MCT Paragraph Town *and* IEW?

[MyLittleWonders]

Backstory: This year we are using MCT Island series along with WWE 4 for ds#1. I also have woven IEW's All Things Fun & Fascinating every few weeks to break up the monotony of WWE. :blush: (Ds#2 is doing MCT & IEW with us, along with WWE 2.) That said, I'm not sure on the timing of Writing with Skill 5 for ds#1 in the summer (we go year-round) or if I'd want to continue with it after WWE, and so I'm already thinking far ahead to next summer and what we'll do. :lol:

 

I know we'll be using MCT Town series with ds#1 and ds#2. Ds#2 will continue with WWE 3. But, I'm thinking of using IEW's SWI A for ds#1. Does anyone combine IEW SWI (or just IEW using the teacher DVDs) with the MCT materials? If so, how do you put it all together? Is it working well? Also, if you only use MCT Town materials, is there really enough writing for the entire year? Would MCT and IEW SWI be too much? Or, considering I see IEW as "tools" in a toolbox (I'm not big on referring to things as "dress-ups" nor do I use the check-lists after they do their writing), would it be a good fit?

[scrapbabe]

BUMP

[MyLittleWonders]

Thanks :D I was going to go find it and bump it up hoping someone had some insight. ;)

[SnegurochkaL]

Hi, I haven't tried it myself but thinking of doing it starting in January, so I would be interested to know about it too:)

 

I think I read a post regarding it but don't remember when and where I saw it

:( ( curriculum board or accelerated learners board).

[NoPlaceLikeHome]

:lurk5:

[Capt_Uhura]

There is someone here who's using both. If I recall correctly, when her DS writes he does it the IEW way. When he's finished, he then goes over it with an MCT eye removing un-needed words added in during the IEW phase.

 

I think if you were using MCT Town there would be enough writing for the year if you're following WTM method. After the first oh 4 weeks or so, the writing picks up. If I recall correctly, a lot of the writing is not specified ie it's research something and write about it using these following parameters. So you'd use your history or science that week for the writing in MCT Town. MCT Town is not adding in much ADDITIONAL writing from your history and science and literature but you're incorporating Town into those disciplines. That's my take on it after reading through Town over the summer. We're half-way done w/ MCT Grammar Town and will be starting Paragraph Town after that.

[8filltheheart]

I do not own Paragraph Town, only the 3 higher levels. I have read the samples of Paragraph Town on RFP's website and its philosophy is in complete agreement (just "precedes" the higher levels) with Essay and Advanced Writing. I have owned IEW's SWI levels A and C.

 

MCT and Pudewa have different philosophical views on writing. MCT emphasizes the understanding of purpose/structure of writing and "non-formulaic" views of construction. Pudewa's entire approach is extremely formulaic (key words, outline, write, dress-ups, etc).

 

Unless I had a child that was struggling with writing fundamentals, I would not introduce IEW to a child using MCT. MCT will produce stronger original writers.

[*anj*]

I'm following this thread with interest. I am still trying to figure out whether or not I want to ditch IEW altogether, and rely on MCT with WWE for my younger ones.

 

Thanks!

[1Togo]

I agree with the other posts - IEW and MCT are very different approaches. I would not mix IEW and MCT. We used IEW for years, and while we learned from it, none of our children became strong writers. We are now using WWE with MCT Town level, and it works beautifully.

[MyLittleWonders]

I do not own Paragraph Town, only the 3 higher levels. I have read the samples of Paragraph Town on RFP's website and its philosophy is in complete agreement (just "precedes" the higher levels) with Essay and Advanced Writing. I have owned IEW's SWI levels A and C.

 

MCT and Pudewa have different philosophical views on writing. MCT emphasizes the understanding of purpose/structure of writing and "non-formulaic" views of construction. Pudewa's entire approach is extremely formulaic (key words, outline, write, dress-ups, etc).

 

Unless I had a child that was struggling with writing fundamentals, I would not introduce IEW to a child using MCT. MCT will produce stronger original writers.

Thank you for the comparison. You touched on the one thing that I don't like about IEW - how formulaic it is. Since we are only using Island right now (and there are writing "assignments" or "prompts" in the back), and it's not very much writing at all, I've been worried that Town may not yet have enough writing yet either. (I know by the time we get to the last 3 years of the series, there'll be enough writing, at least from what I've read and previewed on the RFP website.)

 

I do have SWB's lectures on writing; maybe I just need to listen to those again for the logic stage students and reread that section in WTM. Then again, ds#1 (and ds#2) are both really enjoying IEW ATF&F, and I can see using IEW materials as just giving them a larger writing foundation, but I'm also afraid of having to fight the overly-formulaic feel of the program. At least I have until July to figure this out. :lol: