TundraAcademy Posted December 16, 2009 Share Posted December 16, 2009 My son is a 5th grader and we have been doing IEW for the first time this year. I've been watching the TWSS DVDs and he has been working through All Things Fun and Fascinating. I have SWI-A but haven't used it yet. I'm trying to plan for middle school and high school with IEW and am a bit confused. Where do we go after SWI-A? Do we do SWI-B next or should we do SICC Level A? I would like to have at least a skeleton of a plan to get us through high school! I also have two younger sons who will be following. They are both doing WWE. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSDCY Posted December 16, 2009 Share Posted December 16, 2009 http://www.excellenceinwriting.com/SID-A If you scroll down to the bottom of the page, it has a "decision tree" to help you with progression. However, I want to encourage you to use their theme-based program for at least a year after you are done with SWI. We did SWI-A slowly over 3rd and 4th grade. This year we are using their US history-based writing lessons, and I am very pleased with the results so far. It helps reenforce what ds learned in SWI and refine ds's writing skills a great deal. HTH. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie of KY Posted December 16, 2009 Share Posted December 16, 2009 Once you've done SWI-A then you move on to SICC-A and progress to B and then C. (Never do any more SWIs - this is the introduction geared at three different levels.) Since you are doing All Things Fun and Fascinating, you'll find SWI somewhat repetative since it is an introductory course - though great! After doing these you can either continue with dvds or theme-based, depending on what you want to do and if you want to do the teaching. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calandalsmom Posted December 16, 2009 Share Posted December 16, 2009 I'm not using the video series (except for once in a while we do watch a little of SWI). I started both kids with All Things Fun this fall. My 12 yo will jump ship in January and begin the Ancient history based lessons while my 9 yo will continue with All things fun. I intend to try to follow the cycle of units continuously thru middle school. I will probably rely on theme based books as I have enjoyed it and found it easy to teach from. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TundraAcademy Posted December 16, 2009 Author Share Posted December 16, 2009 So it looks like everyone just keeps adding units as their kids get older. Is high school about the same? Thanks for the input. This helps a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephanieZ Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 (edited) Another vote for theme-based lessons. I find them very helpful and they really help me understand the program and help the dc get exposed to the whole range of topics, with solid teaching of the various techniques at logical places in the units, etc. It is also easy to add additional exercises copying the format of the Theme Based lesson if you feel your child needs an extra week practicing this or that. We have Fables, Myths and Fairy Tales (which we gave a half-hearted start when I first got IEW) and this year are diligently doing Ancient History lessons. Both are super. I plan to do FM&FT with my youngest next year while my olderd moves on the Elegant Essay. . . After teaching a theme-based lessons book, you'll feel much more comfortable making choices -- either doing your own writing-across-the-curriculum or choosing another theme based, etc. If not theme based, then I think the SICC for level A would be a great option, from what I hear (I haven't viewed the DVD courses except the TWSS). The IEW Yahoo group is encyclopedic. Post your query there and you'll get loads of help from veterans! (I've only had IEW for abt 18 mos but used it very half heartedly for the first year or so as I was trying to figure it out. . . .) Edited December 17, 2009 by StephanieZ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephanieZ Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 So it looks like everyone just keeps adding units as their kids get older. Is high school about the same? Thanks for the input. This helps a lot. No, I don't think this is quite right. I think the idea is to teach pretty much ALL the units (minus one or two of the longer research paper type things) pretty much from the start -- well at least by Gr 3 or so. Now, it is the dress-ups and sentence openers, etc that you might add more of as the years go on and omit some earlier one, depending on the child. . . Although I think most/all would typically be introduced within a year or two of IEW work at Gr 4/5 and up. In the TWSS, Andrew emphasizes not to get stuck on one unit, but to MOVE ON to the next one and to cycle through all the units each year (again, minus one or two advanced units for very young/elementary writers). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plimsoll Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 You may also want to take a look at the IEWFamilies Yahoo group. There is a lot of good information about scheduling, lesson plans, etc., etc. there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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