Although the importance of writing is well recognized, it is largely neglected in the elementary curriculum because of the current emphasis on reading; to change this trend, teacher educators must influence teachers to adopt positive attitudes toward writing. They should help teachers derive satisfaction from writing experiences, demonstrate desirable teaching methods in which the learner is the prime performer, show how theory and practice are related, help teachers learn to teach language arts skills as they relate to the purpose of communication, and emphasize processes that develop divergent thinking. A seminar for graduate elementary education majors develops divergent thinking through "invention process" activities in which students consider a familiar concept or story in a new way. After an oral exchange of ideas about the many ways of viewing a familiar storybook character, students rewrite the story in various styles, experimenting with writing techniques and vocabulary. They thus learn that creative thinking and synthesis are related processes, and they learn several important language arts generalizations with implications for teaching. (Excerpts from students' versions of "Little Red Riding Hood," written in a variety of styles, including biblical, Shakespearean, and poetic, are included.) (GT)