Classroom Resources

In Brief: On Micro-writing

I couldn’t possibly make my point with a long, wordy article, so let’s get to it.

Whether they know it or not, your students are micro-writing. They’re writing captions for Instagram. They’re writing witty responses on Snapchat. It’s the very foundation of Twitter. And even as emojis challenge the necessity of language itself, we know – young people especially understand – that words matter now more than ever.

Teachers can incorporate this into their classroom by teaching micro-writing. Why? Lots of reasons.

Keeping it short takes the pressure off WRITING.
A single sentence can go a long way.
For new language learners, it helps to build comprehension and self-confidence.
It creates a common ground for learners of different levels together in the same classroom.
It’s time efficient.
It’s low tech.
It’s a great way for students to open a casual discussion or summarize a complex argument.
Its flexibility makes it a powerful exercise in every subject.
It’s not easy, but it’s also not a formidable assignment.

Micro-writing isn’t about catering to a short attention span, or even encouraging it. It’s about linguistic precision. It’s about word economy. It’s about exploring the great potential that lies within limitations.

That’s why I love Six-Word Stories. A favorite part of Hemingway lore (probably untrue), it resonates because the ratio of impact to time-it-takes-to-read is profound. So much in just six whole words! Amazing.

So, if you aren’t already using micro-writing in your classroom, or with your students in one way or another, give it a shot.

It doesn’t take long to go short.

Want to see how a few educators have included micro-writing in their classrooms? I found these articles helpful:
Micro-Writing is Having a Macro Impact on Identity Development
Concise and Precise Micro-Writing
Micro-Writing for English Learners
Micro Writing: Writing to learn in ESL

Want to have your students enter a contest for Six-Word Stories? The folks at Narrative have something for you.