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Background Information about Health and Literacy | Materials Development and Assessment
Curricula, Curriculum Guides, and Lessons | Readers (Stories and Factbooks)
Bibliographies and Databases

There has been an explosion in recent years of good information about how to develop and assess easy-to-read health education materials. Included here are just a few titles that should help people get started with the process of creating or assessing "audience-centered" health education materials. These materials are either books or short guides. For journal literature, see the section titled Bibliographies and Databases. Many of the materials listed there will provide citations to journal literature about materials development and assessment. Other books on the topic are included in the section titled Background Information, as they cover a broader spectrum of information than just materials development and assessment.

Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/nbccedp, Click on "Publications"; look under "Publications on Breast and Cervical Cancer"; free.

Also available in print from: Division of Cancer Prevention and Control; National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 4770 Buford Highway, NE, MS K-64; Atlanta, GA 30341-3717; phone (770) 488-4751; free.

This 67-page guidebook is a classic in the field about sharing health information in a variety of formats with people with limited literacy skills. It describes how to get to know one's audience; how to involve the audience in adapting and creating materials such as photonovellas (dialogue with photos), theater, and audiovisuals; and how to pretest materials. It was written for people working with limited literacy and oral-culture audiences. It includes an extensive list of literature and organizational resources for further information. It was produced in cooperation with and supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Keywords: Health education / Materials development

Available from: MTEC; 44 Farnsworth St.; Boston, MA 02210-1211; phone (617) 482-9485; $8.

This 76-page guide was written for programs that are seeking to develop educational materials for use in their tobacco control initiatives. The purpose of the guide is two-fold: first, to suggest an overall approach to materials development, and second, to provide specific and practical tips and techniques for each phase of the materials development process. The manual focuses on the development of print materials only. It advocates an "audience-centered" approach to materials development. The initial chapters cover: getting to know your audience; developing a concept for the project; writing and designing the product; pretesting, revising, and printing the product. Additional chapters explain how to develop materials for specific age groups, diverse cultural communities, and limited literacy audiences. There is also information about how to have materials translated. It includes bibliographic and organizational resources for further information.

Keywords: Materials development / Smoking

Available from: World Education; 44 Farnsworth Street; Boston, MA 02210-1211; phone (617) 482-9485; $5.

This 16-page guide, designed as part of the Health Education and Adult Literacy Project, could be useful for adult literacy educators or health educators. The purpose of the guide is to offer sample review criteria for videos that takes into consideration the needs of people with limited literacy or non-English speaking audiences. It describes briefly why the use of videos can be helpful and why assessment is important. It also includes sample assessment forms from the Philadelphia WIC Program, the Maternal and Child Health Division of the City of Philadelphia's Department of Health, and from Health Care for the Homeless's Information Resource Center.

Keywords: Health education / Materials assessment / Videotape recordings

Available from: World Education; 44 Farnsworth Street; Boston, MA 02210-1211; phone (617) 482-9485; $6.

This 28-page guide describes how one ABE/GED class created a video as part of a project about breast and cervical cancer early detection. The author of this publication was a novice videomaker when she began teaching. In this publication, she discusses how to use video to allow students to voice their perspectives; how to use video to assess students’ learning; how to ask students whether they want to make a video; how to develop a story line; what kinds of issues might arise when doing a video; and how to proceed with one’s first video project.

Keywords: Materials development / Videotape recordings

Available at: http://www.nci.nih.gov Click on "Information for Patients, Public, and the Mass Media"; choose "Public;" under "Community and Education Resources," choose "Program Planning Publications;" free. Also available in print from: National Cancer Institute; phone (800) 422-6237; free.

This guidebook was developed to assist writers in communicating effectively with limited literacy audiences using print materials. It includes the ideas of communication experts from diverse Department of Health and Human Services' agencies. The major themes include defining the target audience for materials; conducting target audience research; developing a concept for the product; developing the content and visuals; and pretesting and revising the product. A list of organizational resources and limited literacy publications and software is included. The book includes examples of easy-to-understand information and illustrations from print publications, and is itself a good example of a "clear and simple" product.

Keywords: Health education / Materials development

Available from: Maine AHEC Health Literacy Center; University of New England; 11 Hills Beach Road; Biddeford, ME 04005; phone (207) 283-0170 x2337; $15.

This 74-page document, for people who write health materials for health care consumers, presents step-by-step guidelines and examples of how to "Write it easy-to-read." The reader will find here: a brief overview of the health literacy problem in the United States; samples of original HMO materials, and rewritten, easy-to-read versions; advice about using readability formulas with material that requires the use of complex names for diseases or agencies; layout and graphic considerations; how to field test materials; and who to contact for easy-to-read materials and clip art.

Keywords: Materials assessment / Materials development / Reading -- Ability testing

Available from: World Education; 44 Farnsworth Street; Boston, MA 02210-1211; phone (617) 482-9485; $10; forthcoming on the Web in 1999.

This 55-page guide presents information and tools for assessing print materials on breast and cervical cancer early detection for literacy level and cultural appropriateness. The principles are applicable for the selection of health education materials on any topic, but the examples presented are all about cervical and breast cancer early detection. The examples include drawings as well as text. Topics covered include background information about the need for culturally appropriate, limited literacy materials; considerations in assessing materials; and methods for the assessment. The appendices include a copy of the SMOG readability formula; sample assessment guidelines from public health agencies; guiding questions for people participating in focus groups assessing materials; and a bibliography.

Keywords: Breast cancer / Cervical cancer / Materials assessment

Available from: PATH; 1990 M Street, NW; Washington, DC 20036; phone (202) 822-0033; $8 (free to developing countries).

This 64-page manual was developed for health educators in order to teach how to develop health and family planning print materials for limited literacy audiences. While examples given are geared toward an international audience, the content is relevant to the creation of materials for domestic use also. Topics covered include determining the target audience; planning a project; conducting focus group discussions; developing key messages; producing materials; pretesting and revising materials; and finally, printing, distributing, and evaluating the product. There are a bibliography and list of organizations to contact for further information. Many illustrations are included as examples of good health communication. Also included is a helpful description of "visual literacy," the ability to decode and understand pictures.

Keywords: Contraception / Health education / Materials development

Background Information about Health and Literacy | Materials Development and Assessment
Curricula, Curriculum Guides, and Lessons | Readers (Stories and Factbooks)
Bibliographies and Databases