This study was designed to describe the signs that influence the literacy learning activities of kindergarten children as expressed in their writing performances and processes. A naturalistic inquiry was made of 24 kindergarten children to determine (1) observable differences in children's writing performances according to developmental progressions, sex, and free choice topics; (2) contextual signs that are available and used by the children in the process of producing written communication; and (3) the way children, their parents, and the teacher interpret writing as it relates to form, function, and process. Classroom observations, audio recordings of events, surveys, photographs, and interviews were combined with the children's writing samples to determine the application of semiotic analysis. The data revealed different writing progressions ranging from random scribbles to conventional spellings. The study of the social context indicated that peer involvement was the major influence on individual writing performances, with other factors including the teacher's instructional stance, the classroom arrangement, the schedule, and the available materials. The children, their parents, and the teacher responded to different criteria for rating written expression, but all respondents perceived writing to be necessary for learning. (Author/HOD)