12 Ways to Help Boys Learn

1 When speaking with boys, either tell them something or discuss it with them, allowing them to be speculative. Never mix the two modes: they can’t handle them together!

2 Ensure that whenever a boy is involved with an object or an action he is required to speak about it: Descriptive : What is it? What are you doing with it? Reflective : Why are you doing this? Have you done this before? What happened that time? Speculative : How might you do it differently next time?

3 Set quizzes/score points/ have a league table.

4 Communicate a challenge in the tasks set. Make the work sound more difficult than it is and so engage their motivation.

5 Always allow oral activity prior to undertaking any written task – fundamental in promoting improved writing. Pairs work to describe the task, speculate on how it might best be undertaken, consider the issues etc. Insist on the use of language appropriate to the task

6 Boys often use the wrong verb form when answering questions in class. In answer to the question “What is this used for?” boys should be encouraged to use the finite form: “To…” We should seek to extend answers by encouraging speculation regarding what happens next. Boys are known to need help with connecting ideas to each other to form a linear concept, hence the teaching of appropriate connectives is vital : firstly, secondly, as a consequence, next, finally etc.

7 The classroom should be socially engineered for learning outcomes. Classrooms that allow boys to sit together, particularly in friendship groups, will allow the assertion of the male peer group over the authority of the teacher. Such classrooms also promote like-with- like discussion, which is limiting for both boys and girls. Ideally, boys should be sat alongside girls – or in boy/girl mixed groups. Boy/girl pairings have been shown to have many spin offs: increased range of language activity; increased understanding of each other; extension of friendship groups and reduction in bullying, as well as better classroom control. (note: if this arrangement is presented as a controlling device it will be resented).

8 Set time limits. Boys always work better under pressure, but always struggle to manage open-ended tasks (Why do they always leave completion until the last minute? Because they are creating their own pressure!) Prescribe the exact time for the homework you are setting.

9 Encourage the use of diagrams and bullet points, wherever possible. These techniques allow boys to feel in greater control of their material and their use in planning can aid overall structure.

10 If boys write something, they need to be able to do something with the final draft: display it, send it, present it, share it… Boys need an audience for their work.

11 Do not append criticism to a boy’s finished draft : recognize the effort and any suggestion of understanding/progress. Criticize the work a)during the drafting stages, when your criticism will be received as guidance and b)at a time removed from the effort of completion – possibly when drafting the next piece - when your criticism will not be seen as dismissive.

12 Due to their tendency to miss out vital steps in their thinking/planning, we need to structure these activities for them. A simple approach is to set them five steps towards completing any task (the brain holds information best in odd, rather than even, numbers). Such an approach will often allow boys to speculate first, then move on to the, for them, more difficult, task of reflection.  5 steps to outline what they have done  5 points about what they have read/understood. Could be grouped under 5 headings  5 things to remember for the next lesson  5 solutions to any problem, before deciding on the best one ( speculation, followed by reflection )  5 errors to identify and correct  5 paragraph essay ( describe the problem/issue, speculate on likely outcome/resolution and reflect on why this might be). Be prepared to think about the wording of the task to set to make it more “boy-friendly”.  To encourage the language of feeling, give boys a list of words to describe feelings in response to a particular event/task and ask them to choose 5 which best capture the way they feel