A first grader of Vietnamese descent (recently arrived in Hawaii from China) participated in the class activities in a 6-week summer course that focused on language arts and mathematics but only found his "voice" and the acceptance of his peers through art activities. The course included many language arts activities such as silent reading, read alouds, cooking, singing, and invitations that encouraged students to read, write and interact with each other. The child's exposure to literature both in and outside of the classroom had given him a variety of resources to acquire language. Four weeks into the session, he had learned the intricacies of language and their importance in communicating with others, but he was frustrated at various times when he was unable to understand or communicate meaning to his classmates. The student used cut-out art as his sign system for expressing his creative storytelling. He gained the confidence to stand in front of the class sharing a part of himself. Although the student's reading and writing improved in a print rich environment, he was not completely accepted by his classmates until he was able to capitalize on his creative strengths, expressing himself through art. (Five appendixes presents examples of the student's cut-out art stories.) (RS)