Guest kelh81 Posted February 4, 2009 Share Posted February 4, 2009 Hi, I'm hoping somebody with a creative mind can help me! One of my perfomarnce management objectives is to create opportunities to engage boys in independent writing (in Reception). I was wonderiong if anyone had any brilliant ideas that have worked for them? Thank you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 4, 2009 Share Posted February 4, 2009 i have found a few little things that really encourage boys to write.... - clipboards outside, my boys loved writing lists of who was in the 'car' or on the 'bus' and so on. - i found biros with footballs on the top! - using sounds and HFW on dinosaurs and cars etc around your graphics area - putting something messy or dirty in a tough spot like mud or gloop and getting the boys to write/mark make in it. - giant cardbord sheets with paints outside for them to again write/mark make on. - rewards i have got a washing line where if the children write their writing can be hung on the washing line and they recieve a sticker, always a winner! hope thes few things help i will keep thinking and let you know of any more ideas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_13453 Posted February 4, 2009 Share Posted February 4, 2009 Mine enjoyed making maps and roadways for their cars using wallpaper lining paper rolls on the floor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_79 Posted February 4, 2009 Share Posted February 4, 2009 Clipboards! Inside and Out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_13789 Posted February 4, 2009 Share Posted February 4, 2009 we made bob the builder types utility belts to keep chalk, pens, pencils etc in. The boys loved wearing these and using their 'tool' to mark make. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 4, 2009 Share Posted February 4, 2009 How about - Make A Model - Keep A Model. If the children want to save their models, they have to fill in a laminated card with their name and display it with what they have made. Provide 4 or 5 spots for the models to sit on. Gets the reluctant writers every time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 4, 2009 Share Posted February 4, 2009 hi well i planned topics such as dinosaurs and superheroes! These worked really well as boys loved to make dinosaur profiles and also they loved writing about their favourite superheroes. It really surprised me, as it was very hard to get some of these boys to write, but they showed their potential through these activities! The resources i used were special writing paper i made specifically for these topics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 5, 2009 Share Posted February 5, 2009 We also have encouraged all the above activities but this week I have noticed more boys than usual at the "writing" area. They always have access to paper, coloured paper, rough paper, squared/ lined paper, envelopes, old greetings cards, tie on labels, tisuue paper, sticky paper, stickers, printing stamps, felt pens, pencil crayons, pencils, chubby wax crayons, biros, staplers, hole punch, cellotape, pritt sticks, paper clips, small bull dog clips, elastic bands, paper fasteners...... But guess what drew them THIS week??????? A tub of stamps!! The boys "RUSHED" to get a letter written, into an envelope and to put a stamp on it!!!!!!!!!!! (and then to post it in our all year round postbox) A parent had collected stamps, cut off neatly from letters!! Also if we have a story like Little Lumpty yesterday, we make sure we have photocopied some pics from the book onto paper so that letters can be written. There were lots of letters to Little Lumpty yesterday telling him not to climb the wall again!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 5, 2009 Share Posted February 5, 2009 I think boys like "active writing" so I always let them move about to write or lie on the floor or stand on their heads if they really want to! Post it notes are great for them and I found some large post it note sheets (bigger than A4) that drove them wild with writing fever. They like instant results with minimum effort so felt pes, markers, gel pens (although girls tend to steal these)and paint! Maps of any sort are great for getting them putting pen to paper. I also think they like to have a "reason" to mark and most boys I have taught love doing tally exercises/games All the children use "have a go" books which are kept for them to use spontaneously when they want to "have a go"- it's their book to choose when they use or not- quite often they stick things in afterwards if they are pleased with it ,as there are no rules for this book they feel much more relaxed about it and enjoy "having a go". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 All of the below are great ideas - we have a post it wall where children write messages to each other that we read out at the end of the week. I also model writing when we do our plan and review - lying on the floor with a big pen - i also let the children know that I am not very good at writing but need to do it sometimes. We also have a model display area where children can place anythng they have created, the rule being that there is a label with thier name on it and if they wish a dispcription of what they have made. the best yet is a boy who loves using the Art workshop and creats the most amazing models writing a label for his boat - I made this, It is a boat and it floats I know. he required some help but mostly used letter strings and emergent writng it was a real wow moment. Our topic this term is Dinosaurs and we have bone and dinosaur hunts where children (boys) write the clues) painting on the ground with hugh brushes in the OLE running scooter and bikes through the paint and then attempting to scribe a letter shape for others to guess was great fun - and although the head looked a little agast at her paint covered playground i did explain that it would wash off and oh we had so much fun - I managed an 'a' on a scooter not bad for a 50+ year old. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_10713 Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 Mine enjoyed making maps and roadways for their cars using wallpaper lining paper rolls on the floor We did the same as Cait last week and we ended up with two big maps, one own with a road and town and the other with a farm and countryside. The boys really enjoyed it!! We have small tool boxes from £shop and fill them with writing materials etc for the children to access anywhere in the setting, they are mostly used outside though. They especailly like the laminated paper that can be rolled to fit in the box, and whiteboard pens!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_13453 Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 Today they drew a road on the roll of lining paper and had to try to drive the remote controlled car along the line - what a scream it was! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_4283 Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 I have been looking at this this week for my dissertation and I have found many boys engaged in writing when it is linked to role play, particularly ones that engage boys. This week we have had a builders yard role play area and many boys have been writing instructions for building houses, drawing and writing the plans for their buildings and also writing lists of requirements for the kind of house the customer would like e.g a swimming pool 5 bedrooms etc! This has all been child intiated! Like others have said this writing was very active engaged in whilst standing and moving around they used clipboards and white boards with a variety of pens and pencils. They then use their writing in their play, following their plans etc. I have found boys really need to write for a purpose and see a use for their writing and mark making. Hope this helps! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 we made bob the builder types utility belts to keep chalk, pens, pencils etc in. The boys loved wearing these and using their 'tool' to mark make. hi ya just wondered where you found the utility belts as i have been looking for these everywhere and cant find any! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 Hi, I'm hoping somebody with a creative mind can help me! One of my perfomarnce management objectives is to create opportunities to engage boys in independent writing (in Reception). I was wonderiong if anyone had any brilliant ideas that have worked for them? Thank you Hi As part of my action research project, I have just recently made message pots for all the children in foundation stage and staff members. It was time consuming collecting 50 coke and lemonade bottles (luckily I work part time in a pub too) They were all cut in half then each childs photo and name was stuck on the front and they were then pegged to several washing lines at the children's height. I have to confess the idea came from a book it was originally part of the reggio Emilia approach I really liked the idea so I thought i would give it a go. The children love it, writing messages to each other, I have never seen the boys as enthusiastic about writing the paper dissapers so quickly!!!!! The messages could be linked to anything, be this super hero's to what they did in the snow, or just them having a go at writing secret messages to their friends. We also did messages in a bottle for pirates and I replied every few days from pirate pete!!!! once again they loved this too. I hope this helps Sal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 I too have been looking at boys writing this year and have tried to gear my topics more towards my boys interests and am fortunate that the girls are engaging amazingly too! We have been doing space this term and this week we have been looking for aliens, after an inital story and input from me the children have taken it upon themselves to create maps and stories about the aliens that they have found in our playground, infact they are so engrossed in this activity that they are asking if they can take paper and pencils out at playtime!! I am hoping that my next topic of pirates will be just as successful!!!!!! Hope this helps Liz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_13453 Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 infact they are so engrossed in this activity that they are asking if they can take paper and pencils out at playtime!! I am hoping that my next topic of pirates will be just as successful!!!!!! Hope this helps Liz fantastic! fingers crossed then eh! well hopefully you will have done enough to pique their interest and it will carry on Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_11485 Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 Post it notes are great for them and I found some large post it note sheets (bigger than A4) that drove them wild with writing fever. Where can I get some huge post-its? Please tell us your secret supplier! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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