Motivating Summer Born Boys

[Guest]

Hi

Have just done assessment in my class it has become evident that smmer born boys in my class are falling behind the girls. We have adapted curriculum already to accomodate for this and boys have opportunity to go outside everyday. Really hard to know how to get them wanting to write and read. Am stuck for any ideas or pointers in right direction on this forum please.

Ta x

Redbase

[Guest]

Can't claim credit for all these ideas as some have come from discussions on this site, but what about: having clipboards available for them to write on; buying cheap tool belts and filling with writing materials, children can put on and use to write wherever they want to; paper stuck to the underside of a table, children crawl underneath and write on it; playing ball games outside and children write scores on chalk boards; mark making in lots of different materials; garage role play area outside with report sheets to fill in (some fab templates for this on Sparklebox)... Hope this helps, I have the same issues. Good luck!

 

Kathryn

[Panders]

Could they be 'mentored' by older boys who are keen on writing or reading - or is your class made up of the younger age groups anyway. Sometimes they respond to the older boy influence and want to copy them don't they. How might they get on with real tape measures, the retractable steel type - they could go round measuring and writing down their measurements, they could do quotes for work to be done.

 

Some of our boys in pre-school like to be painters and decorators - one little boy's parents are doing up their house at the moment and he loves to get hold of the big paint brushes and paint the fences or big cardboard boxes outside. Another boy who is interested in dinosaurs helped to make a table top museum from our dinosaur models we covered the table in paper, they drew round the dinosaurs and then stood them up inside the drawing and labelled them, they did this all week, a new piece of paper every day. One super keen boy even categorised them into herbivores and carnivores, and then another day jurassic and triassic and I got told off for putting in a woolly mammoth!

 

Two of my own boys were summer borns and they struggled with their reading and writing. In fact, the 22 year old was 19 before he read his first paper back novel from cover to cover, he was so chuffed with himself and bored his girlfriend silly up-dating her on the plot every couple of hours.

[catma]

What are they interested in? What do they do when they are at home? What are their favourite characters on Tv......... You might get some clues by starting from those interests?

Cx

[Guest]

One thing that worked for me was having the hats/dressing up near the writing table. One boy spent the entire morning with the police helmet on mark making in a note book - apparently he was making a list of who was good and bad, and what the bad people were doing!!

Mind you am also stuck as my boys just want to dress up and play power rangers or spiderman, and look at me like I'm mad whenever I suggest any form of writing they could do!!

[Guest]

Can't claim credit for all these ideas as some have come from discussions on this site, but what about: having clipboards available for them to write on; buying cheap tool belts and filling with writing materials, children can put on and use to write wherever they want to; paper stuck to the underside of a table, children crawl underneath and write on it; playing ball games outside and children write scores on chalk boards; mark making in lots of different materials; garage role play area outside with report sheets to fill in (some fab templates for this on Sparklebox)... Hope this helps, I have the same issues. Good luck!

 

Kathryn

 

 

Fab list of ideas and I chuckled at the thought of them under the table...I would like to do that. One of my boys today choose to use whiteboard and pen and he totally covered it in black...squirlly patterns and dots and zigzags and said it was fun...HOORAY!!!! He would love the under the table idea...Physical link a very good idea as they love throwing balls at targets.

Thank you so much Kathryn.

Redbase

[Guest]

Could they be 'mentored' by older boys who are keen on writing or reading - or is your class made up of the younger age groups anyway. Sometimes they respond to the older boy influence and want to copy them don't they. How might they get on with real tape measures, the retractable steel type - they could go round measuring and writing down their measurements, they could do quotes for work to be done.

 

Some of our boys in pre-school like to be painters and decorators - one little boy's parents are doing up their house at the moment and he loves to get hold of the big paint brushes and paint the fences or big cardboard boxes outside. Another boy who is interested in dinosaurs helped to make a table top museum from our dinosaur models we covered the table in paper, they drew round the dinosaurs and then stood them up inside the drawing and labelled them, they did this all week, a new piece of paper every day. One super keen boy even categorised them into herbivores and carnivores, and then another day jurassic and triassic and I got told off for putting in a woolly mammoth!

 

Two of my own boys were summer borns and they struggled with their reading and writing. In fact, the 22 year old was 19 before he read his first paper back novel from cover to cover, he was so chuffed with himself and bored his girlfriend silly up-dating her on the plot every couple of hours.

 

Yes my son too...he wouldn't hold a pen or pencil until he started school..all he loved was lego and dressing up and he doesn't read any fiction now..he's 18 but loves football mags and reading and writing anything on the computer..very male don't you think!

 

I will try the idea of table top garage as many of the boys like the cars so could try your idea of labelling diff sorts of cars and vans amd motorbikes.

 

Good idea about older boys..don't often find them working together and not in same groups so will try that .

 

Thanks Panders

Redbase

[Guest]

One thing that worked for me was having the hats/dressing up near the writing table. One boy spent the entire morning with the police helmet on mark making in a note book - apparently he was making a list of who was good and bad, and what the bad people were doing!!

Mind you am also stuck as my boys just want to dress up and play power rangers or spiderman, and look at me like I'm mad whenever I suggest any form of writing they could do!!

 

That sounds lovely..great when the children are so engrossed in their play. Do you have a problem with guns and fighting in your role play..I often find myself having to say no guns at school...we are supposed to go with their interests but sometimes what they watch on telly is so unappropriate.

Thanks for your ideas JemilyJones

Redbase

Edited December 11, 2009 by redbase

[Guest]

What are they interested in? What do they do when they are at home? What are their favourite characters on Tv......... You might get some clues by starting from those interests?

Cx

 

 

Yes we have tried that but have realised we are working on last years interests so we are going to see after christmas what this class wants to learn about. Alos going to ask them what they want to learn in ICT as so many of them are coming in computer literate..quite revolutionary for us as have just followed old ICT plans for much too long now!

Thanks Catma

Redbase

[Guest]

Yes, my children play star wars a lot - and chop people up with light sabers - they also play with guns. I am so undecided on whether they should or not, as I don't ever stop the girls from their games, so feel bad stopping the boys - I tend to go with the idea that as long as no-one 'dies'.....