About the WRITE Project
Led by Dr. Hope K. Gerde and funded by the Institute of Education Sciences, the WRITE Project supports the development of early reading and writing skills among preschool-aged children.
The research focuses on essential aspects of early writing, including composing ideas, handwriting, spelling, and understanding that writing communicates meaning.
The WRITE System brings together online professional learning for educators and assessments designed to better understand children's writing development and classroom practices.
Research Leadership
Dr. Hope K. Gerde
Dr. Gerde leads the WRITE Project, which focuses on strengthening early writing experiences through research-based professional learning and assessment.
Through funding from the Institute of Education Sciences, the project examines ways to support educators in creating meaningful writing opportunities while developing tools to understand children's writing skills and instructional practices.
The WRITE System
The WRITE System connects educator professional learning with tools that help researchers and teachers understand children's early writing development and the classroom experiences that support it.
Professional Learning
iWRITE
A fully online professional learning program designed to help early childhood educators provide high-quality writing opportunities in their classrooms.
The program supports educators in implementing research-informed practices that promote children's early writing development.
Child Assessment
cWRITE
An assessment being developed to better understand children's current writing skills and provide insight into early writing development.
Teacher Observation
tWRITE
An observational system being developed to examine how preschool teachers support children's writing.
The system is intended to help identify instructional strengths and areas for improvement through professional learning.
Supporting Early Writing Development
By connecting professional learning with research-based assessment, the WRITE Project aims to strengthen early writing opportunities for young children and help educators better understand how their classroom practices support writing development.
Publications from This Study
Explore publications examining early writing, educator knowledge, classroom practices, and professional learning.
View Publications (7)
- Gerde, H. K., & Bingham, G. E. (in press). Teachers' beliefs and usage of video exemplars and engagement features of an online professional learning system for promoting early writing. Technology, Knowledge, and Learning. View publication
- Gerde, H. K., & Bingham, G. E. (2023). Using the science of early literacy for professional development for writing. In S. Cabell, N. Patton-Terry, & S. Neuman (Eds.), Handbook on the Science of Early Literacy. Guilford.
- Bingham, G. E., & Gerde, H. K. (2023). Early childhood teachers' writing beliefs and practices. Frontiers in Psychology, 14. View publication
- Bingham, G. E., Gerde, H. K., Pikus, A. E., Rohloff, R., Quinn, M. F., Bowles, R. P., & Zhang, X. Y. (2022). Examining teachers' early writing knowledge and practices. Reading and Writing, 35, 2201–2227. View publication
- Bingham, G. E., Gerde, H. K., Zhang, C., & Zhang, X. Y. (2022). Supporting the writing development of emergent bilingual children: Universal and language specific approaches. The Reading Teacher, 76(4), 390–399.
- Chandler, M., Gerde, H. K., Bowles, R. P., McRoy, K. Z., Pontifex, M. B., & Bingham, G. E. (2021). Self-Regulation moderates the relationship between fine motor skills and writing in early childhood. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 57, 239–250. View publication
- Quinn, M. F., Bingham, G. E., & Gerde, H. K. (2021). Who writes what when?: Examining children's early composing. Reading and Writing: An Interdisciplinary Journal, 34, 79–107. View publication