This blog grew out of discussions Laura and I had on teaching students how to write effective leads. As we like to do, we are sharing ideas you can try immediately in your class or school.
What makes students want to continue reading? One key element is the lead or introduction because it can create a desire to read more. The first few sentences of book or story should grab the reader’s attention and make him or her wonder.
When you teach students how to open a story or essay, they start writing lackluster openings such as I’m going to tell you about whales or I’m going to write about my best friend. These leads are snoozers and typical of students who have not been taught what makes a lead engaging and motivates them to continue.
Leads That Work. Leads that activate the voice within readers that says, ”Keep reading!” have important jobs:
- The lead prepares readers for what’s to come in the text.
- The lead raises questions that can be answered if the learner reads more.
Students can use both elements to evaluate and improve their own leads.
Five Leads Worth Teaching.
1.Lead with a question that doesn’t have a “Yes’ or “No answer.
Example: Why did Jack cancel today’s hike?
2.Lead with a dialogue that’s short and arouses curiosity.
Example: “She’s running from the bakery, with a loaf of bread inside her jacket,” a man shouted.
“One more block and I can ditch into an alley,” the girl muttered.
3.Lead with a short anecdote or story that captures readers’ imagination.
Example: She stared at her cat–her pet for nine years. How could she hold her beloved Angus while the Vet ended his life?
4.Lead with a fascinating fact that increases readers interest.
Example: The giraffe is the tallest mammal in the world, and their newborn giraffe babies are taller than human babies.
5.Lead by setting a tone or mood to draw readers into a text.
Example: The house looked strange. Black paint covered the windows. Suddenly, the front door flung open, yet neither human nor animal stepped onto the rickety porch.
Create Mini-Lessons for Each Kind of Lead
One-at-a-time is the rule for introducing leads. The suggestions that follow can support your lessons.
- Explain both jobs of a lead.
- Name the lead you’re going to model.
- Write an example for students to study and discuss or use an example from a book.
- Think aloud and show how the lead introduces the piece and write the questions the lead raises on the board.
- Organize students into pairs.
- Invite partners to craft a sample lead and discuss the questions it raises.
- Encourage students to share their leads with the class.
Now you can show students how to craft leads that draw readers into a text.
Remember, that first draft leads are usually not terrific. So, ask students to return to their openings and use what they’ve practiced as they work to improve their writing skills!
Learn more about leads, introductions, and writing from Laura Robb’s book, Teaching Middle School Writers Heinemann, 2010.
