EdTech Writing Isn’t Like Other Writing
If you’re new to writing in education tech, there are a few things you need to understand right away. This isn’t marketing. It isn’t copywriting. It isn’t about sounding clever.
You’re writing to teach. You’re writing to assess. You’re writing to help someone—often a child—understand something new. That means you have to be clear, accurate, and calm. Every sentence needs a reason to exist.
It also means you can’t just write what you feel. You write to a goal, a standard, or a skill. And your tone has to fit the audience—student, teacher, or admin.
If that sounds hard, it is. But it’s also one of the most useful writing skills you’ll ever build.
Writers in EdTech Need to Think Structurally
Most new writers focus on the words. But in EdTech, structure matters more. If you’re writing a passage, how it’s laid out matters. If you’re writing an assessment, what comes before and after the question matters.
Tracey Biscontini once said she could spot a good writer from a single multiple-choice question. “If they understand the logic, the clarity, and the learner, I know they get it,” she said.
That means as a writer, your job isn’t to impress. It’s to reduce friction. To guide the user. To make the learning process smoother, not slower.
Teachers Don’t Have Time to Guess What You Mean
Your writing might end up in a classroom. If a teacher reads your sentence and has to pause to figure it out, you’ve failed. If a student sees your question and misunderstands what it’s asking, same deal.
The best way to avoid this? Read your work out loud. Find the speed bumps. If you trip over it, they will too.
Also: don’t try to “sound smart.” Students don’t need smart. They need clear. And teachers need support, not riddles.
Real Stakes Come with Real Responsibility
A bad assessment item doesn’t just waste time. It can throw off a teacher’s whole understanding of what a student knows. It can cause a student to doubt themselves.
And those errors don’t always show up as typos. Sometimes it’s a word that has two meanings. Or a question that tests something not actually taught in the lesson.
One study found that students perform 15–20% worse on questions written above their reading level. Not because they didn’t know the answer—because they didn’t understand the question.
So your job isn’t just writing. It’s protecting the learner from confusion.
You Have to Respect the Standards
Every EdTech project you work on will be tied to something—state standards, curriculum frameworks, or internal benchmarks. If you ignore those, your writing fails.
This isn’t optional. It’s the foundation.
Start by reading the exact standard your content is supposed to address. Then ask: Does my work hit that target? Not kind of. Not almost. Exactly.
It’s okay to ask questions. It’s better to double-check than to assume.
Always Test Your Work on a Real Person
Before you submit anything, give it to someone else. A friend. A sibling. A coworker. Ask them: What does this mean to you?
Watch where they pause. Ask what confused them. Take notes.
If they read the question and answer something completely off base, that’s on you.
Writers think they’re clear because they know what they meant. But the reader only knows what’s on the page.
Don’t Skip the Formatting
Formatting isn’t decoration. It’s part of the user experience.
Make sure:
- Headings follow the content hierarchy
- Lists are parallel and consistent
- Answer options are balanced in length
- Indentation is clean and readable
Poor formatting distracts from the message. It slows down the reader. And it makes your work look sloppy, even if the words are good.
You Will Revise. A Lot.
If you hate feedback, EdTech isn’t for you.
Your work will go through editors, curriculum leads, project managers, and QA teams. You will get changes. You will get rewrites.
This is normal.
You’re part of a bigger process. Everyone’s job is to make the final product better. Don’t take it personally. Take notes and improve.
Time Is Tight. Be Efficient.
Most EdTech teams work on tight timelines. You might get a week to write 10 reading passages and 50 questions. That’s not a lot.
So build your process. Use templates. Break your day into chunks. Don’t waste time second-guessing every word.
Start by writing clear. Then go back and tighten it.
Start with These Habits
Here’s a quick starter kit:
- Read all standards before writing
- Write one skill per question
- Use words that students know
- Keep sentences under 20 words
- Avoid double negatives
- Don’t overuse “select all that apply”
- Use short, clear directions
- Ask someone to read your work
- Read it out loud before submitting
- Take revision notes seriously
A Few Final Numbers
- In a survey by EdReports, 70% of teachers said that content quality impacts student confidence more than any other factor
- Only 34% of 8th graders scored proficient in reading in the most recent NAEP scores
- Teachers spend up to 7 hours a week modifying poorly written materials (Learning Counsel)
You can help fix that. Start strong. Write clearly. And remember, every sentence you write could be the one that makes something finally click for a student.