This paper describes the kinds of talk that children in three different preschools typically experience during storybook read-alouds and other interactions with print. The paper situates these experiences within everyday classroom life and describes the ways these contrasting experiences may be related to the development of literacy and literary understandings by discussing the story telling and story writing of three precocious children from low-income families. Despite support at home with resources, limited classroom resources (in terms of the number and varieties of books and limited opportunities to participate in literate activities) impoverish the storyworlds of the students. Three figures of children's drawings and writings are included. Contains 24 references. (RS)