Is it worth teaching kids about newspapers?

[Daffodil101]

Just that really. DD y6, home learning. Was thinking about different types of writing, different formats etc for English.

When my elder daughter was this age, I bought a broadsheet and a tabloid and we compared them and looked at features like weather, sport.

Wondering if it’s still worth doing, or whether the days of newspapers are numbered?

Their days may be numbered but its still a valuable exercise. I still buy the local paper and a weekend one, its good to flick through you see all sorts that you don't see browsing online. I do the crosswords with my teens.

Journalistic writing will never die.

I hope newspapers continue. I enjoy them so much, though my kids don’t show any interest. Even the older one (15).

I’ll buy both next week and give it a go.

Also probably worth comparing not just writing styles but attitudes and assumptions behind the reporting. Try to get papers that have opposing views.

Does your child read First News?

She doesn’t seem interested in First News, no.

Elder daughter always read it, however

As a journalist can I just say THANK YOU for even thinking of this excellent home lesson. You could look at broadcast news and web only news sources like the Independent, Buzzfeed and HuffPo too.
Have you heard of First News? It's a newspaper for children, introducing them to news and to the skill of reading the news/current affairs. It's available from most bigger newsagents

Oh sorry only just read previous posts mentioning first news

First News is free to download at the moment. My year 6s are enjoying reading it.

Yeah, study's Karen's writing style - she's obviously the future of writing .

While I know I should be telling you to buy a newspaper and save all the companies that are going to go under soon, OP, you could always read the online versions of the papers. You'll see the same writing techniques, opinion pieces, breaking news, features, interviews etc.

Or here's a useful exercise... Compare the different front pages today - they'll probably go down in history.

Oh Karen ....you're so wrong.
Newspapers are fab. We get our delivered....my five year old loves getting his hands it when we're finished so he can look for pictures. He cuts them out and the good ones make his wall and the others are in a scrapbook 😂
The great thing about newspapers which phones can't really replicate is they allow you to read around a broader set of topics. With a paper you'll tend to read it cover to cover where people tend to self select content online.
Newspapers are much better for an all round view on current affairs.

There will always be a place for good writing and research, regardless of the medium. I think the demise of the paper form is a very sad thing, although clearly I am also a "dusty ass relic". They will prise my actual books from my cold, dead hand. (The one that is not clutching my vinyl collection).

Newspapers are wonderful (journalist here).

One of the best regional papers is the Yorkshire Post, and the i is a cracking daily.

There are nice resources on news and current affairs here that you might like. economistfoundation.org/resources/

These are such brilliant ideas, thanks. I’ve now got a purpose next week.

I’m a linguist so interested in writing style. I heard my favourite noun phrase ever in online news last week ‘Greggs in U-Turn over Sausage Roll Rush Fears.’

My English teacher would have loved that!

Oh my word, that Economist website is fab!

I think it’s still worth it. I can still remember comparing broadsheet and tabloid writing styles and approaches to certain subjects.

It’s fascinating from a political point of view, who owns the newspapers, what do they have to gain? You only have to look at recent elections in this country to see how much sway newspapers still have.

It's funny how punctuation can make or break a sentence, isn't it?

It’s all fascinating.

I wouldn't buy First News, personally. It was co-founded by Piers Morgan.

Is there a child friendly alternative?