Thus, there is an opportunity to nurture the growth of a child, whereby, writing becomes a tool and not just an end in itself. We change a child's view of their own self worth when we publish their words. The child's writing may change, but, more importantly, the child changes. We certainly can publish only the best from a group of children. This will meet the needs of a select group - an classroom elite.
Publication is important for all children.
It is not the privilege of the classroom elite, the future literary scholars. Rather, it is an important mode of literary enfranchisement for each child in the classroom. Whether a child's writing is published in the childrens-voice or whether the writing is published in the classroom, or whether the child's writing is published in another forum, the consequences hold enormous possibilities for change within the child. All children need to own their own writing. They need to select their own topics and with feedback from adults and peers, reframe their words to convey their meanings - what did you want to say.