2014 DATA

At the beginning of this year, these students were Below/Well Below in Writing:
Year 2 16

Year 3 21
Year 4 11
Year 5 15
Year 6 20
Years 3 and 6 became our target groups, and of these students,

3 out of 4 below are boys.

Ideas to Get Boys Writing

by Kristen Bevilacqua
Like boys and action, reading and writing go
hand-in-hand. Both are critical skills for
literacy. It is through writing that boys will
learn to formulate thoughts and improve their
creativity and thinking skills. They like to
share/discuss their ideas.
Unfortunately boys who are reluctant to do
one, usually resist the other as well. Here are
five ideas, that utilise activities and interests
that most appeal to boys, to get them writing:

#1 Involve Their Interests

Write what you know is one of the basic
guidelines. This is especially important to
remember when encouraging boys who are
reluctant to write, since pushing them
outside of comfort zones can be
overwhelming.
Place value on boys interests and the
knowledge which they already have by
encouraging them to write about their
hobbies, favourite topics or other activities.
Allow boys to talk with each other, sharing
knowledge, ideas and thinking.

#2 The Wonder of What-ifs

Boys often think of make-believe and playing
pretend as girl activities. Since they encourage
imagination, boys who resist those activities are
missing out on creative opportunities. With a game
of what-ifs boys can be encouraged to explore
their imagination too.
After reading a book or watching a video clip
together, ask your student, what do you think
would have happened if and present him with a
different plot development. Encourage him to ask
his own what-if questions and then write down his
thoughts. The freedom to change a story to his
liking will make it fun!
(Wonderopolis)

#3 Involve Technology
Projects that include computers and
technology are an instant hit with boys. We
know they already use computers for social
activities. While they are on learning and
game sites, encourage boys to explore the
writing opportunities that are just a click
away. The internet provides communities,
inspiration and motivators that can engage
boys with writing.

#4 Utilize Artwork

Pictures and images can be great motivators for boys

who are visual learners. The images give them a
concrete beginning to build on, which is less
frustrating for them than abstract ideas.
Ask your student to draw a picture of an activity he
enjoys or his favourite characters from a comic, movie
or book. Next ask him to tell the story of what is
happening in his picture encourage him to include
backstory and what he thinks will happen next.
Artwork can also be utilised for boys who are resistant
to drawing. Ask them to find a picture they like in a
magazine or book and to write about that instead.

#5 Genres Rule!
If boys do not enjoy reading fiction, they most likely
will not enjoy writing it either. Make it okay for them to
write other genres non-fiction, science fiction,
mysteries, etc.
Include the sports they like to play or watch.
Encourage them to be a Sports Writer and write a
recap of the game they watched on Saturday
afternoon. If he enjoys mysteries, ask him to be a
Detective (complete with a Detective hat and notepad)
and find something that is missing in his house/class.
Most likely the initial search mission will take him on
an adventure that he will be eager to write about and
share later.

Understanding boys learning styles.

Research indicates that boys in particular
benefit from tightly structured, well-focused
lessons that have an obvious purpose and
that are tied to the achievement of clear
goals. In the teaching of reading and writing,
highly structured, scaffolded, and explicit
instructional strategies are powerful tools for
motivating boys and encouraging them to
respond.

Create a link between reading and writing

There is often a correlation between the range and quality of a students reading and the
students development as a writer. Reading broadly gives students rich models to draw on
when crafting their own writing. Here are some ways to help all students, but especially
boys, make connections between reading and writing that will enhance the development of
the full range of their literacy skills.
Explicitly discuss models of good writing in detail, pointing out elements such as
sentence structure, paragraphing, and vocabulary, so that students become aware of
the choices that the writer has made.
Emphasize how the writers choices reflect the intended purpose of the text, and how
the text affects the reader.
Maintain a balance between the development of skills such as spelling and grammar
and the exploration of content, meaning, and effect.
Identify different genres and text types that students will encounter in particular
subject areas and provide reading and writing opportunities in those subjects, using the
appropriate genres and types.
(OFSTED, 2003, pp. 919)

These ideas can be adapted for the age and writing level
of your students. The possible variations are endless.
Once you have their interest, involve reading by
recommending books with topics similar to the ones
about which they wrote.

Reading will help make them better writers.

With your encouragement and creativity, you can help
motivate boy writers.

Strengths (who to go to)

Tessa - teaching basics/mechanics in Level 1
- modelling to/with students
- getting students to attempt unknown words ie hearing and recording sounds
Kelly teaching of initial sounds, blends, diagraphs, vowels, chunking
- transferring phonics to writing
- getting children to write independently
Lee

- grammar, punctuation, spelling rules

- using paragraphs
- expressive writing eg similes, metaphors, personification

Jo

- incorporating internet, ipads, I.T.

- balanced programme

Addressing the Surface

Features of Writing
Lee Overdevest
Malfroy School