scrapbookbuzz Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 Just received my order of TWSS (Teaching Writing: Structure and Style). Hoping to view all the videos this week and then dive in to teaching it next week. Anyone BTDT and have tips & hints they've learned along the way? Thanks! (Note: while you all have the right to dissent to the use of IEW, I'm not really interested in reading those responses. This is what I have chosen to use with my children. Thanks for understanding!):) :bigear: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsmama Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 I think you will really like IEW! I am using it in a class for 4th-6th graders and have found it to be gentle for kids and teacher alike. Focus on Units 1 and 2 until your kids get a good sense of the Key Word Outline. For my DD7, I bought the $5 e-book download of Articles and Stories to give me some simple source texts from which to make an outline. Yes, you can find your own texts, but this was simpler for me. Pudewa recommends using source texts that are EASY for your child to read. http://www.excellenceinwriting.com/ans-e With my class, we moved on to Unit 4 after doing units 1 and 2. You don't have to do the Units in order unless you want to, though save Units 6-9 until you've done several of the previous units. Enjoy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keniki Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 I agree with just focusing on units 1 and 2 for now. It might become a little overwhelming to try to do all of it at once. You might tend to jump ahead while you're teaching, too. At least, I know I would. ;) I'm really enjoying IEW this year, but there has been a huge learning curve for me. I'm excited to do it again next year now that I have a little more experience. I only wish now I had bought it sooner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodland_Mom Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 :iagree: I agree with the other posters. Do focus on units one and two at first. My advice to you: Watch the whole set of DVD's (not in one sitting!) and then go back and watch the first DVD. Once you've seen the way the program works and where it's headed it will begin to make more sense to you. The way the program is intened to be used: do not move on from one unit until it seems easy for a child. Add new layers when the kids are ready. IMO, IEW is a fantastic program. We've been using it for 3 years and it works VERY well for us. Another piece of advice: join the IEW families yahoo group. There is a wealth of information there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hooahwife Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 Thanks for posting this. I am thinking of buying the program and was wondering how it will fit in with my crew; they range in age from four to 11. I will check out the Yahoo groups. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tennismomkelly Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 We love IEW! It took me awhile before I decided to purchase it because I read so many negative comments about it. However, my DS was a very reluctant writer so I figured that I should at least give it a try. I couldn't be more pleased with the progress that we've made. It's working great for us! Everyone has given you great advice. The biggest thing that I have learned is to ignore all conversations about other writing programs. Take some time getting comfortable with IEW. Simply enjoy it!! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodland_Mom Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 IEW is not really a "curriculum". It is more of a method, one that you can take with you and use as you write about any subject. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angela in ohio Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 (edited) I've been teaching IEW for many years to my own dc, have taught many co-op classes of IEW, and even taught the TWSS to parents once. Right now, I'm teaching one of their other products, The Elegant Essay, to a group of 7th-9th graders. My advice, as a pp said, is to watch all the DVDs through. You really need to know where you are going. Then go back and watch them as you are teaching the unit. For a 12 yo and half of the year remaining, I would expect to get through Unit IV or V. Pick a few dress-ups and sentence openers to teach and integrate them into your lessons, too. I would expect to teach 3 or so of each this year, just to give him an idea of what they are. Next year, you should be able to teach through the entire syllabus and almost all fo the dress-ups, openers, and decorations. Whatever you do, don't get stuck in Units I, II, and II with a 12 yo! That is a sure way to kill any lvoe for writing or IEW. There have been many long threads here about the technical aspects of lesson planning for IEW. I know I've posted at least twice about the process I use to make a yearly plan for IEW. Search for IEW on this board, and you will get a wealth of information. Edited February 15, 2011 by angela in ohio Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevknorr Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 we love IEW here and my junior in college is NOW thanking me! yahoo group was a must for me! Just do it and keep on with it is the best advice. we muddled through with it for a few yrs before i felt real confident. consider co-oping with another family. that kept me focused and accountable. i know you will enjoy it! psssst: it took me most of a summer to watch all those teacher dvds but at the time i had little ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TracyR Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 I didn't use the TWSS , I didn't have the money too. But I did like the Student Intensive Writing from IEW and that's what we used. My daughter's didn't like it though. We're going back to homeschooling and I'm most sure we are going to go back to it because it was the writing program that made the most sense to me. My two older ones just really didn't give it a chance. I ended up using Writing Tales and its very similar to IEW and my daughters took to that because of the fairy tale component. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mnllj7 Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 I LOVE IEW. I went through the TWSS twice, for the past two years I have been teaching the writing to our CO-OP, last year i taught the elementary the SWI A, This year I am teaching the Middle School Early American History. It has been great. It builds on itself. I was sitting in our teachers lounge with our highschool teacher who was grading some essays. Her essay format was just like what I am teaching the middlers. Her students were having a hard time, Not any of them that I know of had used IEW, I explained that to my middleschool class, and let them know they practice now, highschool will be much easier. HTH, nancyt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brownie Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 If you need material to write about in chapters 1 and 2, get an Aesop book from the library where all the stories are short - 6 to 10 sentences perhaps. It's an easy, fun rhythm to get into for chapters 1 and 2 and supplies more material than you'll ever need. Brownie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrapbookbuzz Posted February 16, 2011 Author Share Posted February 16, 2011 I already have a couple of copies of Aesop's Fables so thanks for the input. Both of my kids LOVE Aesop, so we'll start there! I'm also thinking of going through the mystery short story I'm writing and using the keyword outline just to see if my story makes sense! ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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