Pediatricians Aim to Boost Childhood Literacy in Columbus

Nationwide Children's Hospital screens kids as young as 3 to catch reading struggles early

Published on Feb. 25, 2026

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Concerned about lagging childhood literacy rates, Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio has begun screening children's literacy skills starting at age 3 during pediatrician visits. The goal is to identify reading struggles early and guide parents on how to help their kids improve. The program has conducted over 2,400 screenings since launching in 2022, focusing on high-needs populations. After each screening, coordinators create personalized literacy plans and provide families with kits of educational tools and activities to practice at home.

Why it matters

Literacy is a critical skill for a child's development, but nationally, only about 30% of fourth graders are considered proficient in reading. Kids who enter kindergarten behind in reading often struggle to catch up in later grades. Providing literacy assessments and support outside the classroom, through pediatricians, aims to help more children arrive at school ready to learn.

The details

Nationwide Children's Hospital chose clinics to provide the literacy screenings based on their proximity to schools with lower performance on kindergarten readiness assessments. The screenings, which take about 10 minutes, assess kids' reading skills as they go through a book. After the screening, coordinators create a personalized literacy plan and provide families with educational kits to practice at home. The program also refers children to early education programs like Head Start and SPARK.

  • The literacy screening program launched at Nationwide Children's Hospital in 2022.
  • In the 2024-2025 school year, over 63% of kindergarteners in Columbus City Schools were behind on language and literacy skills.

The players

Nationwide Children's Hospital

A pediatric hospital in Columbus, Ohio that has implemented a literacy screening program for children as young as 3 years old during routine doctor visits.

Sara Bode

The medical director of school-based health at Nationwide Children's Hospital, who oversees the literacy screening program.

Carneshia Edwards

The leader of the kindergarten readiness team at Nationwide Children's Hospital, who helps coordinate the literacy screenings and provide resources for families.

Juri Sleet

A 4-year-old child who participated in the literacy screening program at Nationwide Children's Hospital.

Quintina Davis

The grandmother of Juri Sleet, who has seen Juri's progress after participating in the literacy screening program.

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What they’re saying

“They are all doing developmental screenings, they're all talking to parents repeatedly. So this is an opportunity.”

— Sara Bode, Medical Director of School-Based Health, Nationwide Children's Hospital

“When we're doing the screenings, families are kind of concerned that their kids don't know certain things and it's not necessarily about that piece of it. It's just more so exposing them more than anything.”

— Carneshia Edwards, Leader of Kindergarten Readiness Team, Nationwide Children's Hospital

“She didn't know as much, but our coordinator was very patient with her.”

— Quintina Davis, Grandmother of Juri Sleet

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

This program highlights the potential for pediatricians to play a key role in addressing the nationwide challenge of improving childhood literacy, by identifying reading struggles early and equipping families with the tools and resources to help their children succeed.