A Good Lead:
sets the tone
determines content and direction of piece
establishes voice verb tense
piques reader's interest
Types of Leads:
Action-one or more characters are doing something
Dialogue-when a character is speaking
Reaction-tells how the character feels about something
Description (character or setting)-describes a character or the setting of the book
A Question-asks a series of 2 or three questions to peak the reader's interest
Ways to teach crafting a lead:
Read a variety of leads and have children identify the type
Have students take turned reading the lead to their independent reading book and class decides on the type
Create and anchor chart with types of leads
Create an anchor chart with students record good leads they have used in their writing
Have students create multiple leads for their writing
Look for good leads buried in the story. Where does the action begin? That's the lead!
Book Examples for Each Type of Beginning:
Description with Character
Description with Setting
Question and/or Dialogue
Reaction
Action