Deborah McCutchen
Professor of Education
Research Areas
- Literacy
- Teacher Preparation
- Learning Sciences and Human Development
Professor McCutchen’s research focuses on cognitive processes underlying reading and writing ability. The ultimate goal of her research is to further theoretical understanding of reading and writing ability (and disability) and improve educational practice. Central to her research is the question: How are complex systems of knowledge used during reading and writing, especially given constraints of attention and working memory?
Her work has focused on examining foundational linguistic processes that enable children to expand their vocabulary, reading and writing skills. She and her colleagues are currently investigating the knowledge that teachers of writing rely on as they teach and their use of that knowledge during teacher-student interactions.
Professor McCutchen’s research has been funded by the Institute of Education Sciences, as well as by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Her work has been published in Reading & Writing: An Interdisciplinary Journal, Journal of Learning Disabilities and Reading Research Quarterly among other journals.
In Depth
Watch Professor McCutchen’s EduTalk about the importance of “word play” in the development of children’s writing and reading ability.
education.uw.edu/mccutchen-edutalk
206-616-6307