The aim of this action research is to find ways to improve boys writing in the role play area within an Early Years classroom (3-7 years). Following the children’s interest’s enabled us to respond creatively to their fascinations and enabled them to engage in play in a meaningful way.

1. Engaging Boys
in Writing
through Role
Play: Following
their Lead.
Julia Crawshaw

2. 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.

3. Bawtry Mayflower
Our 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.

4. 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

5. 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 1
Year 1
A creative approach
to teaching grammar
in year 2
Developing
Independence in
Science Investigations
Year 4
Juggling with Times
Tables in Year 6

6. Baseline Data
Early Years Trends in Writing
2013-41% Gender Gap
2014-39% Gender Gap
2015-32% Gender Gap
Reflect on
current
practise

7.  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

8.  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

9. 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.

10.  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

11. 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

12. The Garden Centre
Percy the Park Keepers
House
Are Egg’s Alive?
Reflect on
current
practise

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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

18. 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”

19.  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

21. 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

22. Measure
impact

23. Measure
impact

24. Measure
impact

25. Measure
impact

26. Measure
impact

27. Measure
impact

28. Measure
impact

29. 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

30. 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

31. 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

32. 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