In spite of high-stakes testing that challenges teachers to think about classroom decisions, the authors believe teachers can promote classroom practices that provide opportunities to develop the reading and writing identities of their students while also preparing students for required assessments. Using teacher writing as mentor text, showing students how to play with language in a variety of ways, and modeling reading and writing for authentic purposes by using their own reading and writing life as an example, teachers can help students develop literacy skills and flourish as readers and writers.