Content testing the draft USA girl’s book!

Since September 2018, Grow and Know has been working on a new USA girls’ book about puberty and periods.

Over the last few months we’ve been content testing the book to get feedback from girls on how to make this book the best it can be!

Through referrals from non-profits and schools, we connected virtually with girls from across the country. We reviewed the book together, page by page, and we asked them what they liked, what they didn’t like, and what they thought was missing. 

Overall, the girls loved the book! Many girls mentioned how much they appreciated the diversity and representation of different girls in the illustrations, and of course, they also loved the “first period stories” that we collected from real girls around the USA. They enjoyed learning from their peers, and many girls shared that hearing others’ menstruation stories made them feel less alone. 

The girls we spoke with also gave us ideas that will help us make the book even better. For example, a few girls told us that a glossary would be a useful tool to help them learn all of the new words highlighted in the book - such an important addition that would not have been possible without engaging girls in this process!

During content testing, we also had the opportunity to identify gaps in girls’ knowledge through the questions girls directly asked. As we saw throughout the participatory research process, many girls don’t have the practical knowledge that they need to navigate managing their menstruation. With one group of girls I content tested the book with, I even used my personal supply of period products and showed them a pad, a tampon, and a menstrual cup to explain more about how they work. One of my favorite aspects of being a puberty educator and working with girls is the opportunity to normalize the experiences of menstruation and puberty, and books like this are such a helpful tool in doing so.

We learned so much through content testing and are currently working to incorporate all of the girls’ wonderful suggestions into the book! We can’t wait for the book’s release and for all of you to see it. Stay tuned for more details on our launch, coming soon!