IEW - What does this look like in practice?

[MsAlimar]

I'm considering getting IEW for my daughter for 3rd grade. It seems a little confusing to me so I am planning on waiting until our convention before making the purchase so they can help me choose the right material.

 

What I really don't understand is what it looks like in practice. How long does it take? What is the sequence of events for a lesson? How often does it need to be done?

[laughing lioness]

The original IEW program was created to teach YOU have to teach. In order to understand the program, you need to get and watch (with notebook in hand) the TWSS. Learn the program. Then you can use any IEW materials (theme based books, etc) they offer (and you'll have a great handle on how to teach writing).

OR you can "Hire" Andrew Pudewa to teach your kids and purchase SWSS. You put in the DVD, your kids create a writing notebook. A lot of folks do this. I don't think it's the best way (though better than not doing anything) becasue it's easy for your kids to slack off.

MY recommend would be to watch TWSS regardless of whether you do a theme based book or SWSS.

 

It's a front end load program. I watched TWSS 14/15 yrs ago and i've been teaching writing ever since, from a lot of different resources for kids from 3rd -12th grade.

 

If you use SWSS- plug it in, give your kid time to write- about 1-1 1/2 hour per lesson.

If you teach a theme based book here's how it looks. I teach a small group of 3rd graders Fairy Tales and Fables. We have 1 hour lesson a week. We read papers outloud (presentation), I go over grammar, define vocab words etc, we start on the assignment. Sometimes we get through an entire lesson, sometimes not. Whatever isn't done in class, the girls do at home. They come back with a written paper. My 3rd grader needs my help, that takes about 45 min. during the week.

Since Sept the girls have written between 5-10 papers (depending on if they made all of the classes). Not bad for 8 yr. olds.

Sequence of events: Kids read source documents. Kids take notes. Kids write paper (or re-tell story). Kids add in dress-ups. Kids revise paper. Kids complete paper. Kids present paper.

I think once a week at least. Depends on the age of the kids and how much teacher/parental support they have.

[brownie]

My 3rd grader is working on it now (I have a 5th grader who is in his 3rd year of IEW). I watched the TWSS before starting my older son. This year I have my 3rd grader watch the SWI A. He writes about 1 paragraph paper a week since he is a reluctant writer but we are still moving at a fast clip through the A level because we don't do every paper. For example this week was his 2nd week on the lesson so he did not watch any video. He read a paragraph on Andrew Jackson and took notes (called a keyword outline), the next day he narrated to me his own paragraph, which I wrote on the dry erase board. The next day we added a strong verb, quality adjective and a few other "dressups" as IEW refers to them, and the 4th day he hand wrote the paper neatly, copying it off the board. I use the dry erase board to minimize handwriting since that tires out his hand and he doesn't type efficiently yet. Brownie