diff --git a/src/controls/mod.rs b/src/controls/mod.rs
index 9a768e9..e748ee0 100644
--- a/src/controls/mod.rs
+++ b/src/controls/mod.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 use crate::{form::FormData, styles::FormStyle};
-use leptos::View;
+use leptos::{Signal, View};
 
 pub mod heading;
 pub mod select;
@@ -18,10 +18,13 @@ pub trait VanityControlData: 'static {
 }
 
 pub trait ControlData: 'static {
-    type ReturnType;
+    type ReturnType: Clone;
 
     // TODO: this should also return a getter for the data
-    fn build_control<FD: FormData, FS: FormStyle>(fs: &FS, control: Control<FD, FS, Self>) -> View;
+    fn build_control<FD: FormData, FS: FormStyle>(
+        fs: &FS,
+        control: Control<FD, FS, Self>,
+    ) -> (View, Signal<Self::ReturnType>);
 }
 
 pub struct VanityControl<FS: FormStyle + ?Sized, C: VanityControlData + ?Sized> {
diff --git a/src/controls/select.rs b/src/controls/select.rs
index 944d331..b7331d8 100644
--- a/src/controls/select.rs
+++ b/src/controls/select.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-use leptos::View;
+use leptos::{Signal, View};
 
 use super::{Control, ControlBuilder, ControlData};
 use crate::{
@@ -15,7 +15,10 @@ pub struct SelectData {
 impl ControlData for SelectData {
     type ReturnType = String;
 
-    fn build_control<FD: FormData, FS: FormStyle>(fs: &FS, control: Control<FD, FS, Self>) -> View {
+    fn build_control<FD: FormData, FS: FormStyle>(
+        fs: &FS,
+        control: Control<FD, FS, Self>,
+    ) -> (View, Signal<Self::ReturnType>) {
         fs.select(control)
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/controls/text_area.rs b/src/controls/text_area.rs
index b0f8baa..51690c9 100644
--- a/src/controls/text_area.rs
+++ b/src/controls/text_area.rs
@@ -1,10 +1,9 @@
-use leptos::View;
-
 use super::{Control, ControlBuilder, ControlData};
 use crate::{
     form::{FormBuilder, FormData},
     styles::FormStyle,
 };
+use leptos::{Signal, View};
 
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Eq, PartialOrd, Ord, Hash, Default)]
 pub struct TextAreaData {
@@ -15,7 +14,10 @@ pub struct TextAreaData {
 impl ControlData for TextAreaData {
     type ReturnType = String;
 
-    fn build_control<FD: FormData, FS: FormStyle>(fs: &FS, control: Control<FD, FS, Self>) -> View {
+    fn build_control<FD: FormData, FS: FormStyle>(
+        fs: &FS,
+        control: Control<FD, FS, Self>,
+    ) -> (View, Signal<Self::ReturnType>) {
         fs.text_area(control)
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/controls/text_input.rs b/src/controls/text_input.rs
index 36352b3..1483123 100644
--- a/src/controls/text_input.rs
+++ b/src/controls/text_input.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-use leptos::View;
+use leptos::{Signal, View};
 
 use super::{Control, ControlBuilder, ControlData};
 use crate::{
@@ -30,7 +30,10 @@ impl Default for TextInputData {
 impl ControlData for TextInputData {
     type ReturnType = String;
 
-    fn build_control<FD: FormData, FS: FormStyle>(fs: &FS, control: Control<FD, FS, Self>) -> View {
+    fn build_control<FD: FormData, FS: FormStyle>(
+        fs: &FS,
+        control: Control<FD, FS, Self>,
+    ) -> (View, Signal<Self::ReturnType>) {
         fs.text_input(control)
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/form.rs b/src/form.rs
index d3cfc79..facf581 100644
--- a/src/form.rs
+++ b/src/form.rs
@@ -5,11 +5,16 @@ use crate::{
     },
     styles::FormStyle,
 };
-use leptos::{IntoView, View};
-use std::marker::PhantomData;
+use leptos::{
+    create_effect, create_signal, IntoView, ReadSignal, SignalGet, SignalSet, SignalUpdate, View,
+    WriteSignal,
+};
+
+pub struct Form {}
 
 pub struct FormBuilder<FD: FormData, FS: FormStyle> {
-    _fd: PhantomData<FD>,
+    fd_get: ReadSignal<FD>,
+    fd_set: WriteSignal<FD>,
     fs: FS,
     validations: Vec<Box<ValidationFn<FD>>>,
     views: Vec<View>,
@@ -17,8 +22,10 @@ pub struct FormBuilder<FD: FormData, FS: FormStyle> {
 
 impl<FD: FormData, FS: FormStyle> FormBuilder<FD, FS> {
     pub fn new(form_style: FS) -> FormBuilder<FD, FS> {
+        let (fs_get, fs_set) = create_signal(FD::default());
         FormBuilder {
-            _fd: PhantomData::default(),
+            fd_get,
+            fd_set,
             fs: form_style,
             validations: Vec::new(),
             views: Vec::new(),
@@ -51,7 +58,26 @@ impl<FD: FormData, FS: FormStyle> FormBuilder<FD, FS> {
     }
 
     fn add_control<C: ControlData>(&mut self, control: Control<FD, FS, C>) {
-        let view = ControlData::build_control(&self.fs, control);
+        let (validation_signal, validation_signal_set) = create_signal(Ok(()));
+        let (view, control_value) = ControlData::build_control(&self.fs, control);
+        // TODO: add a signal that triggers on submit to refresh the validation on_submit
+        // TODO: we might want a way to see if this is the first time this ran, which would
+        //       prevent the form's validation to pop up before the user typed anything in
+        // TODO: add validation here that run on the input changing, and writes
+        // it to the fd signals
+        create_effect(move |last_value| {
+            let control_value = control_value.get();
+            let mut validation_result;
+            self.fd_set.update(|v| {
+                validation_result =
+                    (control.parse_fn)(control_value, v).and_then(|_| (*control.validation)(v));
+            });
+            // TODO: or this happened on a submit
+            if Some(validation_result) != last_value {
+                validation_signal_set.set(validation_result);
+            }
+            validation_result
+        });
         self.views.push(view);
     }
 
@@ -62,7 +88,7 @@ impl<FD: FormData, FS: FormStyle> FormBuilder<FD, FS> {
     }
 }
 
-pub trait FormData: Default {
+pub trait FormData: Default + Clone + 'static {
     // TODO: this should return a Form Object
     fn create_form() -> View;
 }
diff --git a/src/styles/mod.rs b/src/styles/mod.rs
index 64774ad..74280dd 100644
--- a/src/styles/mod.rs
+++ b/src/styles/mod.rs
@@ -5,21 +5,32 @@ pub use tw_grid::{TailwindGridFormStyle, TailwindGridStylingAttributes};
 use crate::{
     controls::{
         heading::HeadingData, select::SelectData, submit::SubmitData, text_area::TextAreaData,
-        text_input::TextInputData, Control, VanityControl,
+        text_input::TextInputData, Control, ControlData, VanityControl,
     },
     form::FormData,
 };
-use leptos::View;
+use leptos::{Signal, View};
 
 pub trait FormStyle: 'static {
     type StylingAttributes;
 
     // TODO: add form frame
+    // TODO: perhaps we don't want to send the full control type anymore.
+    //       as the rendering shouldn't depend on parse or validate anymore.
     fn heading(&self, control: VanityControl<Self, HeadingData>) -> View;
-    fn text_input<FD: FormData>(&self, control: Control<FD, Self, TextInputData>) -> View;
-    fn select<FD: FormData>(&self, control: Control<FD, Self, SelectData>) -> View;
+    fn text_input<FD: FormData>(
+        &self,
+        control: Control<FD, Self, TextInputData>,
+    ) -> (View, Signal<<TextInputData as ControlData>::ReturnType>);
+    fn select<FD: FormData>(
+        &self,
+        control: Control<FD, Self, SelectData>,
+    ) -> (View, Signal<<SelectData as ControlData>::ReturnType>);
     fn submit(&self, control: VanityControl<Self, SubmitData>) -> View;
-    fn text_area<FD: FormData>(&self, control: Control<FD, Self, TextAreaData>) -> View;
+    fn text_area<FD: FormData>(
+        &self,
+        control: Control<FD, Self, TextAreaData>,
+    ) -> (View, Signal<<TextAreaData as ControlData>::ReturnType>);
     fn custom_component(&self, view: View) -> View;
     // TODO: add group
 }
diff --git a/src/styles/tw_grid.rs b/src/styles/tw_grid.rs
index aae77e5..1afd4fa 100644
--- a/src/styles/tw_grid.rs
+++ b/src/styles/tw_grid.rs
@@ -6,8 +6,7 @@ use crate::{
     },
     form::FormData,
 };
-use leptos::CollectView;
-use leptos::{view, IntoView, View};
+use leptos::*;
 
 pub enum TailwindGridStylingAttributes {
     Width(u32),
@@ -27,8 +26,13 @@ impl FormStyle for TailwindGridFormStyle {
         .into_view()
     }
 
-    fn text_input<FD: FormData>(&self, control: Control<FD, Self, TextInputData>) -> View {
-        view! {
+    fn text_input<FD: FormData>(
+        &self,
+        control: Control<FD, Self, TextInputData>,
+    ) -> (View, ReadSignal<String>) {
+        let (read, write) = create_signal(String::new());
+
+        let view = view! {
             <div>
             <label
                 for={&control.data.name}
@@ -43,10 +47,14 @@ impl FormStyle for TailwindGridFormStyle {
                 name=control.data.name
                 placeholder=control.data.placeholder
                 value=control.data.initial_text
+                on:change=move |ev| {
+                    write.set(event_target_value(&ev));
+                }
                 class="block w-full bg-gray-100 border-2 border-gray-300 text-gray-700 py-2 px-4 rounded-lg leading-tight focus:outline-none focus:bg-white focus:border-sky-400"
             />
             </div>
-        }.into_view()
+        }.into_view();
+        (view, read)
     }
 
     fn select<FD: FormData>(&self, control: Control<FD, Self, SelectData>) -> View {