WeWillWrite tool turns student writing into competitive games to boost literacy skills

The word of the day is “Gamification.”

Artificial intelligence is reshaping classroom literacy instruction with WeWillWrite, a new EdTech tool that transforms writing practice into engaging, anonymous competitions. Amid concerning literacy statistics showing 70% of U.S. students lack reading proficiency, this Norwegian-developed platform offers a novel approach to improving student writing through real-time feedback, AI-powered analysis, and gamification. Following successful pilot programs and extensive beta testing with over 1 million students, WeWillWrite represents a significant innovation in addressing the persistent challenge of student literacy in American education.

How it works: WeWillWrite creates fast-paced writing competitions where students respond to AI-generated imagery prompts while receiving instant feedback on literary techniques.

• Teachers select grade-appropriate writing challenges from the tool’s library, focusing on specific forms like persuasive, narrative, or informative writing.
• Students, divided into anonymous teams, respond to creative writing prompts accompanied by AI-generated images (like “What if a toothbrush had a personality?”) within timed sessions of two to five minutes.
• The platform’s AI analyzes finalists’ writing in real-time, highlighting specific literary techniques used—such as hooks, metaphors, and onomatopoeia—making quality writing more visible to the entire class.

The innovation factor: WeWillWrite differs fundamentally from other AI educational tools by focusing on immediate application of writing skills rather than simply automating existing practices.

• “A lot of the AI I see right now is just a different version of something I was probably already doing,” noted Aaron Grossman, a fifth-grade teacher in Nevada who beta-tested the tool. “This one is very different.”
• The anonymity feature encourages participation while removing social barriers, as students can see their team but not the identity of specific teammates.

Educational impact: The tool provides teachers with diagnostic data that directly informs targeted instruction based on students’ demonstrated skills.

• The competitive element motivates students to incorporate newly observed techniques in subsequent writing challenges, as Grossman noted: “if it says this one was highlighted for onomatopoeia, almost immediately… every kid’s including onomatopoeia.”
• Teachers receive formative assessment data showing which literary concepts need reinforcement, allowing for more responsive instruction.

Why it matters: The platform could be particularly valuable for inexperienced educators navigating the literacy instruction landscape.

• With many novice and alternatively licensed teachers entering the profession, the tool provides real-time guidance on which concepts students are struggling with.
• “How powerful is that, to get that formative data as a novice educator? It guides them to think about what information kids need to boost their own achievement,” Grossman explained.