1st graders become authors through creative writing project

Students in First Grade Teacher Kim Rosing’s class have spent the last few weeks writing creative stories and working with High Schoolers on binding their books, culminating in a trip to Parnassus Books to see their work on display.
By Ian Dinkins, Assistant Director of Marketing and Communications

Creativity took a tangible turn in the first grade as students in Kim Rosing’s class crafted stories and transformed them into bound books, thanks to a collaboration with Middle and High School Art Teacher Emily Holt’s bookbinding class. The partnership gave young writers the rare opportunity to see their ideas not only written, but professionally assembled into books that look and feel real.

The finished works will soon take their place on the shelves at Parnassus Books, complete with “About the Author” bios.

The project was sparked by Rosing’s visit to Hawken School in Cleveland, where she observed a strong emphasis on student-led learning. The trip was part of USN’s ongoing professional development for teachers and gave Rosing a chance to see how a peer school worked on similar lessons.

“When I returned to USN, I was inspired to look closely at what my students were showing me they were interested in so I could tap into that to bring learning to life,” Rosing said.

Following a nonfiction unit on Black Excellence, students continued to gravitate toward bookmaking, and Rosing leaned into that momentum by providing simple booklets and the freedom to explore.

“My students loved this, and took off writing books like wildfire,” she said.

For many students, whether it was mapping out a storyline or spelling tough words, the process taught them just how much goes into making some of their favorite books.

“I learned making a book takes a lot of practice,” said Simon Star ’37.

“I learned how to spell aisle right,” exclaimed Camilla King ’37.

Coco Stewart ’37 said she was struck by the craftsmanship behind the final product.

“I liked learning how they bind the paper to turn stories into real books for people to read,” said Coco.

That sense of authenticity carried into the storytelling itself. 

Students explored multiple genres, including adventure, humor, fantasy, and more, often drawing inspiration from their favorite books and games.

Ari Treker ’37 wrote about a fun house that turns scary, and the main characters try to escape. Aiden Trotter ’37 drew inspiration from his favorite game, creating a story in which friends are transported into Minecraft and must escape the digital world. 

For Coco, the most rewarding moment came at the end of the creative process.

“I loved making the ending when the characters’ stories tied together,” she said.

Being able to create these stories from scratch and turn them into real books brought students like Julian Novak ’37 an enthusiasm for writing that doesn’t seem to be fading away anytime soon.

“Definitely,” said Julian ’37 when asked if he would write something like this again. “It was a fun project. Why wouldn’t I like writing a book?”

With support from Director of Experiential Learning Kalee Barbis, the project expanded to include the full publishing process, including the bookbinding collaboration with High Schoolers, and culminating in a trip to Parnassus, where first graders will get to see their books on the Parnassus shelves along with their author bios. During the visit, students will also tour the bookstore and participate in a Q&A with a published author.

“Giving them the voice and choice to write about something they'd been dreaming up allowed them to have true ownership of their stories,” Rosing said. “Tapping into this interest has been incredible to see, and they’re engaged, taking true ownership of their learning.”

Students had already built a strong foundation in multiple forms of writing, including narrative, nonfiction, poetry, and persuasive pieces, equipping them with the tools to bring their creative ideas to life.

For Rosing, the experience has reinforced the key takeaway from her original visit to Hawken of following students’ curiosity in the classroom.

“No part of this project felt like ‘work’ for them or me; it came together seamlessly,” she said. “I’m excited to see what next year’s group of students is interested in so I can create another meaningful experience that is student-led.”

For this year’s first graders, the lesson grew their written and artistic expression, and it looks to be just the opening chapter of their work as authors.
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