Family and community members often look at children's writing from a deficit point of view--seeing only what's "wrong" with it, what needs "fixing." Teachers can take a proactive role as family and community member educators, communicating to them how writing develops in young children and how they can play a positive role in this development. Using the premise that "children become our teachers" (Calkins, 1983, p. 8), this article takes an anonymous piece of one child's writing and uses it to show teachers how to educate family and community members about the intentionality and meaning behind every mark on the page. Positive response by family and community members such as parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, neighbors, religious leaders and others who provide care and support for them is important in the development of young writers. Practical advice for how to present these ideas in formats such as open houses, newsletters, writing workshops and conferences is provided. (Contains 1 figure and 1 table.)