Club Gets Concord Road Boys Excited About Reading and Writing

Imagine a group of elementary school boys who happily spend recess periods reading and writing.

It’s not some sort of mythical “Never Never Land.” Ardsley’s Concord Road Elementary School actually has a “Boys Who Read and Write” club, which regularly attracts 100 third and fourth grade boys.

It’s the brainchild of Lisa McKeon, a special education and reading teacher at Concord Road, in partnership with her students and with the support of principal Layne Hudes and district superintendent, Dr. Lauren Allan.

She acknowledged that the project was inspired, in part, by a conference she attended where Peg Tyre, author of  “The Trouble With Boys” spoke about the challenges boys face in our educational system. In elementary school, it’s often easier for girls to sit still at their desks, raise their hands to answer teachers’ questions, and come up with ideas in the classroom.

How to help boys was a compelling question for McKeon.

“I had a resource room of third grade boys,” said McKeon. “I felt I was having to drag them through the mud to get them to write.” Given that many of the boys simply didn’t “have enough skills” to enjoy writing and “avoided that which they struggle with,” McKeon wondered: “What can we do to get these boys excited?”

Turns out that providing a club, where boys felt free to express themselves, was the key to liberating their inspiration and confidence in their own abilities. Currently open to third and fourth grade boys, the students meet in a room that shares space with physical therapy and occupational therapy. On their side of the classroom—cheerfully messy, as a juvenile version of a man cave-- there are comics, graphic novels, science fiction titles, sports books, Guinness Book of World Records, joke books, “Goosebumps” and “Bone” series, as well as other materials that clearly appeal to their interests.

As a result of having this space—which is supervised by Concord Road teachers and other staff members—the boys have written scores of imaginative comic novels, newspapers and a blog. Although there are computers available, “they would rather read, or have a pencil in their hands,” said McKeon.

The students sign a charter describing the club rules. Since its opening last year, “referrals for behavioral issues are really down,” said McKeon.

While there had been some push back from girls, McKeon said, “Sometimes kids need to separate. There’s a lot of literature to support girls in their learning and build a community of girls.  These are two distinct kinds of things. We’re trying to honor both of these.”

McKeon is happy that “the boys love the room. This is their place, their room. All that we ask of them is that they’re purposeful.”

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