s has already conducted over 2,400 screenings, primarily serving families who are uninsured or on Medicaid. The hospital’s approach offers a promising model for other healthcare providers seeking to address the growing challenge of childhood literacy and ensure that all children have the opportunity to succeed in school and beyond.
Nationwide Children’s Hospital plans to continue expanding the program and evaluating its impact on kindergarten readiness scores. Ongoing data collection will be crucial to refining the screening process and ensuring its effectiveness. Families interested in learning more about early literacy resources can contact their pediatrician or visit the hospital’s website for additional information.
This initiative underscores the vital role healthcare providers can play in supporting early childhood education. Share this story to raise awareness about the importance of early literacy and the innovative approaches being taken to address this critical issue.
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