BOY WRITERS Reclaiming Their Voices

by Ralph Fletcher
Summary Rita Palmer
Key statements from the chapter What can I do in the classroom?

Gender filter
There are anatomical differences in the brain between boys and girls
We each have a gender filter that can enhance but also distort our
perceptions. How we respond to and evaluate student writing often
has as much to do with us (our tastes .preferences) as whats on the
paper.



Consider how gender might affect how you respond to the substance /style of your
boys writing.
Look at the classroom through the eyes of your boys. What is and what isnt working
for them in your writing classroom?
Create the kind of classroom where every boy who enters can say to himself: this is a
place where I can write, a place where I can bring all of myself to my writing.
Rules of ( dis) engagement
Boys engage in IM characteristics include
Ferocious fluency: quantity: strong social component: self-directed
topic selection: immediate response: express a wide range of
emotion: discovery of power of words to express an idea: multi-
tasking: have content/meaning values over mechanics.
Boys measure everything by a single yardstick does it make me
look weak?
Boy writers must be engaged. This is a non-negotiable.
Make sure the sharing and celebrating is a regular occurrence.
Create the kind of classroom where boys feel at home let them write on the floor if
it helps.
Signal that daily, private failure is a necessary ingredient to become a strong writer
Consider setting up an out of bounds space where kids writing is not for public
consumption.
Consider out of school writing experiences


Violent writing
Boys enjoy dangerous sports writing could fit that bill, a
dangerous, supervised sport ,Choice is negotiated with teacher
When asked what they like to write about topics tend to be heavy on
action and conflict, aggression and violence. Violent writing provides
an important way of bonding and expressing friendship.






If we truly want to get boys writing, we must give them a wider engagement zone.
Suggestions:
Dont automatically outlaw stories with weapons
Put forth some reasonable guidelines language (e.g. playground but not street) Bring
kids into the dialogue.
Try not to judge students by what they write .Accept it, and help them make the
writing better
Look for well written novels that model skilful use of violence in narrative
(e.g. Gary Paulsen )





Key statements
What can I do in the classroom?

Humour
Boys revel in subversive humour- it requires a certain amount of risk
taking. They seem to enjoy parody, farce and off colour humour
more than girls.
Boys like to write funny because they love to read funny.
Kid humour is different from adult humour. Low comedy resonates
with boys. Boys who include humour in their writing are not
necessarily acting out or trying to get attention .Rather, humour
gives them a crucial way to express their authentic voices.



If boys want to write funny encourage them to examine texts for what makes these
books humorous ( e.g. Jon Scieskza or Dav Pilkey picture books )
Take boys humour seriously look for the intelligence behind the apparent silliness
Make a distinction between destructive and merely irreverent.
Try using a new mental language for your thinking on this subject. Instead of humour,
think voice: instead of silly, think satire.
Handwriting
Penmanship problems hamper boys achievement in writing.
It impacts on how we
evaluate /grade/
the emotional tenor of response
the degree to which boys get nurtured as writers

Think velocity writing with speed allows the hand to keep pace with thoughts:
Consider how serious is this problem is it untidy or undecipherable?
Make distinction between rough draft and final copy
Dont lose sight of the big picture it matters but it is really a minor duke in the mighty
kingdom of writing.

Writing conferences
Girls will naturally seek to affiliate with the teacher. Most boys will
consult the teacher for help only as a last resort.
They often feel judged topic, how (action), penmanship so
conferring requires new understandings, skills and a new openness
to the passions boys reveal in their writing.
Conferring about craft -Boys dont seem to pick up the craft
elements as readily maybe they need longer to incorporate it into
their writing? The abstract nature of craft elements often stymies
them they want concrete answers and direction
Our unambiguous message to our boys must be
I know you write well
I believe in you as a writer
I am genuinely interested in what you have to say and how you
write about it.

Embrace a broader definition of writing- if we focus only on the writing on the page we
may miss the most interesting stuff. The real writing may include drawing, talking- the
ways boys compose their story.
In a conference be as concrete and tangible as possible.
Build on strengths- pointing out a strong element in the writing is showing you are
paying attention.
Dont get into a power struggle over revisions. If the boy is engaged in his writing, back
off and let him write.
Keep conference short: dont be too ambitious: less is better
Be aware of your body language and nonverbal signals.





Key statements What can I do in the classroom?
Drawn to the page
Boys tend to spend lots of time on the detail of the drawings as part
of the composing process. The draw/write connection is supported
by brain research. Gurain2005, Sax 2005 point out that girls' brains
are wired for language words. This contrasts with boys brains
where more cortical space is devoted to spatial-mechanical
functioning.
Boys tend to draw verbs action shots/bombs going off ( girls
nouns)

Embrace a more visual definition of writing that includes sketches and drawing
Allow boys to sketch to stretch and sketch to compose
Honour their drawings by giving them the same respect we give written words


Writing genres that appeal to boys
A steady diet of personal narrative has turned off many boys who
would prefer to compose wilder, edgier, more fantastic action pieces
of writing, or write about characters borrowed from popular culture.
Genres of interest might include:
Cartoons : sports writing/commentary: creative nonfiction: science
fiction: movie or t TV scripts:
Suggest students dont start writing until they have been marinated
in plenty of different models of the genre.

When creating your menu of genres or units of study, take into consideration the
appetites of your boys. Give their interest and engagement as much weight as whether
the genres covers the curriculum.
Take a chance and let kids write in one genre youve never tried before
Set a clear date for beginning and end and make time for a celebration at the end.
Extracts from Ralph Fletcher Boy Writers .Reclaiming Their Voices 2006