Has anyone's children NOT like IEW?

[michaeljenn]

My children have been going through SWI-B, and while they enjoy Andrew Pedua, they don't really like the program much. The reason has to do with all the dress-ups. They said they feel like they HAVE to do all the dress-ups, which they feel interferes with their writing. Does that make sense?

 

I also have Format Writing, and he likes it. He really wants me to tell him how to structure his paper, and then let him loose. For example, a 3 or 5 paragraph essay, I showed him how to make an intro, body, and conlusion paragraph(s) and then he just wrote. He seems to be a give me the bones and I will fill in the rest the way "I" want to write it.

 

My daughter seems to feel the same way.

 

When they did the keyword outlines and then rewrote it, it sounded almost like the origional pieces!

 

They have also said that they perfer the writing instruction in Rod and Staff. My son has referred back to it on several occasions when writing an essay.

 

I just find this strange, since so many LOVE this program. Should I just drop it, or keep going with it? I just don't want to regret not sticking with it. Hmmm, maybe it is a peer pressure thing for me???:glare:

 

Jen

[kRenee]

It sounds like your children have much more natural writing ability than mine.

 

I really like the structure of IEW and it gets my kids to focus in and include a variety of words and sentence structures. I will drop the dress up requirements one-by-one as my kids start including them naturally. But if you don't need the stuctrure then it might not be the program for you.

 

Oh, and by the way, my kids don't love IEW, but they wouldn't love any writing program.

[MIch elle]

including dress ups, etc. in IEW if it's not working for you. You can use some of IEW but not require it all.

 

We are using IEW with both dc and I make them do almost all of it - sentence openers, dress ups, etc. I think it's good practice but I'm SURE when they get to high school they will not be required to do these things but they will have an understanding of what it takes to have structure and style from doing IEW.

[TracyR]

I would say if he likes Rod and Staff , enjoys the assignments more , and it works for him . Then I would drop the program that isn't working for him .

[Mom2boys]

My ds10 is in an IEW co-op this year. For quite awhile it was akin to torture for him. Now as the year is ending, he finds that he is naturally including their stylistic techniques in his writing. I just recently stopped requiring him to include everything on the checklist for an assignment. Now that he has had a alot of practice with these stylistic tools, he is developing a sense of when they help his writing and when they are a hindrance. Sometimes adding in everything IEW requires would make his writing seem more forced and artificial - all style and no substance, if that makes sense. So, take the IEW tools and use them as benefits your child. My child is not a natural writer, and initially needed all of the hand-holding IEW provides.

[angela in ohio]

I'm going to stick my nose in with a personal anecdote. When I was in 7th grade, I had an English teacher named Mrs. Berg. We called her Ice Berg. She made us diagram and underline things ad nauseum. She required us do very IEW-style writing projects. She made us write these wierd paragraphs that were SO HARD (read in snotty 7th grade girl voice.) I loathed the woman for a few years, really, truly held a grudge against her. Then in a few years, I started to realize that not everyone understood grammar inside and out like I did. A perfect English score on my ACT and nearly one on my SAT helped me earn a full scholarship. I went to college and placed out of English classes and was able to take a great books course my freshman year instead. I could write a paper easily and quickly, and the professors loved my work. I realized what a gift this woman had been.

 

The IEW exercises are not meant to be "their writing." They are exercises, much like math fact drill, which allow them to practice skills repeatedly, which they will then use in their own way. I do assign reports outside of IEW, and we do the writing exercises in R&S. These are places where they can write their own way, but it will be improved for having done the IEW exercises. The first time a dc uses a triple extension in an outside assignment, you can't help but giggle.

 

All that to say: write "that which does not kill us makes us stronger" across the front of their English folders and press on. :001_smile:

[SparrowsNest]

The IEW exercises are not meant to be "their writing." They are exercises, much like math fact drill, which allow them to practice skills repeatedly, which they will then use in their own way.

 

 

Wise words.

 

We are doing IEW SWI-B here with ds10 and ds13. There has been an almost overnight difference from the first assignment to this (our fourth), particularly with ds13, whose writing was wooden and dry. Some children have a natural grasp on 'dress-ups' (I loathe that term by the way, because we're not trying to fancify our writing for the sake of putting a pig in a wig! I think they should simply be called 'stylistic techniques,' because that's what they are.) but for those who do not, a checklist and repeated exposure (drill) in these techniques will allow them to master them and then to use them in their own writing.

[Kelli in TN]

I'm going to stick my nose in with a personal anecdote. When I was in 7th grade, I had an English teacher named Mrs. Berg. We called her Ice Berg. She made us diagram and underline things ad nauseum. She required us do very IEW-style writing projects. She made us write these wierd paragraphs that were SO HARD (read in snotty 7th grade girl voice.) I loathed the woman for a few years, really, truly held a grudge against her.

 

 

 

All that to say: write "that which does not kill us makes us stronger" across the front of their English folders and press on. :001_smile:

 

 

I have to tell you this, I think it is really funny.

 

Two of my kids took a writing class from Cindy Marsch. Not an online class, they took her class in person! (She used to live in my town) They whined and they griped and they said disrespectful things about her and we argued and fought about that class. Because there were other life circumstances going on and I was not feeling particularly strong that year, I relented and let them drop out at semester's end (you committed by the semester rather than the year).

 

Fast forward to my son's first (and only) college semester. "Mom, that stuff Mrs. Marsch taught me is helping me so much with my English papers. Why didn't you have me take both semesters?":banghead:

 

Schoolwork doesn't have to be fun, but it does have to be done!!!!

 

 

And oh how I wish Cindy Marsch still lived in my town because I would so make my current highschooler take her class. Both semesters. No matter how much she griped.

[Peek a Boo]

When we did a co-op a few years ago, neither i nor ds liked it. It just isn't *us*. Thankfully there are plenty of great programs that will teach your students to write well. we are using Writeshop and i like what was said: exercises vs own. I'll hafta remember that, lol.

 

however, if you can tweak a program to work instead of scrapping it altogether, i would suggest that first :-)