This paper describes children’s and their teacher’s interactions in a northern Alberta kindergarten class where the teacher took up a role as a kindergarten student learning to write, as well as roles in dramatic play that allowed her to introduce authentic use of texts. In these informal writing instructional contexts, the teacher used verbal and nonverbal modes to communicate about text creation and directed children’s behaviour, as has been found in studies of formal writing instruction. However, she also used language for affiliative purposes and created space for children to engage in frequent communication using verbal and nonverbal modes. The children created a wide range of texts, some using scribbles and drawing to communicate meaning and others using print and drawing. 
