Nationwide Children's Hospital Screens Kids for Literacy at Age 3

Early intervention aims to boost childhood reading skills in Columbus, Ohio

Published on Mar. 2, 2026

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Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, has started screening children's literacy skills as early as age 3 during routine pediatrician visits. The goal is to identify reading struggles early on and provide guidance to parents on how to help improve their child's literacy development.

Why it matters

Nationwide concerns about declining childhood literacy rates have prompted efforts to intervene earlier. Pediatricians are well-positioned to screen for reading issues and connect families to resources, as they have regular contact with young children during critical developmental years.

The details

The hospital's medical director of school-based health, Sara Bode, says pediatricians are already conducting developmental screenings and talking to parents frequently, so incorporating literacy assessments is a natural extension to catch reading struggles early. The program aims to equip parents with strategies to support their child's reading skills before they fall behind in school.

  • Nationwide Children's Hospital began the literacy screening program in 2026.

The players

Nationwide Children's Hospital

A pediatric hospital in Columbus, Ohio, that has implemented a program to screen children's literacy skills starting at age 3 during routine doctor visits.

Sara Bode

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

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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 (Associated Press)

What’s next

Nationwide Children's Hospital plans to continue the literacy screening program and monitor its impact on improving childhood reading skills in the Columbus community.

The takeaway

By integrating literacy assessments into routine pediatric visits, Nationwide Children's Hospital is taking a proactive approach to addressing the nationwide challenge of declining childhood literacy rates, with the goal of equipping parents to support their children's reading development from an early age.