How to Teach Kids News Writing Skills

Teaching children how to write news copy can feel tricky, but it’s easier than you think. This hands-on lesson helps kids who struggle with writing by giving them a clear structure to follow. Here’s how to teach learning to write news copy in a few simple steps.

See our other articles in this series below:

• Teaching kids how to start a newspaper (1): understanding the fundamentals of media
• Teaching kids how to start a newspaper (2): the elements of a news story
• Teaching kids how to start a newspaper (3): learning to write news copy (part 1)
• Teaching kids how to start a newspaper (3): learning to write news copy (part 2)
• Teaching kids how to start a newspaper (4): learning to research and identify sources of information
• Teaching kids how to start a newspaper (5): learning to critique the media and spot ‘fake news’
• Teaching kids how to start a newspaper (6): tips and resources for fact checking
• Teaching kids how to start a newspaper (7): covering magazines and feature stories

This two-part lesson focuses on teaching kids the practical skills they need for their student newspaper or student news blog. You can use these activities in English class or as writing practice at home.

Teach Kids That News Writing is Different

Start by explaining to children that news writing follows different rules than stories or essays. Show them examples of both types of writing side by side.

Try this activity:

• Give kids a fairy tale like “The Three Little Pigs”
• Ask them to retell it as a news story
• Help them see how the news version would start with “Three pigs escaped a wolf attack yesterday” instead of “Once upon a time”

In your writing lessons, teach children that writing takes many forms. There’s poetry, novel writing, essay writing, and news reporting. Each type has its own purpose and rules.

How to Teach the Inverted Pyramid Method

Learning to write news copy means understanding the inverted pyramid structure. Here’s how to teach this concept to kids:

Step 1: Draw the pyramid Draw an upside-down triangle on the board or paper. Explain that news stories put the most important information at the top (the wide part) and less important details at the bottom (the narrow part).

Step 2: Use a simple example Tell kids: “If your school had a fire drill, what would be the most important thing to tell people first?” Help them identify that “School evacuated during fire drill” matters more than “Students lined up quietly.”

Step 3: Practice with their stories Have kids write about something that happened at school. Ask them: “What’s the most important part?” Help them put that information first.

This method helps student reporters learn to organize their thoughts and get to the point quickly.

Teaching Kids to Write Strong Leads

The opening sentence of a news story is called a “lead.” Here’s how to teach children to write effective leads for their student newspaper:

Teach the “5 Ws and H”:

• Who was involved?
• What happened?
• When did it happen?
• Where did it happen?
• Why did it happen?
• How did it happen?

Practice activity: Give kids a simple event like “The school cafeteria served pizza for lunch.” Have them expand it to include the 5 Ws and H: “Grade 3 students at Maple Elementary enjoyed free pizza in the cafeteria Tuesday afternoon to celebrate Reading Week.”

Useful resources for teaching leads:

• “Writing Effective Leads” guide from CU Boulder’s student journalism program. Includes practical exercises and common lead-writing mistakes to avoid.
• “Writing a Newspaper Article” complete lesson plan from MediaSmarts Canada. Features step-by-step activities, worksheets, and assessment tools for teachers.

How to Teach Simple Writing

Teaching kids to write simply is a big part of learning to write news copy. Many student news blogs and newspapers use simple words to reach more readers. Here’s how to teach this:

Show the difference:

• Complex: “The precipitation commenced at approximately 3:00 PM”
• Simple: “It started raining at 3:00 PM”

Practice exercise: Give kids sentences with big words and ask them to rewrite using everyday language. Make it a game – who can make the sentence clearest?

Explain why simple works better: Tell kids that newspapers want everyone to understand their stories. Big words can confuse readers or slow them down. The goal is to share information clearly, not to show off vocabulary.

Many newspapers aim to write simply to be able to attract larger audiences. Big words can be overwhelming, slow readers down and take up too much space in an article. Also, newspapers aim to target multiple education levels.

This lesson can be challenging for kids who’ve been taught to use fancy words in other writing assignments. Explain that different types of writing have different rules, just like different sports have different rules.

This doesn’t mean vocabulary lessons aren’t important! English class vocabulary work still matters, but each type of writing has its place and purpose.

Teaching Activities for Student Reporters

Here are hands-on ways to teach learning to write news copy:

Activity 1: News vs. Story Have kids rewrite familiar stories as news articles. Try “Goldilocks and the Three Bears” as a breaking news story about home invasion.

Activity 2: School Event Reporting Send student reporters to cover real school events like assemblies, sports games, or special visitors. Have them practice writing leads and using the inverted pyramid.

Activity 3: Interview Practice Teach kids to interview classmates about weekend activities, then write news stories about what they learned.

Activity 4: Editing for Simplicity Give kids news articles written with complex words. Have them rewrite using simpler language while keeping the same meaning.

Connecting to Other Subjects

You can teach news writing across different subjects:

In English class: Compare news writing to other writing styles In social studies: Discuss how news reporting affects communities
In science: Have kids write news stories about science experiments At home: Practice writing family news or neighbourhood stories

What Your Students Will Learn

When you teach children learning to write news copy, they develop several skills:

• Clear communication
• Organized thinking
• Simple, direct language
• Step-by-step information sharing
• Research and interviewing abilities

These skills help with all types of writing, not just student newspapers.

Need More Help With Your Child’s Writing?

Teaching kids news writing gives them a clear framework that makes writing feel less overwhelming. Many children who struggle with essays find news writing easier because of its straightforward structure and simple language requirements.

If your child needs extra support with writing skills, School is Easy offers personalized tutoring that builds confidence and improves grades. Our experienced tutors work with students who struggle with writing, helping them find their voice and develop strong communication skills. Connect with us today and see how we can help your child succeed.