ABSTRACT
The writers that filled the room were shifting away from meeting spot and toward the back, where an assortment of loose parts awaited them: blocks and marbles, LEGO and clay, buttons and string, paint chips and paper clips. This chapter begins inviting writers to pursue modes that were bigger than print. Many writers find that building a printless draft using these materials is especially powerful because loose parts enable writers to scale the barriers created by print. They also inspire unexpected ideas and the use of metaphorical thinking. This often results in the development of richly sophisticated work. Loris Malaguzzi, who conceptualized and dedicated a lifetime to the Reggio Emilia learning approach, was the first to insist that the environment that children learn in serves as a remarkable third teacher. The fourth dimension of the framework offers new perspectives about curriculum and instruction for traditional workshop teachers.
