WRITING FOR BOYS
For some reason it is often believed that boys are better at math than writing, and that writing does not come easily to them. While this may be true for some boys, it is not the case for all. I have taught MANY a talented male student in my years of teaching, and their talents have not been limited to algebra or the formulaic structure of a five paragraph essay. I have been brought to tears by the heartfelt, descriptive writing of boys in my classrooms. True, for many boys it may not seem to come naturally at first, but for most this is simply because they are not actually given the opportunity to write creatively. Once given the chance to write, and once given the proper creative prompts, they soar.
Writing for boys may also mean something entirely different than what we conventionally think of as "creative writing." Boys may, for example, be more responsive to a prompt that emerges from a genre that they are more responsive to, be it creative non-fiction, science fiction, mysteries, etc. the options are endless, and the prompts and assignments are geared to each particular student's interests.