IEW's Fix It

[Ethel Mertz]

Has anyone used IEW's "Fix It" grammar program? If so, what did you like or dislike about it?  I'm intrigued, but I can't find any samples.

 

http://iew.com/taxonomy/term/17/?f%5B0%5D=im_field_category%3A17

[dmmm]

I used it. I think it is pretty useless because it doesn't teach grammar so much as IEW Dressups. We stopped doing it mid year because I hated it.

[Ethel Mertz]

Thanks. We haven't used other parts of IEW, so I'm not sure I want to deal with the "dress ups," etc. I found this review link as well:

 

http://cathyduffyreviews.com/grammar-composition/fix-it.htm

[Mrs Twain]

I like it very much. I used it with my 5th grader for grammar review, editing practice, dictionary practice, and extra vocabulary. We skip marking the dress ups even though we use IEW's writing programs. My son's standardized test scores went up in LA because of using the program this year.

 

I am planning on continuing with for 6th- 8th.

[Ethel Mertz]

I like it very much. I used it with my 5th grader for grammar review, editing practice, dictionary practice, and extra vocabulary. We skip marking the dress ups even though we use IEW's writing programs. My son's standardized test scores went up in LA because of using the program this year.

 

I am planning on continuing with for 6th- 8th.

 

How prevalent are "dress ups" in the material?

 

Just in case anyone else is trying to decide, I also found this review on youtube: 

[Ethel Mertz]

After more searching, I found this student sample: http://www.howtoteachwriting.com/Fix-Student.pdf -- and this teacher sample - http://www.howtoteachwriting.com/Fix-Teacher.pdf.

[Jamee]

It's been completely re-done and it looks SO much better now.  Appears to have more instruction.  That said, we've actually really enjoyed it.  It's essentially editing, so punctuation, capitalization, etc.

[AmyontheFarm]

It's my kids favorite part of their day.  I write the sentences on the white board and they use the markers to correct what I wrote.  Then they copy it into their notebooks.  Sometimes, we get on bunny trails and they will suggest other words to replace easier words.  So, I'll let them change the sentences a bit on the board and then copy it down.

 

We use TWSS B, Fix-it, and Phonetic Zoo at our house.  You could say we are Pudewa fans around here.

[Kelly1730]

I've been considering using this as a supplement this year. Just to mix things up a little. Thanks for the video, it looks like it might be helpful. 

[jillpike]

Fix It was completely revised this year, so it is a different program than what was presented in the video. The basic concept is the same: take a sentence a day of a story and correct it, but the new edition does much more. Students learn to mark parts of speech, clauses, and phrases. This leads them to understand why punctuation is used as it is.

 

The passages also deal with common usage errors, homophones, misspellings, and more. The teacher's notes supplies a dialog that you can have with your student to ensure they understand the reasons why--no guessing! Lots of review is built in so it supports a mastery learning approach. It only takes 15 minutes/day.

 

Fix It does support IEW's sentence opener numbers, but they are clearly laid out for easy reference, and the numbering system is great because many of the comma rules are built into the sentence patterns. Thus, it becomes a handy way to identify what to do.

 

There are sample pages on the IEW website: www.iew.com/fix that you can take a look at. The nice thing with IEW is that if you purchase from them, you get a lifetime guarantee. You can always return it used for a full refund. So, no buying mistakes there!

[Kelly1730]

Is this mostly used as a supplement to a more complete grammar program or would it stand alone? 

[Saddlemomma]

I have the original book when it first came out. We use it as a supplement.  DD does Latin (LC) with MP's English Grammar Recitation.  Each week I incorporate the 4 weekly sentences on OneNote under her Grammar page.  She then corrects the sentences.  I don't have anything to do with dress-ups because we've never done IEW.  I just have her underline the nouns, circle the verbs, box the direct objects and so on.  She must also correct any misspelled words (I sometimes increase those) and incorrect punctuation (again, I may increase these).

 

Doing these exercises helps DD see how grammar works in conjunction with sentence structure.  An added bonus is that she actually likes doing these exercises.  I think it is very beneficial, and we will continue doing this.

[Mrs Twain]

Fix-it is a supplement.

[Kelly1730]

Fix-it is a supplement.

 

 

Thanks! That's what I assumed, just wanted to clarify.

[brookspr]

We used it this year and did the lessons together.  We would read the passages and then my kids would find the corrections and mark them on the student copy.  The next day they do the re-write and find the dress-ups and sentence openers.  We are also using IEW writing programs, which is why we included that part.  Then they would do the rest of the work on the third day, which changed from definitions to tricky words, and so on, depending on the lesson.  It took no more than 15 minutes a day and was part of our other reading/writing lessons.  I am seriously considering getting the new version because of the wonderful updates they have made to the program.

[jillpike]

Actually, the new Fix It is a complete, stand-alone grammar program. No need to supplement it at all. 

 

[jillpike]

I thought this FAQ about the new Fix It from the IEW website might be helpful.  -Jill

 

Question:

How does Fix It! Grammar compare to a traditional grammar program. Does it include diagramming?

 

Answer:

Traditional grammar programs systematically teach concepts about grammar, punctuation, and usage with sentences artificially contrived to fit the rules. The theory behind such approaches is that after learning the rules, students will be able to apply them to their own writing. Often these programs teach more concepts than are need-to-know in terms of punctuation, correct grammar, or performance on the ACT or SAT, but they cover the rules well.

 

Diagramming is a method for helping students grasp the underlying structure of sentences, which is critical for punctuating sentences correctly but which seems to work with only about half the population. Most diagramming programs also teach more than is truly helpful to students learning grammar.

 

Fix It! Grammar emerged from a teacher's frustration with traditional approaches. Like many teachers, Pamela White (who earned her Master's Degree and A.B.D. in English from Vanderbilt University) recognized that students using traditional grammar programs may learn the rules well but seem to have a disconnect in applying them. The more that grammar is rooted in the writing experience, the better it sticks.

 

The ultimate goal of teaching grammar should be to train students to be able to edit their own writing effectively. When a side benefit is improved performance on the SAT or ACT, so much the better. Fix It! Grammar (third edition) is a complete grammar program for these goals that truly matter, but it teaches students in the context of writing and through editing rather than through exercises focusing on specific rules. 

 

The early books in Fix It! Grammar begin with marking parts of speech and then identifying phrases (mainly prepositional phrases), main clauses, and dependent clauses. This is better than diagramming because it focuses on the structural parts of sentences that matter most and most affect punctuation rather than getting students bogged down in labeling the parts of sentences that rarely become punctuation hurdles.

 

Gradually, the Fix It! Grammar stories incorporate usage, grammar, and punctuation concepts, taught by asking students to correct the mistakes in passages and then discuss with their teacher the reasons for corrections.

 

Early stories have advanced concepts which can be used with stronger students and which pave the way for concepts in later stories.

 

The six books, each lasting a full year, contain some instruction at the start of each week's lesson as well as added instruction and tips to teachers to use as needed.

 

All six stories use natural sentences--rather than ones artificially contrived to fit an exercise--that closely mimic the kinds of errors in student writing, so students get repeated practice looking for errors in sentences (the same methods achievement tests use), along with the challenge of needing to explain the why's behind fixes. Since the sentences have the normal complexity of real writing, they also deal with the same issues any writer faces in editing his or her own work.

 

 

[Kelly1730]

Jill,

 

Thank you so much for your post. This is very helpful. Grammar is the one subject I've still not nailed down for next school year and this looks like it might be a good fit for us. 

[AmyontheFarm]

I have never met Jill in person yet, but someday I hope I will get the opportunity.  She is so helpful over on the yahoo group.  Many times I went to the group site to search a question and found my question already answered!

[Mrs Twain]

Andrew Pudewa doesn't like grammar programs and discourages people from using them. Therefore he/IEW think Fix-It is a stand alone program. Personally I disgree with his position.

 

One ought to consider this type of background info before making a curriculum decision.

[Critterfixer]

Seems a bit pricey for editing practice, which is what I wanted it for.

Back to the drawing board.

[petepie2]

Seems a bit pricey for editing practice, which is what I wanted it for.

Back to the drawing board.

 

I've never seen IEW's Fix It, but we use Evan-Moor's Daily Paragraph Editing.

[Critterfixer]

I wanted some good story editing. We've done non-fiction editing all year, and I'm ready to get into some fiction. That's why I looked at Fix-It in the first place. It seemed more in-line with what I wanted to teach this year. And fun fiction too.

I expect that if I want to, I could sit down weekly and mess up a paragraph from some of our favorite stories and do that once a week.

Or better yet, I could let them edit my creative fiction....nothing like an opportunity to ding Mr. Mom-Head with a red pen. :D

[jillpike]

Remember that Fix It is not just editing practice. It is a complete grammar program. Also, it is non consumable. You are purchasing the teacher's book, which gives you unlimited permission to print student books for your own family and for students in your co-op classes. (Each teacher should have their own book.) Thus, you can even sell it used.

 

Regarding Andrew Pudewa's take on grammar, it isn't that he does not like the teaching of grammar. It is that he dislikes the ineffective teaching of grammar. 

 

In Andrew's talk "But, but, but….what about grammar?" he identifies four paradoxes about teaching and learning about English grammar. 

 

The first is that you do not need to know much grammar to be a good writer--just ask professional writers. In "Why Johnny Can't Write," Linden indicates that there is only one thing less effective than using "free writing" to teach writing. It is an over-reliance on grammar. Interestingly she says the two best ways to teach writing are text reconstruction and sentence combining.

 

The second paradox is that kids can do years of grammar workbooks and then come to writing class and not be able to find a verb in their writing. I had a girl who has done years of Shirley grammar, yet in our writing class she asks "what is an adjective again?" It is the lack of applied use of the grammar 

 

The third paradox is that grammar is an imperfect science. Math is great--it hasn't changed since the time of Euclid. Grammar is changing all the time, and different grammar teachers have different ideas about the application of grammar. The reason for this is English is a mesh of so many languages, which is why learning Latin or some other foreign language is really the best way to learn English grammar. 

 

The final paradox is that although the grammar stage is the first stage in a classical education, it is not the place to teach analytic grammar because analytic grammar is a logic stage exercise. There are three stages to leaning grammar: inherent grammar (basic language patterns and vocabulary), applied grammar (the ability to edit writing), analytic grammar (knowledge of the vocabulary and the reasons behind all the rules). 

 

Poetry memorization and listening to books read aloud is the best way to learn inherent grammar. Andrew pushes teaching Latin to really learn the rest of grammar, and Fix It covers the next two stages: editing and analytic grammar. Over the course of the six books, students incrementally learn all the rules related to the required edits--painlessly and effectively.

 

HTH!

[Mrs Twain]

Poetry memorization and listening to books read aloud is the best way to learn inherent grammar. Andrew pushes teaching Latin to really learn the rest of grammar, and Fix It covers the next two stages: editing and analytic grammar. Over the course of the six books, students incrementally learn all the rules related to the required edits--painlessly and effectively.

 

HTH!

So Fix-It is not stand alone. One must first learn grammar through read alouds and Latin (or another grammar program). Fix-It is used as an application of prior grammar knowledge.

[Syllieann]

Thanks Jill! What grade is the first book aimed at? I assume the are meant to be used consecutively after that?

[jillpike]

So Fix-It is not stand alone. One must first learn grammar through read alouds and Latin (or another grammar program). Fix-It is used as an application of prior grammar knowledge.

 

Well, yes, you do need to need to develop an inherent understanding of grammar through just learning to speak English. This is talking about language patterns in general, not the understanding of how they work together. It is why first graders know that "Me go to the store" is wrong. They can't tell you why, but they have heard enough good English (hopefully!) to get a gist of what is right and what is wrong. It is also why that in order to learn another language you must get out and speak it with native speakers. The foreign language courses just don't cut it at getting the inherent "ear" down: you have to speak it too.

 

Fix It is a stand alone grammar program because it does start at the beginning and teach parts of speech, phrases, clauses, and the punctuation rules associated with all of these. The first books work on the vocabulary of grammar while the middle and upper books get into the analytical process of grammar. It is all taught at point of need (to correctly edit a sentence), thus it really sticks. The students get a handle on not only how to fix things, but also why.

[jillpike]

What grade is the first book aimed at? I assume the are meant to be used consecutively after that?

 

The first book can be started with a 3rd or 4th grader, but it can also be used with a much older student. We do recommend that everyone start with Book 1 to be sure that there are no holes. There are advanced concepts presented in every book, so they can be used with older students. Older kids could do books 1 and 2 in one year by doubling up the passages/day.

 

There are only 6 books, so you would not use them consecutively starting in grade 3. Books 1 and 2 can be done in the elementary years, 3 and 4 in the middle school years, and 5 and 6 in the high school years. Thus you would do some, take a break, and then do more. In the "off" years, you can continue to reinforce what had been learned as you edit their writing. Review at point of need. This is also a great use of the older book. The "Tom Sawyer" and the "King and the Discommodious Pea" stories were not included in the new Fix It, so those can be used for reinforcement as desired. All the others were rewritten to work with the new format, so even if you did them in the past, they are worth doing again.

[twinmami01]

We've been using Fix-It this year and we love it. It is very much a stand alone program. As  you can see, Jill is always very helpful in answering any questions.

[Jamee]

Remember that Fix It is not just editing practice. It is a complete grammar program. Also, it is non consumable. You are purchasing the teacher's book, which gives you unlimited permission to print student books for your own family and for students in your co-op classes. (Each teacher should have their own book.) Thus, you can even sell it used.

 

 

 

Does this go for the new versions too?  I haven't looked incredibly closely at it yet, but the student book seemed consumable to me. I agree that the older version, the teacher book with five stories, is quite an amazing deal all things considered.

[jillpike]

When you buy the teacher's book for Fix It (old or new) the student book comes free as a pdf download. You may download it and print it as many times as you want for use with your own kids or kids you teach in a co-op class. That is what makes it "non consumable."

 

Of course if you decided not to bother with the printing you can purchase a printed student book that you would indeed consume, but you still have access to the downloads. That access stays with the book. You can't send the files to anyone else, but if you sell your teacher's book used, the ability to access the student books goes with it.

[Jamee]

Thank you for the clarification.  I just went back to check the listing and see that now.

[stapleton_barbara@hotmail.]

I am hoping to find someone who did Fix It! (the older version) and has a copy of the student pages. IeW is not supporting the older version anyone, but I can obtain a copy of the text.

I am hoping to use it for editing practice as a supplement.

I have Student Pages for Book2 (frog prince) and Book4(the king and the pea), so am after the other student pages in the series!

thanks guys!

[ColourfulThreads]

I just saw a copy of the old book the other day and it doesn't contain any description for why the corrections are made and little directions for what to actually do. If you are personally very strong in understanding grammar and applying it, you may find it useful to use. If you aren't strong in grammatical concepts, I think the old version might be very frustrating.