In the recent November newsletter of the 2025 Magnum Opus Magazine I marveled over a student submission for a Unit 3 essay. Titled “Going to the Chickens,” it was a delightful retelling of the story of the little red hen. In his first paragraph, which centered around the characters and setting of the story, the student introduced a Siamese cat, an Idaho Pasture Pig, and a freewheeling rat. I could not help but think of his key word outline (KWO) for that paragraph. Did he write the word pig or draw a quick circle with a pig nose and ears? Students can become quite creative when they add symbols to their KWOs!
It is, indeed, fun to add a visual element to our KWOs. Because each line of the KWO is limited to two or three key words, symbols and abbreviations allow students to add more details for their narration and assignment drafts. Do students get carried away? Indeed, they do! While symbols, numbers, and abbreviations are free, the definition of a symbol for KWO purposes is something that can be drawn faster than spelling out the word. Continuing to play with the Unit 3 student submission as an example, the student should write out the short word pig. However, with the line needing to include three actions completed by the pig, a quick circle with a pig nose and ears will be helpful to fit in the needed details. If the student takes time to add expression, a body, and a charming outfit, making the sketch a full porcine portrayal, then the parent or teacher needs to remind the student of the rule for symbols and limit their use.
Along with the rule for symbols, there are a few additional helpful hints for adding a visual element to your KWO. Our Arts of Language podcast, Episode 290 of our Ask Andrew Anything series finds Andrew Pudewa speaking on this topic. At timestamp 2:48, he reminds students to make sure that the symbol is something recognizable so that when they seek to narrate and later compose the assignment, they can easily remember what the symbol represents. Abbreviations are also helpful for proper names. In our continuing example, the “Idaho Pasture Pig” after first being written out could then be written as IPP. Lastly, Fables, Myths, and Fairy Tales and several other IEW writing courses include a Symbols and Abbreviations page like the one below.
My imagination took a fun turn after reading the student submission. Indeed, Andrew Pudewa acknowledges that “some people lock information to symbols and nonverbal cues better than to single words” (Podcast Episode 290). He advises parents and teachers to be lenient with these students, allowing them to use the strategy best suited to their learning yet setting boundaries if it becomes too much. In enjoying the “free words” that symbols, numbers, and abbreviations can afford us, we do not want to lose the purpose of the KWO. In her blog post, “Taking Notes with Unit 1,” Heidi Thomas reminds us that the KWO is designed to help us plan our process and organize our thoughts. She also takes time to explain the use of these visual elements in our KWO, reinforcing that they should not take away or distract us from thinking through our assignment. As the saying goes, everything in moderation—even fun KWO symbols!
by Katie Eades
