The hive has made me spend $$$ again! And I'm truly thankful! (IEW)

[Night Elf]

I've been watching you people talk about IEW for such a long time. I've looked at it so many times and always balked because of the price. After reaching the end of my rope, I decided to give TWSS a try to see if it could help me with my ds11 with Asperger's Syndrome. I've watched the first 2 DVDs so far and can already tell this is going to be one of the best homeschool investments I've ever made! And I don't make that claim lightly!

 

I purchased the U.S. History-based Writing lessons along with TWSS, thinking my son would enjoy History more than the stories on SWI. But now that he's seen one of the workshops, he feels that he would enjoy SWI more than just doing the History lessons. :D So I need to place yet another order to get SWI level B and I'm waiting until my DH is in a happy mood to tell him. :)

 

So, a huge thank you! I love this board! :grouphug:

[rafiki]

.

[GymboFroggie]

I think I am just two steps behind you. It really seems like IEW would be the way to go for us.... I just have to build up the strength to spend so much money in one fell swoop *swoon*!!! :tongue_smilie:

[MIch elle]

he's too young for the IEW History Based Writing Lessons. They start off easy enough but they do get difficult. We're using it with my 14yob, and my friend is using it with her high schooler (who used IEW for several years previously).

 

I think SWI would be a good choice for you. My 11yob is doing SWI A.

 

I'm happy for you!

 

Blessings,

[Rhonda in TX]

IEW has been a real turning point in my DS's writing. He also has Asperger's, and it has been a true blessing. I'm so glad it's working for you. :hurray:

[Tarheel Heather]

My 10 ds jas done the SWI A and B at co-op. I keep going back and forth about buying it so we can have it at home. He has enjoyed it.

[Sue G in PA]

Andrew Pudewa is the keynote at the NOVA conference in July. I've been anxiously awaiting this as I plan to purchase the SWI B for my dc to use this Fall. I've already told my dh how much it costs and after the initial shock...he hesitantly agreed. :) I'm so glad you are happy w/ your purchase!

[jejily]

We just bought IEW, too, and DS10 has already gone from being a reluctant writer to loving the fact that he has paragraphs to read every night to his dad! Right now we are just incorporating Unit 1 and 2 activities -- key word outlines of paragraphs, then rewriting it in his own words using his outline.

 

Right now, I actually write the paragraphs for him that he ends up rewriting. We're using this writing technique in history, so I will put together a fairly simple paragraph that provides a summary of what we've read that day (on, say, King Sargon of the Akkadians, or on the Canaanites), and he uses that to make his outline, etc. After he makes and edits his rough draft, he writes his final draft in cursive on fun notebooking paper (templates we purchased from The Notebooking Pages and Hold That Thought), and then we glue it onto colored paper for his history notebook. (We add in maps and timelines, too.)

 

I am AMAZED at how quickly he has learned to do outlines, and that he actually seems to ENJOY it! Before now, I'd ask him to write five facts he learned from the day's reading, and always got push back, complaints, whines, "I dont know what to write!", etc. Now, we will read from our various source texts, then I'll give him the paragraph I've written (usually the night before!) that sums it all up, from which he'll create an outline. Because he has read many different source texts before making the outline, he is usually able to incorporate into his final paper something he read that day that wasn't in my paragraph. It's been wonderful watching him progress!

 

This curriculum is WORTH EVERY PENNY, imho.

[neesek]

IEW is the next biggie on my wishlist too - hopefully this summer. In the meantime, I am really glad to hear these positive reviews!

[Stacia]

I've been watching you people talk about IEW for such a long time. I've looked at it so many times and always balked because of the price.

...

I've watched the first 2 DVDs so far and can already tell this is going to be one of the best homeschool investments I've ever made! And I don't make that claim lightly!

...

So, a huge thank you! I love this board! :grouphug:

 

Me too! I just bought the TWSS & SWI-B at the curriculum fair last weekend. I've watched most of the first cd of the TWSS; dd & I worked through the first SWI-B lesson yesterday. She did it! (For those of you w/ writing-haters/complainers/moaners/groaners, you know what a huge step this is! And she did a great job. I'm sooooo proud of her.)

 

I am *thrilled* w/ my purchase & feel like this may be one the the best hsing decisions I've made yet.

 

So, I'll echo the thanks to everyone. I sat on the fence a long time about it, but I'm so glad I decided to take the plunge based on all the info I gathered here! :001_smile:

[Lizzie in Ma]

And now we are in our 3rd year using it and it has transformed my dd's writing and (most importantly) her attitude towards it. The history lessons are for high school though, why don't you give the new Fable, Myth and Fairy Tale one a try? I wish that one had been around earlier but I will still get to use it next year with my 3rd grader. We have loved the Ancient and the Middle Ages theme based lessons but they do, in fact, get very intensive. We have alternated them with lessons from SIC B and SICC B.

[Love2Learn]

This is one of our best investments as well. We are using SWI A (4th grade) and my son loves it. His writing skills have improved dramatically over the past 5-6 months.

[skimerinkydo]

The history lessons are for high school?? I am new to this program. I am going to watch the TWSS this summer. This fall I plan to purchase the U.S. History-based writing lessons volume I for my 6th grader who likes to write. It says that it is level B...why do you think that it is better for high school? If you don't use the history lessons for this age, what do you like to use?

[Lizzie in Ma]

It used to tell you what grades each theme based lesson was for and the second US History one does say for 8th-10th grades. I have the older edition of the US History and I just read the FAQ's on the IEW website. It says the author had made it easier in the new version of US History 1 to teach all 3 levels. Other volumes still give grade levels, the Fairy Tale one says 3rd-5th so I am a little confused I guess.:confused:

[Night Elf]

I was confused at that response too because I purchased the History-based writing lessons because the website said it could be used for all levels. This the 2nd edition, copyright January 2008.

 

The inside of the book says:

Level A students are elementary (4th - 5th)

Level B students are junior high (6th - 8th)

Level C students are advanced junior high and early high school (8th - 10th), who will complete both Volume 1 and Volume 2 in the school year.

 

I plan on using the Level A assignments. It looks very straight forward!

 

I have joined the IEWfamilies yahoo group and am amazed at their files section. They even have a shareware file where you can access lessons that other parents have put together. If you decide to use them, you pay the person who provided them. It is on the honor system. I found one that will work well for us and it's only $15. I have decided to use that instead of SWI Level B. My son did enjoy watching Mr. Pudewa on the workshop disc that came with my TWSS set, but he also said that it was extremely long.

[LibraryLover]

I've read every word of this thread a couple of times now. The IEW site is very intriguing to me and i've visited it many times in the past year. I think this program would give my 15 year old what she needs to move forward in her writing. However, I still don't understand what I should purchase?...

 

My brain goes ADHD on this website. And not in a good way.

 

Anyone with suggestions for my dense self? My dd is 15, loves to read, doesn't love to write, but when she does write, it's not so bad. She wants to improve her writing...

[Night Elf]

Laurie,

 

The Teaching Writing Structure & Style, or TWSS, dvd set is a seminar for educators/parents. It is a way for us to learn about the method of writing from the author.

 

The Student Writing Intensives, or SWI, are writing workshops for the student. It's like being in the class taught by Mr. Pudewa. For your daughter's age, I think she'd start in SWI Level C and then move into the Student Intensive Continuation Course, or SICC, Level C.

 

I've heard you can do without the TWSS if you go with the SWI programs. But they recommend you watch the lessons with your student so you can understand the method if you want to help her write beyond the course. But the SWI programs would be fine for her to learn the method. You would need to plan on getting both SWI Level C and SICC Level C to cover all 9 units.

 

There are theme-based writing units as well. I was talking about one of the history programs which I chose to purchase instead of a SWI program. But from what I understand, it's easier to do SWI and SICC than the theme based programs if you are not using TWSS. It is possible, but just not as easy. I think it's because the TWSS and SWI courses are specifically to instruct in the method, while the theme-based programs are extra materials to use after you understand the method and can apply it on your own. That's probably not a very good explanation so please remember that I'm still very new to IEW.

 

Last comment, the levels are suggested grade levels. Level B is 6th - 8th grade. Level C is 9th - 12th grade. I found the paper catalog much easier to understand. It arrived with my order but I've been reading and rereading it and it's helped clarify some things for me.

[Judy in WA]

IEW has made all the difference with my dd (11). She wrote a couple of paragraphs about Cephlapods that had me wanting to read more.

 

I wish I had this instruction when I was in middle school.

 

Judy

[Jen in DE]

Can you be specific about why you like it? I saw it at the curriculum fair last weekend, and just didn't get it. I feel like my kids already knew a lot of this stuff. Maybe the rep just didn't explain it well.