Are we the only ones who didn't do well with IEW?

[rwalizer]

As I mentioned on the general board, we just switched back to Writeshop after struggling through last year with IEW. If you didn't like IEW, why?

[KinderSafari]

We are considering switching TO IEW next year after all the praise I've seen for it on this board, so I am VERY interested in hearing the "con" feedback.

 

I think every curriculum has pros and cons and fits different teaching and learning personalities - so please comment!

 

For example, for me, I am a "little to no prep teacher" meaning I love just picking up the book and diving in to the lesson. I love Story of the World, and Writing Strands - no prep necessary! Just wondering if Writing Strands will be "enough" and curious about IEW.

[Mad Jenny Flint]

and we currently use a tweaked IEW format. The truth is, that I have been using various writing techniques and curricula to help build my confidence to teach, and now I am feeling somewhat more confident, so I tweak.

 

Cons of IEW are that the stylistic techniques are a little bit like overkill once the kids get used to using them. My kids have a pretty strong grasp of grammar from Rod and Staff (5-6) and Analytical Grammar beyond that. So they know how to construct a sentence and a paragraph, they know that they need variety in word order, and they know parts of speech. They are learning about flow and making strong points. Using every stylistic technique in every paragraph was good for a year, but soon it got a little old for them and for me. It made their writing sound stilted and formulaic. This is the most common complaint you will hear about IEW. As far as the structural techniques, I could not be happier, and I really like using it.

 

That said, Writing Strands would be ample writing practice/instruction for a child who sticks with the program to the end. We just found it so dry, and...oh, so dry. And, probably because my confidence was shaky in the beginning, I didn't know if we were doing "enough" and wasn't sure how to grade the end-products with that program, or extend it to other subjects.

 

HTH.

[jibaker103]

Cons of IEW are that the stylistic techniques are a little bit like overkill once the kids get used to using them... Using every stylistic technique in every paragraph was good for a year, but soon it got a little old for them and for me. It made their writing sound stilted and formulaic. This is the most common complaint you will hear about IEW. HTH.

You are suppose to stick with the dress-ups, sentence openers, and decorations until they no longer sound stilted and formulaic. Also after 2 solid years of requirements you can relax on how many and where you place them in your assignments. Just food for thought because I wondered and was frustrated with the same thing!

[Rose in BC]

You are suppose to stick with the dress-ups, sentence openers, and decorations until they no longer sound stilted and formulaic. Also after 2 solid years of requirements you can relax on how many and where you place them in your assignments. Just food for thought because I wondered and was frustrated with the same thing!

 

I've got a confession to make. I bought the TWSS dvd's a few years ago and never got around to listening past the first dvd. Then I purchased SWI for my kids when they were younger. I don't know if it was circumstantial (I was not in great health at that time)or if the kids just weren't developmentally ready but it didn't really take off in my home.

 

Well after two days of watching (and I plan to finish watching over the next week or so) I feel inspired to try again. In fact, I think I will work what I learn from TWSS across our curriculum choices.

 

This is my plan anyways. I'll let you know how it works out.

[Gwen in VA]

My kids (all four of them) hate IEW. Passionately. Vocally. Persistently.

 

I've only had this strong a negative reaction to one or two other curriculum choices, and none of the other choices were hated by ALL FOUR kids! Even my kids at college sounded happier when I told them that we had sold our IEW stuff!

 

The rigid format and heavy emphasis on style drove my kids absolutely nuts. I think it's a reasonable curriculum, but at some point a wise mother yields to her kids' vocal opinions.....

[Rose in BC]

My kids (all four of them) hate IEW. Passionately. Vocally. Persistently.

 

I've only had this strong a negative reaction to one or two other curriculum choices, and none of the other choices were hated by ALL FOUR kids! Even my kids at college sounded happier when I told them that we had sold our IEW stuff!

 

The rigid format and heavy emphasis on style drove my kids absolutely nuts. I think it's a reasonable curriculum, but at some point a wise mother yields to her kids' vocal opinions.....

 

I have to say that I balance out my IEW training/teaching with Bravewriter's The Writer's Jungle. What I have concluded is that to a certain extent I have to use my knowledge and common sense to teach writing and not solely rely on curriculum. Make it fit for my family is my motto.

[Kathie in VA]

I also didn't take to IEW. I did listen to the DVDs and I just didn't like them or the methods they encouraged... .something about him turned me off. I'm not sure what.

 

We used FLL and some R&S Eng when my oldest was younger and then we switched to Classical Writing. This program seemed to make sense to me. It was about then that I was introduced to IEW. I like CW but thought I'd check IEW out since our co-op used it ... which would make things easier on me. But I just didn't like it.

 

Then a year or so later I had an opportunity for my 13yo dd to try a quick 3 day class using IEW. I put her in the class without telling her my opinion ... but wow, she didn't like it either! Each day she came back all frustrated that it was too easy (yet the level was supposed to be for above her grade level). She hated that it asked for "ly" words ("Can't they just ask for adverbs! This is too silly!")

 

Maybe I heard the DVD wrong, but I thought it discouraged the study of grammar... which I'm against.

 

anyway, there's my 2 cents

[jibaker103]

I've got a confession to make. I bought the TWSS dvd's a few years ago and never got around to listening past the first dvd. Then I purchased SWI for my kids when they were younger. I don't know if it was circumstantial (I was not in great health at that time)or if the kids just weren't developmentally ready but it didn't really take off in my home.

 

Well after two days of watching (and I plan to finish watching over the next week or so) I feel inspired to try again. In fact, I think I will work what I learn from TWSS across our curriculum choices.

 

This is my plan anyways. I'll let you know how it works out.

Don't think I'm some sort of IEW guru or anything...I have had the TWSS for 9 months and have not made it past disc 2 :lol: Oh yeah I did watch the 8th-12th grade class disc last month...had to force myself!!! For some reason whenever I start watch and listening to Andrew Pudawa I fall dead asleep and my ds laughs at him uncontrollably :001_huh: Needless to say things have gone a lot smoother since I discovered the History Based Writing Lessons. We finished Ancients a 2 months ago and ds is now taking SWI B in co-op. I have got 1 month to get through the rest of the TWSS so I can start implementing it across the curriculum for the spring semester. Wish me luck and I'll do the same for you!!!:001_smile:

[NavyWifeandMommy]

As I mentioned on the general board, we just switched back to Writeshop after struggling through last year with IEW. If you didn't like IEW, why?

 

I saw it thru a friend and was like WOW and then the $$$ and wasn't so WOW and then after looking over it wsa TOO much for me. Yippie Skippie for those that use it and works for them but thankfully I was able to get a peak and know that it won't work for us.

[Rose in BC]

Don't think I'm some sort of IEW guru or anything...I have had the TWSS for 9 months and have not made it past disc 2 :lol: Oh yeah I did watch the 8th-12th grade class disc last month...had to force myself!!! For some reason whenever I start watch and listening to Andrew Pudawa I fall dead asleep and my ds laughs at him uncontrollably :001_huh: Needless to say things have gone a lot smoother since I discovered the History Based Writing Lessons. We finished Ancients a 2 months ago and ds is now taking SWI B in co-op. I have got 1 month to get through the rest of the TWSS so I can start implementing it across the curriculum for the spring semester. Wish me luck and I'll do the same for you!!!:001_smile:

 

Thanks (I might need more than luck though :001_smile:)

[rwalizer]

Gee, there seem to be a lot of responses from people who found that, with patience, IEW worked pretty well. I really tried all of last school year (8th grade), and ds made absolutely no progress. At the end of the year it was still taking him a week to write one or two paragraphs because of struggling to get in all the openers, decorations, and dress-ups. He really needs a lot of hand-holding when it comes to writing that I hope Writeshop will give him. Also, he has a terrible time expressing his feeling and ideas on paper. I realize that we have two problems, here. 1)He doesn't understand what it takes to make a mature sounding composition, and 2)He cannot articulate his opinions in writing. Writing a description of an object or a factual report is a little easier, but if I ask him to write about whether or not he would enjoy living at the turn of the 19th century he doesn't know what to say about his opinion. I'm not planning to sell my IEW anytime soon, but I do plan to stick with Writeshop II this year. I am also focusing on spending more time discussing his literature with him in hopes of drawing out his opinions and giving him practice putting them into words.

[8filltheheart]

As I mentioned on the general board, we just switched back to Writeshop after struggling through last year with IEW. If you didn't like IEW, why?

 

I am not a fan of IEW either. I sold mine several yrs ago. I already taught my young elementary kids to write fairly similarly (learning parargraph structure via copywork, transitioning to their own re-writings, etc.)

 

My personal POV is that it the approach is fine for young children, but inappropriate for older kids. Older kids should be far beyond this level of writing.

[Murphy101]

Several years ago I actually PAID to be in a IEW coop. HATED it. kids hated it too. Couldn't stand it. So much so that I pulled him out of the coop.

 

Then a few years ago I bought some of it. Thinking to give it a second try. Hated it even more. So much that I couldn't feel right inflicting it on another, so I have it gathering dust somewhere. Not even a shelf, but in the garage! I don't think I've ever put curriculum in the garage before.

 

I didn't like how it made everything seem so complicated and convoluted. Writing is NOT that hard! Or at least it doesn't HAVE to be that hard. It shouldn't take hours upon hours of DVD watching, and all that just to learn to paraphrase rather than write your own words. Ug. I just. couldn't. stand. it. And english/writing is one of my favorite subjects!

 

I can live with a formula for writing. It can be very freeing for many students. But IEW was formula over-kill, imho. Which is really funny b/c everyone I know says they love it more than Seton because it is easier.:001_huh:

[rwalizer]

I'm enjoying reading everyone's responses. So many people love IEW, I thought maybe I was making it more complicated than it needed to be. I even thought of buying more IEW stuff like the SWI in an effort to make it easier. I can see that for some, like me, it just isn't a good fit.

[gingersmom]

I couldn't get past the samples online.

 

I kept hearing about it and hearing about it. I didn't want to watch him, there was no way my kids were going to want to.

[jibaker103]

Gee, there seem to be a lot of responses from people who found that, with patience, IEW worked pretty well. I really tried all of last school year (8th grade), and ds made absolutely no progress. At the end of the year it was still taking him a week to write one or two paragraphs because of struggling to get in all the openers, decorations, and dress-ups.

 

I think this is ok. It's his pace and if he can produce a well thoughtout paragraph it is better than a not so well report or essay. Don't focus on the length so much but instead how he is evolving with his paragraph.

He really needs a lot of hand-holding when it comes to writing that I hope Writeshop will give him. Also, he has a terrible time expressing his feeling and ideas on paper.

 

IEW is good for this problem because he doesn't have to come up with ideas and topics on his own. All the information is given and he needs to learn how to best present it.

I realize that we have two problems, here. 1)He doesn't understand what it takes to make a mature sounding composition, and 2)He cannot articulate his opinions in writing. Writing a description of an object or a factual report is a little easier, but if I ask him to write about whether or not he would enjoy living at the turn of the 19th century he doesn't know what to say about his opinion.

This gets better with time and maturity. He just may be a late bloomer and need more time formulating great sentences and paragraphs before moving on to a whole report or essay.

I'm not planning to sell my IEW anytime soon, but I do plan to stick with Writeshop II this year. I am also focusing on spending more time discussing his literature with him in hopes of drawing out his opinions and giving him practice putting them into words.

 

Literature discussions and writing opinions is only one aspect of writing well. My son struggles tremendously with giving his opinion and therefore hates writing critiques but is a beautiful creative writer. He just assumes everyone is suppose to know what he is thinking and feeling on the subject.

 

My son is fabulous creative writer but can only put together an ok report. He doesn't do well with writing prompts because he only wants to write about his interests and what he thinks is important. Therefore, I have decided to focus on the basics following instructions meaning stay on topic, include all requirements on the checklist sheet, and use proper grammar and mechanics.

 

Becoming an editor of his writing instead of correcting and grading has worked wonders on his attitude about writing and has helped him tremendously with sentence openers and dress ups. The better he becomes at utilizing these techniques the more I will be less strict allowing more freedom in how these techniques will be used in his writing.

 

So in my opinion I would not stress so much over volume and pages of writing and concentrate on a well constructed paragraph following all of the parameters set. You will probably see a significant improvement over time.

[Rose in BC]

I'm enjoying reading everyone's responses. So many people love IEW, I thought maybe I was making it more complicated than it needed to be. I even thought of buying more IEW stuff like the SWI in an effort to make it easier. I can see that for some, like me, it just isn't a good fit.

 

Over the years that is one thing I have learned. Sometimes the curriculum doesn't fit the teacher and then it's okay to move on.

[AngieW in Texas]

I love IEW and it works very well for my two older girls. It doesn't work for my youngest though. She just doesn't do well with programs that are rule-based. I still haven't figured out a way to teach her to write. She wants to write stories, so what I'm doing right now is having her write stories and then we edit them together.