1. BPNC is a community based,
nonprofit organization serving a
working class neighborhood on
Chicago's Southwest side. BPNC's
mission is to create a safer
community, improve the learning
environment at public schools,
preserve affordable housing, provide
a voice for youth, protect immigrants'
rights, promote gender equality, and
end all forms of violence.
BPNC
4477S.ArcherAve.Chicago,IL60632
BPNC
Brighton Park Neighborhood Council
is working to improve health literacy
in parents, teachers,students and
otherfaculty. This brochure will offer
tips in order to accomplish that goal
as well as information on how to
check the reading levels in magazines,
articles, journals, books,web sites, etc.

2. Health Literacy
“The degree to which an individual has the capacity
to obtain, communicate, process, and understand
basic health information and services to make
appropriate health decisions” (CDC).
You Need Health Literacy Skills To:
 Find information and services
 Communicate their needs and preferences
 Respond to information and services
 Process the meaning and usefulness of the
information and services
 Understand the choices, consequences and
context of the information and services
 Decide which information and services
match their needs and preferences so they
can act
Learning More About Healthy
Literacy Is Guaranteed To Improve
Your Overall Health!
Tips To Improve Health
Literacy
1. Ask opened ended questions to access the
patient’s understanding of the material
2. Use the “Teach Back” method to assure the
patient understand your instructions and
can repeat the information back
3. Use the “Show Back” technique which is
where the patient shows you how to use a
device or perform a task they just learned
4. Hand patient material upsidedown & see if
they turn it right side up to read it
5. Use simple language and simple words
6. Be clear, speak slowly and be patient when
providing instructions
7. Use graphics and pictures instead of long
written instructions
8. Provide information at an appropriate grade
level (ihi.org)
Focus on What You Do Best
“Checking for reading levels are a great
way to assure people will understand
the material they are reading.”
Checking For Reading
Levels
1. Count the polysyllabic words (words containing 3
syllables or more) = ______
2. Count the number of sentences = _____
3. Find the average number of polysyllabic
words/sentence: Average = Total # of polysyllabic
words/Total # of sentences _____/_____ =
_____
4. Multiply average by the numberof sentences
short of 30 _____ x _____
5. Add that figure on to the total numberof
polysyllabic words _____ + _____ = _____
6. Find the square root and add the constant of 3
_____ + _____ = _____ grade reading level
Make It Picture Perfect
Contact Us
BPNC
4477 S. Archer Ave
Chicago, IL 60632
(773) 523-7110
Visit us on the Web:
www.bpncchicago.org