Camila
gently adheres a paper rectangle to the first page of her book. Scissors, tape, and glue aren’t writing tools that have been introduced yet, and my instinct is to take away. Instead, I watch. I soon realize Camila is not off-task. She’s not consumed in an art project. She’s adding a flap to her book. “What an important decision you’re making as an author! Can you tell me more about your plan with this flap?”
Soren
is writing alongside a readaloud from the morning. I notice him draw a similar picture in his book. He’s copying, I worry. Setting my assumption aside, I ask, “Soren, can you tell me about the research you’re doing?” I discover that Soren is studying the illustrations in the book so that he can author a sequel, which he later read to the class.
For several days now, Max
has been stapling together a ten-page booklet. He races to sketch a stick figure on each page, then closes his book. He’s not putting effort in, it might appear. Minutes later, Max is surrounded by a huddle of friends, who are listening intently to him read with rich language. “Max, are you discovering a kind of book you love to write each day?” Grinning, Max proclaims, “Yes! I am a comic book writer!”
Kelsey Sorum 