Kelly Lynne Miles will present her Master of Education Thesis defense on Wednesday, January 30 at 10:00 am in Room MCDH 243. Thesis Title: " Young Writers as Philosophers: Teaching Writing through Natural Inquiry and Community Dialogue”. ABSTRACT Current school culture places excessive emphasis on children reaching a minimum standard impairing their ability to reach their greatest potential. Students need to be challenged individually in authentic learning opportunities so that they can be supported to thrive as individuals. Teaching philosophically is one method that can address students’ needs including those requiring enrichment and additional support. Students are able to sustain thinking on subjects of authentic interest and reflect and assist one another through a recursive process of dialogue in the community of inquiry and writing. A qualitative study based on a three month intervention in a grade two classroom revealed that philosophical activity and writing instruction can be reciprocally beneficial for primary student learning. Data sources include the participant teacher’s reflective journal, student written reflections, assessed student work, video and a rubric measuring philosophical understanding. Teaching writing philosophically provides an authentic and student centred way of challenging students to deepen their reasoning skills, their understanding and their capacity for critical, creative and caring thinking. Philosophy can be taught within a subject so time allotment in the curricular timetable can be met. The study is significant in Prince Edward Island, as there is currently no documentation of any such initiatives to share with other teachers. An engaging and evocative stimulus, community of inquiry scaffolding, reflection, metacognition, narrative as genre and an effective working environment are necessary to ensure students are secure participating in challenging activities. Philosophical activity can engage and deepen grade two students’ thinking, while allowing them to play with ideas and imagine novel possibility.