The Usability and Feasibility of a First-Grade Sentence-Writing Curriculum

Sentences, a newly developed core writing curriculum, is designed to teach sentence writing to first-grade students. Over 2 years, the usability and feasibility of the curriculum were investigated using teacher feedback, observations, and focus groups/interviews as data sources. In Study 1, 7 teachers from 2 schools taught the 30-lesson curriculum. This led to the identification of barriers and facilitators, which resulted in significant revisions to the curriculum. In Study 2, 20 teachers from 10 schools taught the revised 50-lesson curriculum, and additional usability and feasibility data were collected. These data suggest that Sentences is usable and feasible for first-grade teachers, and teachers perceived the curriculum as improving their students’ writing. Additional factors influencing usability and feasibility are discussed.