Newspaper Headlines KS2 | Examples | First News Education (2024)

By amysawyer 8th July 2020

What is a newspaper headline?

A headline is the main title of a newspaper story usually printed in large letter at the top of a story. For children to interpret news accurately it’s important that they understand what newspaper headlines are and how they are written.

What does a headline do?

Headlines are designed to grab a reader’s attention and hook them into the story. The job of a headline is to ultimately “tell and sell” so it must tell the reader enough to attract their attention but leave them wanting to know more so they read the full story.

How do you write a newspaper headline?

The perfect headline is short, accurate and attention grabbing. A headline should sum up the news story in as few words as possible; every word counts in a headline and any unnecessary words are left out.

For example:

Libya celebrates the future after the death of Colonel Gaddafi

A baby is found alive two days after the earthquake in Turkey

Journalists play with the language in the headline to grab attention. Tricks of the headline-writing-trade include puns, rhymes, well-known phrases, clichés, song references, alliteration and assonance. Rhythm and punctuation also play an important role in making a good headline.

Newspaper Headline Examples

Rhyming words

Headlines that use rhyming words sound appealing, like mini-poems. Example: Owl on the prowl

Alliteration

Alliteration headlines use repetition of the same sounds at the beginning of words; most tongue twisters use alliteration. In KS2 pupils will learn about alliteration which can be used to great effect in newspaper headlines. Example: Bamboo bikes in Britain

Puns

Puns are employed a lot in newspaper headline and use the altering of words to attract attention. Example: Baa-rilliant news! instead of ‘brilliant news’ for a story about Shaun the Sheep having new website pages.

hom*ophones where two or more words having the same pronunciation but different meanings are also often used. Example: Oh dear oh deer for a story about problems an increase in the deer population is causing.

Shock and Intrigue

Headlines that are designed to cause shock or intrigue ensure the reader can’t resist finding out the details of the story. Example: I was constantly upside down!

Headline Writing Activities

Try these newspaper headline activities with your class to help them better understand headline writing techniques.

Activity 1

Show your pupils a number of news stories from First News with the headline covered and challenge them to write new headlines using what they have learnt. Can they write headlines using alliteration, puns and rhyming words? Alternatively you can find some uninspiring headlines from other papers and ask your pupils to write a catchier headline.

Activity 2

Ask your class to read through the paper and pick out headlines that grab their attention and make them want to read further. Can they predict what the story will be about from just the headline.

Activity 3

Cut our newspaper headlines and the corresponding stories and mix them up. Ask your pupils to match the headlines with the correct articles.

Newspaper Headlines KS2 | Examples | First News Education (2024)

FAQs

What is a good headline for a newspaper? ›

Headlines should be clear and specific, telling the reader what the story is about, and be interesting enough to draw them into reading the article. Avoid repetition - Headlines summarize; they don't repeat the lede.

What makes a good headline in KS2? ›

The perfect headline is short, accurate and attention grabbing. A headline should sum up the news story in as few words as possible; every word counts in a headline and any unnecessary words (such as the, is, a) are left out. Journalists play with the language in the headline to grab attention.

How do you teach newspaper headlines? ›

You could choose to get your learners to make their own web reports or make a collage of print newspaper headlines to decorate your classroom. They could also have a go at writing their own pun filled headlines, or you could bring the class together by constructing a class newspaper.

What is a powerful headline? ›

A powerful headline includes: Active verbs. Concise language. Blend of familiar and unexpected words. Clear benefit for intended audience.

How do you write a catchy headline ks2? ›

Tricks of the headline-writing-trade include puns, rhymes, well-known phrases, clichés, song references, alliteration and assonance. Rhythm and punctuation also play an important role in making a good headline.

What is a newspaper report ks2? ›

A newspaper report is a news story that's found in a newspaper. Its purpose is to provide the readers with information about what's happening in the world.

How do you write a clever headline? ›

Place the story's most interesting word or phrase as close as possible to the start of the headline. This becomes even more crucial as people read on their smartphones, where email subject lines can get truncated to 3 or 4 words.” Even when truncation isn't an issue, readers will scan your headline from the beginning.

What is an attention grabbing headline? ›

A great headline is like a first impression—it sets the tone for what's to come and can make all the difference in capturing your audience's attention. Keep it short, simple, clear and concise, and use active verbs and powerful language. And don't forget to inject personality and humor! -

What is a headline that grabs people's attention? ›

Pose a Question. Asking a question in your headline is an effective way to engage the reader and grab their attention. Questions are a powerful tool for getting people to think about the topic and can encourage engagement. Examples: “Struggling to Increase Your Online Sales?

How do you write a clever headline to attract more attention? ›

Be crystal clear. If your headline doesn't tell recipients what your content is about, they won't take the time to decipher it and they won't read your email. It's best to keep your headline straightforward. Nobody wants to be tricked into reading an article that isn't relevant to them.

What is headline examples? ›

Let's look into examples of various headline types:
  • Everything you need to know. “Everything You Need To Know About Boosting Your Productivity”
  • Comparison headlines. ...
  • Top + number (e.g., Top 10) listing posts. ...
  • A guide to… ...
  • How-to. ...
  • Mistakes to avoid. ...
  • No one will tell you that… ...
  • Increase your x with y.
Apr 5, 2023

How do you write a newspaper headline for kids? ›

Headlines tips at a glance:

Be accurate and specific. Be clear so readers know what to expect in the article. Use present tense and active verbs. Avoid vague pronouns such as they.

Why are headlines important in newspapers? ›

A headline is the gist of the whole news. It is important because it helps the reader to identify the nature of the news so that they don't have to go through the whole news to understand what it is about. The headlines appeal to the readers and they read the news below if they find the headline interesting enough.

What makes a good profile headline? ›

Be creative with your profile headline by striving to include a sense of humor, recognizable brand names or eye-catching numbers that can increase your credibility. The benefit of having a catchy profile headline is that it captures the attention of your audience easily and they tend to remember your profile longer.

What are the three important rules of headline writing? ›

Headline Writing Guidelines
  • Summarize in one line.
  • MUST include a specific subject and an active verb.
  • Show how this particular story differs from others.
Nov 4, 2022

What makes a good subheading ks2? ›

They're meant to stand out, which is why they're written in a large font and are snappy. Some sub-headings are purely informational. If the reader is looking for a specific piece of information, the sub-headings act as a guide to serve the reader through the page until they've found what they're looking for.

What is a headline for kids? ›

A headline is text at the top of a article, telling the reader the nature of the article below. Newspapers almost always have headlines in their papers.

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