Boys' writing project results

The Oxfordshire Boys' Writing Project was set up in response to concerns about boys' underachievement. Gender differences in achievement are evident in the early years nationally and locally, and continue through to Key stage 4.

About the project

The project gave a group of practitioners the opportunity to engage in action research in their classrooms – to ask some important questions about why boys are underachieving, and to explore what works best for boys. This was the third project run in Oxfordshire, following the success of the projects run in 2009/10 and 2010/11.

Ten schools were invited to take part in the project. Each class had funding for a practitioner to attend an initial launch meeting and a training day, and then to undertake action research in their classroom. The practitioners had the support of the Early Years project consultant to plan and carry out their action research. All schools completed the project.

Results

At the end of the project there was evidence in all of the schools to show that more boys engaged in mark making confidently, independently, spontaneously and in their play, not just in planned activities.

The boys were using their writing skills at different levels. Some were enjoying mark making and giving meaning to marks, some were making attempts at writing sentences, applying their phonic knowledge, others were starting to write CVC words, others were writing their names and letters from their names.

There was a general agreement among the project practitioners that the boys now understood that they were writers and were aware of what they could do. They were no longer afraid to ‘have a go’.

Ten top tips to get boys writing (and one extra!)

1. Adults who understand how children learn to write and can support children at all stages of their writing
2. Follow boys’ interests
3. Male role models
4. Stimulating environments that children want to explore
5. Celebrate all kinds of mark making and writing
6. Engage the parents
7. Big paper!
8. Exciting and accessible resources
9. Real life experiences
10.  Opportunities to talk first… then write
11.  Extended time for activities

Full report and case study

• Oxfordshire Boys' Writing Project Sept 2011 - March 2012 report (pdf format, 130 KB)
• Oxfordshire Boys' Writing Project Sept 2011 - March 2012 case study summary (pdf format, 30 KB)