Helping Children Make Sense of the World
We live in a world overflowing with information — from television and newspapers to YouTube, podcasts, and social media. For children, learning to analyse and question news builds essential critical-thinking skills that last a lifetime. The News Analysis Worksheet for Kids – 5 Ws & How Printable gives educators an easy, structured way to help kids unpack what they see, hear, and read.
Instead of passively accepting headlines, this worksheet invites children to slow down, ask questions, and make meaning. It turns curiosity into a habit — empowering young minds to tell the difference between fact, opinion, and storytelling.
Download the News Analysis Worksheet for Kids – 5 Ws & How Printable
Print, discuss, and explore today’s headlines together.
Whether used during OSHC sessions, literacy lessons, or current-events circles, this simple tool turns every news story into a chance to learn, question, and grow.
📰 The Power of the 5 Ws & How
This framework — Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How — is a timeless tool journalists use to ensure accuracy and depth. For kids, it becomes a scaffold for comprehension and reflection.
Each question helps them uncover a new layer of understanding:
- Who was involved?
- What happened?
- When did it happen?
- Where did it take place?
- Why did it matter?
- How did people respond or how might it affect others?
By guiding children through these six prompts, you’re not only teaching news literacy — you’re strengthening reading, writing, and empathy all at once.
🧩 How to Use the Worksheet
- Choose a News Story (5 minutes)
Select a child-friendly article, video, or classroom news segment. It could be about the environment, local events, or a global discovery. - Read or Watch Together (10 minutes)
Go through the story once, then discuss what stood out. Encourage active listening — What’s new? What’s surprising? - Complete the Worksheet (15 minutes)
Children fill in each section of the 5 Ws & How, using short sentences or drawings. Younger students can dictate answers while older ones write independently. - Group Reflection (10 minutes)
Discuss how different children interpreted the story. Ask follow-ups such as:- “How do we know this information is true?”
- “What other sources could we check?”
- “How might this story make different people feel?”
- Extension Ideas
- Compare two stories about the same topic from different sources.
- Write your own short “news story” based on classroom or OSHC events.
- Create a “Good News Board” featuring positive stories found by the group.
📘 MTOP Learning Links
| Outcome | Connection |
|---|---|
| Outcome 1 – Identity | Children develop confidence in expressing their own opinions and perspectives. |
| Outcome 2 – Community | Builds awareness of local and global events and how they affect communities. |
| Outcome 4 – Learning | Encourages investigation, reasoning, and evaluation — key literacy skills. |
| Outcome 5 – Communication | Expands vocabulary and the ability to question, summarise, and share ideas clearly. |
💬 Why Critical Thinking Matters
Children who learn to question the “who, what, and why” behind stories grow into curious, informed citizens. This worksheet lays the groundwork for media literacy — teaching children that understanding the news is about more than memorising facts; it’s about asking why those facts matter.
It’s also a wonderful confidence-builder. By giving children tools to decode the world around them, you help them feel empowered, capable, and ready to think for themselves.
✅ Download the Free Worksheet
👉 Download the News Analysis Worksheet for Kids – 5 Ws & How Printable
Print, discuss, and explore today’s headlines together.
Whether used during OSHC sessions, literacy lessons, or current-events circles, this simple tool turns every news story into a chance to learn, question, and grow.