Twenty years’ experience in education for children identified as needing support services in reading and writing led to Pat Wilson’s interest in ways children build and reveal thinking through means not dominated by language. Thus, she has studied children’s understanding of text as revealed through tableaux and sketching. She currently teaches reading and writing instruction/assessment at USFSM with a focus on understanding of the sign-systems children use, both language and non-language based. She incorporates the concept of multi-sign system representation to generate understanding as a vital aspect of literacy. She currently serves on the Curriculum Committee for PAInT.