It’s early morning in early years and as the rain crashes down outside, the children excitedly enter the classroom, eager to find out what all the commotion inside is about.

Smack bang in front of them are three gigantic eggs, cordoned off by tape marked ‘DANGER - KEEP OUT’ and hazard cones.

“What could they be?” asks Sam.

“They’ve got to be dinosaurs!” replies Henry with a grin on his face.

As the eggs begin to crack, the teacher suggests that the boys jot down their predictions on Post-it notes - the boys get underway immediately.

It sounds easy enough, but, in practice, getting boys writing is tough. Girls tend to outperform boys across the board in their first year of school, but in writing the gap between the genders is particularly wide - and stubborn.

Our early years foundation stage (EYFS) unit has been working particularly hard to alleviate children’s fears about using a pencil, with a particular focus on boys. Motivated and ready to write, boys have been encouraged to view their writing tools as wands of wisdom, rather than instruments of torture.

To engage small groups of uninterested boys in the seemingly dull task of learning how to form recognisable letters, we introduce a selection of brightly coloured magic swords - foam ones, of course.

The boys observe diligently as the adult models how to form a letter shape on the whiteboard. Reluctant to hang around for a split second longer, the boys jump at the chance to dunk the end of their chosen sword into the paint tray and begin forming the letter on the floor.

Magic swords have supported many of our reluctant writers with letter formation. Only when the child is developmentally ready is it appropriate to introduce sophisticated writing tools and for them to begin to master the static tripod pencil grip.

When planning opportunities for mark-making, it’s important to consider different ways of approaching writing. We have had a lot of success utilising our outdoor environment.

Adults work incredibly hard to dress the outside environment with smart resources for children to “grab and go”, such as themed pencils, carry cases, clipboards and funky paper. These tools generate curiosity and help to make writing more accessible for all. Boys, in particular, seem to have really engaged with writing in the outdoor space.

Off on a secret mission

We’ve also tailored some of our writing nooks to reflect boys’ interests. This has led to a superhero writing nook. Not only does this contain pictures of Spider-Man, Batman and the Hulk, we have also included photos of familiar male role models writing. The introduction of the iPhone and tablet has sadly resulted in too few children seeing their dads actually writing. Within the nook, we placed an empty shoe box, which we decorated in Spider-Man wrapping paper. Name me a five-year-old who isn’t going to peer into the box to see what’s inside? The box contains a message from Batman asking the child to complete a special mission.

Similarly, the recent visit from Teenage Mutant Hero Turtle Donatello sent involvement levels rocketing. Donatello reported that Leonardo, the leader of the gang, had mysteriously disappeared. Eager to help, the children set off in their child initiated learning time to create “missing” posters, many of which included a detailed written description of the turtle.

Of course, there will always be a number of boys who prefer to engage in low-level repetitive play rather than any kind of writing enhancement. We chose to address a group of boys who continually rode their trikes around the playground.

As I over-dramatically reached for a giant pencil and funky clipboard, Preston stopped his trike and asked inquisitively, “What are you doing, Mr Barber?”

“I’m writing that boy a speeding ticket for going too fast on his trike!”

Never wanting to miss a trick, he enthusiastically replied: “Can I have a go?”

I firmly believe that the role of the adult within child-initiated learning time is to take learning to the child in their play as a co-player, observer and extender. Even the most stubborn refusers of writing can be motivated to take part.

At such a young age, it’s crucial to foster a love of writing. If we follow the interests of boys and provide them with a purpose, regardless of how silly or crazy we might sound, we motivate them to achieve well and set them up as lifelong confident writers.

Tim Barber is assistant headteacher at St Thomas More’s Catholic Primary School and Preschool, and leading foundation stage practitioner for Hampshire County Council