A hopeful path to furthering social justice in America is to support all young children to develop the habits of mind necessary for guiding, and fully living, their own lives. Unfortunately, much of what is known from brain research, psychology, and the learning sciences regarding the contextual and relational ways young children learn is not consistently guiding classroom environments, particularly in settings serving children historically furthest from opportunity. This qualitative study examines how seven kindergarten teachers in a Title I public school district describe an approach to writing instruction that was designed in alignment with the natural ways children learn and shaped by the guiding principles and strong image of the child articulated by Loris Malaguzzi and the Municipal Schools of Reggio Emilia, Italy. Participant descriptions of their experience with incorporating open-ended materials from the arts and sciences into kindergarten writing instruction led to two principal findings. First, participants revealed what they saw as necessary for engaging successfully in the approach: teacher mindset, facilitating learning through choice, community building, well-established classroom routines, and contextual professional development. Second, teachers described the curriculum structure "creating a magical classroom" where children were fully and independently engaged in their work, revealing the emotional environment this approach to writing instruction supported. These findings could help practitioners seeking to balance meeting current academic standards in Title I public schools with supporting children to develop strong habits of mind and independent thinking skills. The study also made visible promising ways to embed special education and trauma-informed supports into classroom work, and avenues for furthering culturally responsive learning environments in which teachers draw upon the strengths, knowledge, and lived experiences of all students to enhance development. School district leaders and teacher development programs interested in expanded approaches to teaching literacy may also find this study useful. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]