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Engaging Boys in Writing through Role Play: Following their Lead.Julia Crawshaw
Bawtry Mayflower Our school is in the
market town of Bawtry on the outskirts of Doncaster.
Formed in 1981. Most of our children
come from Bawtry and Austerfield.
We currently have 284 children from nursery through to Year 6.
Bawtry MayflowerOur vision: To have happy, independent children who are confident in achieving their very best.
We aim to achieve this by: Creating independent
learners through an exciting and relevant curriculum which supports and challenges all.
Ensuring children are actively involved in the next steps in their learning.
Nurturing pride and respect in themselves, others and the environment.
Action Research at Bawtry Mayflower
At Bawtry Mayflower we are all lifelong learners.Reflect on
current practise
Research alternative approaches
Implement new
approaches
Measure impact
Action Research at Bawtry Mayflower
Does imaginary play (small world and role play areas) influence speech
and language development in the
early years classroom?
Foundation Stage
Transition into year 1
Foundation Stage
Promoting independent
learning through continuous
provision in year 1Year 1
A creative approach to
teaching grammar in year
2
Developing Independence in
Science Investigations
Year 4
Juggling with Times Tables in
Year 6
Baseline DataEarly Years Trends in Writing
2013-41% Gender Gap2014-39% Gender Gap 2015-32% Gender Gap
Reflect on
current practise
Girls score above the national average in writing, however boys score below.
90% of girls in writing 58% of Boys in writing
Girls score above the national average achieving a good level of development however boys score below.
Girls good level of development is significantly higher than the boys good level of development.
Reflect on
current practise
Boy heavy cohort of children within the Foundation Stage Unit.
This study focuses on six boys within my key group.
These boys often play altogether as a group.
Concerns for 3 out of 6 of these boys achieving a good level of development.
These boys were not motivated to initiate writing themselves.
Reflecting on the Cohort of Children
Reflect on
current practise
Key findings from observing the six boys working within the classroom over two weeks:
They often chose to play in the outdoor area.
They rarely chose to work in the role play areas.
However all children were involved in fantasy play about superheroes.
The children’s storyline during their play was limited and tended to be repetitive.
The children would occasionally access the mark-making area, but never engage for long periods of time.
Opportunities to write within all of the continuous provision areas.
However the role play area was producing limited quality writing from the boys.
The role play area links to the current topic.
Enhancements in the areas are linked to the current topics.
Reflecting on Classroom Practise
Reflect on
current practise
Why Do You Love Me So
Much?• Home Corner
Why Do Spiders Eat Flies?
• Discovery Hut
Am I The Fastest?• Sports stadium• Football office
Why Is Water Wet?• Seaside
• Souvenir shop at the seaside
How Does That Building Stay Up?• The Three Little
Pigs Houses
Can I Have A Dog Yet?• Vets
• Pet Shop
Reflect on
current practise
The Garden Centre Percy the Park Keepers House
Are Egg’s Alive?
Reflect on
current practise
The Garden Centre The Garden Centre was set
up with the children.
The first day was used to model the role play area to the children.
I tracked where these boys were choosing to play for two weeks, twice a day.
Writing within the role play area became a focus.
I would monitor how often role play was being chose and quality of writing produced.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
Garden Centre
Am Attendance Pm Attendance
Reflect on
current practise
Researching Alternative Approaches
The Education Endowment Foundation suggests that “there is a positive relationship between play and early learning outcomes. On average, studies suggest that play-based learning approaches improve learning outcomes by approximately three additional months.”
Recommendations include ensuring that learning environments for play are literacy-rich (by providing writing materials or written props for role play activities), and balancing more structured, adult-directed activities with opportunities for child-initiated play.”
https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/evidence/early-years-toolkit/
Research alternative approaches
Confident, Capable and Creative: Supporting boys achievements research projects (2007) questions are we planning experiences for boys that build on their interests and value their strengths as active learners and problem solvers. Are we utilising boys’ fascinations and learning preferences as starting points for our planning?
Using images and ideas from the media are common starting points in boys’ play and may involve characters with special powers or weapons.
The EYFS states: “Value play which is based on characters, such as superheroes who may mean a lot to children, even if you do not appreciate them yourself”
Research alternative approaches
Follow Their Lead (2010) Julie Cigman suggests imaginative ideas that stimulated writing in play:
Topic planning with the children.
Large roll of paper on the floor, on tables, inside and outside.
Large pieces of paper and coloured pens on the floor with music.
Message boxes.
Explorers' packs and writers' tool kits in lunch boxes and rucksacks and writing frames in role play areas.
Research alternative approaches
Improving the quality of writing for 6 boys in Reception.
When comparing boys writing from the Garden Centre role play area with the writing from the Superhero Rescue Centre, is there a difference in the quality of writing produced?
The Garden Centre role play area was linked to topic. The Superhero Rescue Centre was chosen by six boys
following their interests.
Implement new
approaches
Implementing
Implement new
approaches
Some of the key findings from discussions with the focus group of boys:
1) Which areas in the classroom do you like to work in?“Outside” (3 children)
“Small world area” “Construction”
“Playing Iron Man outside”
2) Why do you not use the indoor role-play area much? “Because I like playing superheroes and we can’t play superheroes
inside”“I like being Spiderman, you can only run after baddies outside”
“It’s a bit small”
3) What would you like the role play area to be next?“A superhero house”
“A hideout”“A den for Batman”
“Transformer Station”
Planning the resources and props.
Transforming the Garden Centre into a Superhero Rescue Centre.
Creating their own representations of Superheroes, equipment and accessories.
Signs were written by the boys and scribed by staff.
Superhero books and comics were available.
Writing on a large scale
Explore packs and writers toolkits.
Message boxes
CD player with superhero theme tune music.
Implement new
approaches
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
Garden Centre
Am Attendance Pm Attendance
Measure impact
Measure impact
Measure impact
Measure impact
Measure impact
Measure impact
Measure impact
Measure impact
Measuring the Impact Motivation and enthusiasm to write.
Boys saw a purpose to write.
As the boys knew a lot about superheroes, they already had the ideas to write about.
More evidence of independent writing which these boys had initiated themselves.
3 out of 6 of these boys were at risk of not achieving a GLD in writing, however 5 out of 6 of them achieved a GLD in writing.
Measure impact
What the children said about the Superhero Rescue Centre:
“I liked saving people”
“I liked writing on the wall”
“We get to play superheroes in the classroom”
“We made our own superhero capes and we have special super powers”
“I made my own superhero called ‘Super Seth”
“I liked making my own superhero story book”
Measure impact
Outcomes for the Early Years Setting
Taking risks allowing superhero play within the classroom.
Being vigilant and changing something quickly when it is not working.
Provide more writing opportunities particularly on a large scale.
Following the children's interests more often.
Thinking creatively about the environment, experiences and activities to meets the needs of boys as well as girls.
Ensuring all role play areas produce this quality of writing. If not why not? How can this be achieved?
Measure impact
Next Steps Changing topics to suit the current cohort of children’s
interests.
Having two role play areas one linked to topic and the other to the children’s current interests.
To continue implementing imaginative ideas that stimulate writing in play indoors and outdoors.
Monitoring the quality of writing produced from the role play area.
Reflect on current practise
