Last week I presented two Parent Information sessions on the topic of boys’ writing as a core building block for the individual growth and social wellbeing of every classroom learner. My presentation was based upon contemporary research and observed experience over many decades in literacy lessons from Pre-School to Year 6. In particular, I wanted to share my understanding of the unique approach that boys have to writing tasks – and how this approach can be nurtured for self-expression that is truly transformational.

For every classroom the ultimate goal is to have a community of learners who are well “grounded”, respectful of each other – and their learning, self-disciplined, open-minded and imaginative. For these learner profile attributes to be achieved, the boys must be trusting of their natural instincts and willing to take learning risks. Through this process they will truly come to know themselves.

As modern society evolves at a breathtaking pace previously unknown to humankind, it is timely to reflect on the language that has been handed down to us from the beginnings of civilization. One example is the Greek word “humus”, meaning soil or earth. Humus is the base word for “human” and “humanity”. In other words, we can trace our humanity back to our integral relationship with the earth that sustains our existence. Also from “humus” comes “humour” and “humility”. We may be familiar with the term “earthy humour” or the terminology “earthed” or “grounded” to describe a person of true humility.

What then is the profile of so many 21st century learners’ lives if unearthed from this time-honoured relationship with the natural environment? In a frantic, modern world potentially removed from this daily grounding, it can be a challenge to feel harmoniously balanced with the rhythm of the natural order.

Loris Malaguzzi, the founder of the inspirational Reggio Emelia Early Years Learning Centres identifies the environment as the third teacher – after the child’s parents and teachers. To observe a young child exploring in the world of nature is to observe a learner truly in a state of wonder and harmony with his/her own being.

Therefore, families and their growing children need always to be conscious of the necessity of maintaining this sense of natural balance and connectedness in their everyday lives. It is all too easy, for example, for boys moving towards the teenage years to disappear into a cyberspace world for entire weekends and thus lose traction with the full potential of their human journey. For all that is gained in the online world – the cost remains an ever-widening gap in touchstone connection to the immediate world that we all share. And for young writers it is this touchstone humanity that the classroom needs to explore and nurture.

Writing for boys, at least in part, must be the telling of their own stories. The unique “voice” of each boy, with its individual perspective, playfulness and quirks is what makes his writing compelling. And when boys discover this inner voice, they will further expose, to themselves as much as the reader, who they really are and what they really think.

While very many of the classroom writing tasks will be prosaic in nature, demonstrating the logical construction of ideas and the use of sentence structure knowledge, there will always be opportunities, even in these exercises, to show something of one’s own life/background/individual perspective/sense of humour. And beyond these of course, will be the numerous small writing tasks that are designed for the boys to explore their soaring flights of imagination – and perspectives on contemporary issues. If these tasks are short, regular and quirkily packaged, they will elicit an exceptional range of responses, and much deeper thinking about the course of everyday lives.

In a primary K-6 setting, every child coming through the school gates will be experiencing a day filled with the potential of new sights, new feelings and new encounters. These experiences will offer fresh insights and understandings. To have the opportunity to share these experiences with classroom peers – and hear their responses – builds a class community of reflective, respectful, responsible students – constructing an ethical framework for the future. Yes, a caring, principled, risk-taking writing environment can achieve all this.

As the cartoonist, poet and philosopher Michael Leunig wrote:

Let It Go

Let it go,

Let it out,

Let it all unravel;

Let it free

And it will be

A path on which to travel.

John Cooley