TRY THIS TOMORROW: IN FIVE-ISH WORDS
Sep
26
Every year I look forward to the announcement of the CBC Short Story Prize. When the longlist was announced (shout out to New Brunswick for making the list), I reviewed the interviews with some of the nominees. I love how each entry is described in five-ish words and my “reading like a teacher of writing brain” started thinking about ways students could use this strategy:
- Describe the books you are currently reading in five-ish words
- Summarize this text in five-ish words
- Work with a group to consolidate your five-ish word summaries into ten-ish word summary
- Explain the piece of writing you are currently working on in five-ish words
The “ish” gives students a bit of flexibility but challenging students to grasp the meaning of a full-length text in about five words requires them to be precise and deliberate in their choices. Try inviting your students to use five-ish word summaries or descriptions.