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Windows to the World or the Elegant Essay?


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My son has about six months left of homeschooling.

 

We've done a lot of IEW courses - SWI, SICC, Advanced Communication, History-Based Writing Lessons, and Speech Boot Camp. We've also completed Teaching the Classics and some of the extra DVDs, 'The Classics Club'.

 

I'm trying to decide what to use as our final book - Windows to the World, or The Elegant Essay? Ultimately, I'd like to do both, but realistically, we won't have time, so, we need to choose.

 

Ideas or suggestions?

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Guest mindyzak

We just finished 'The Elegant Essay' and are starting 'Windows.' While 'Essays' was dry and difficult, in that it required writing, it did teach the art of the essay very well. 'Windows' looks to be more fun.

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I've used both several times in co-op classes and have to say I'm ambivalent about them. On one hand, they do present step-by-step approaches to writing basic essays and lit analysis essays,and you can spend as much or as little time as needed on each step. On the other hand, they are dry and formulaic, teaching one particular paragraph model each for the basic essay and the lit essay, and the TMs are hard to follow in relation to the student books. I did not like her suggested topics in EE and made up my own to engage the students more. The author also spends far too much time at the start of WW on one particular exemplary short story ("The Most Dangerous Game") and then asks students to write an essay on it after having already covered so much analysis of it that it would be hard for beginning students of lit analysis to come up with anything new, so I ended up having my students read several more stories instead for variety. Also, the "template" provided re how to write a thesis statement results in very stilted language (I had students producing such awkward sentences as, "The author divulges an atmosphere of tension in order to deliver frustration to the reader's mind"--ugh!!) so re-teaching was needed. The thesis instruction also focuses solely on suspense techniques, so students are left wondering how to formulate theses that apply to other sorts of short fiction or poetry. Topic (lesson) order is also rather odd, in my view--for eg, she waits until nearly the end of WW to introduce the idea of point of view, something I prefer to cover early on as it is often key to how a given story works.

 

If you really want to use one or the other, your choice would depend on whether or not your son already knows how to write a basic essay. If so, go on to WW; if not, use EE.

 

Since my background/ degrees are in literature, I don't really need a curriculum in order to teach lit analysis (when I taught British Lit, it was with the texts only, no curriculum), but for co-op classes had wanted a prepared program which included a book the students could work through. But having now used these books several times, I'm disappointed about how much I've needed to adapt them to make them work for my classes. I'm on the lookout for something better for both basic essay writing and lit analysis, possibly Easy Step-by-Step Essay Writing by Ann Longknife. The Lively Art of Writing, although dated in some of its essay topic suggestions, is an excellent intro to essay writing.

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I've used both several times in co-op classes and have to say I'm ambivalent about them. On one hand, they do present step-by-step approaches to writing basic essays and lit analysis essays,and you can spend as much or as little time as needed on each step. On the other hand, they are dry and formulaic, teaching one particular paragraph model each for the basic essay and the lit essay, and the TMs are hard to follow in relation to the student books. I did not like her suggested topics in EE and made up my own to engage the students more. The author also spends far too much time at the start of WW on one particular exemplary short story ("The Most Dangerous Game") and then asks students to write an essay on it after having already covered so much analysis of it that it would be hard for beginning students of lit analysis to come up with anything new, so I ended up having my students read several more stories instead for variety. Also, the "template" provided re how to write a thesis statement results in very stilted language (I had students producing such awkward sentences as, "The author divulges an atmosphere of tension in order to deliver frustration to the reader's mind"--ugh!!) so re-teaching was needed. The thesis instruction also focuses solely on suspense techniques, so students are left wondering how to formulate theses that apply to other sorts of short fiction or poetry. Topic (lesson) order is also rather odd, in my view--for eg, she waits until nearly the end of WW to introduce the idea of point of view, something I prefer to cover early on as it is often key to how a given story works.

 

If you really want to use one or the other, your choice would depend on whether or not your son already knows how to write a basic essay. If so, go on to WW; if not, use EE.

 

Since my background/ degrees are in literature, I don't really need a curriculum in order to teach lit analysis (when I taught British Lit, it was with the texts only, no curriculum), but for co-op classes had wanted a prepared program which included a book the students could work through. But having now used these books several times, I'm disappointed about how much I've needed to adapt them to make them work for my classes. I'm on the lookout for something better for both basic essay writing and lit analysis, possibly Easy Step-by-Step Essay Writing by Ann Longknife. The Lively Art of Writing, although dated in some of its essay topic suggestions, is an excellent intro to essay writing.

 

 

So, when you find something better for intro lit analysis essays, I'd like to know about it! I was considering Windows for Ds next year as a quick intro. Your points above have me concerned. We've used several IEW products and I am often frustrated with form over content. So many times in a good essay, the content (which is determined by the thesis) determines the form. I am also frustrated at the definitions of various types of essays followed by the 'now you write the same type of essay'. A well written essay often has aspects of description, definition, narrative, etc. Uggh! Now I'm re-thinking writing curriculum again. Maybe I'll just do it myself--though I'd rather not reinvent the wheel.

 

Now back to the OP's question. I'm eager to read what others say. :bigear:

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I think it totally depends on what your son needs more help with -- lit analysis or essay writing.

 

And, it depends more on long-term goals, such as college/career. I would think, in looking at the big picture, that essay writing would be more valuable long term for most students, but if your son is pursuing a degree in English or literature or related area, than lit analysis would probably be the way to go.

 

FYI - We are doing both this year with my 9th grade DS. I'm enjoying both curriculums.

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We used both this year. We used Elegant Essay in the fall and are doing WttW this spring. EE was good if you needed your hand held, which I did, and if you dc needed specific instruction. Mine didn't need so much specific instruction as it offered, but they did need the specific instruction on writing a thesis statement. We finished it early.

 

WttW has been great. Again, I needed hand holding on how to teach how to write a literary analysis paper. WttW has done that for me. I've actually enjoyed going through the program with my girls. If you don't need the hand holding, you probably will be irritated by it. For us, it is doing a very thorough job.

 

EE's teacher manual is awful, but I needed it. I just think they should redo it to make instructions and where things are in the book more clear. WttW is much better.

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Thanks for your replies! I think we'll go with Windows - we've done so much essay writing, but not so much literature analysis. And, with six children still at home, I need to take the easiest route - by the sounds of it, WtW is easier to use that TEE.

 

Having said that, we'll most likely use TEE once my younger girls have completed SICC.

 

Thanks!

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I am just finishing up WttW and my ds (11th) and I have really enjoyed it. I have no lit analysis experience;we approached it as learning together. I highy recommend Jill Pike's syllabus. It will be the best $5 you spend. She makes the teacher book make sense and provides grading worksheets. We have set our schedule up as a class meeting once per week and then my ds works on his own to complete assignments. We now find ourselves applying the lit analysis to The Hunger Games this week. My ds even said he wants to get together with some friends to really discuss it....and this is a boy who really dislikes reading and writing and loves all things math. This program has been a rich and very worthwhile addition to our curriculum this year!

HTH

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LOL! After all that time trying to decided between the two, I remembered that we had 'Literary Lessons from The Lord of the Rings' on the shelf - he took one look and said, 'yep - I like to do THAT!'. So, that's what we're now doing.

 

Still, I no doubt shall use both WtW and TEE in the future with my girls.

 

Thanks for all the responses, I appreciate it.

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  • 9 years later...
On 3/26/2012 at 6:43 PM, ABQmom said:

We used both this year. We used Elegant Essay in the fall and are doing WttW this spring. EE was good if you needed your hand held, which I did, and if you dc needed specific instruction. Mine didn't need so much specific instruction as it offered, but they did need the specific instruction on writing a thesis statement. We finished it early.

 

WttW has been great. Again, I needed hand holding on how to teach how to write a literary analysis paper. WttW has done that for me. I've actually enjoyed going through the program with my girls. If you don't need the hand holding, you probably will be irritated by it. For us, it is doing a very thorough job.

 

EE's teacher manual is awful, but I needed it. I just think they should redo it to make instructions and where things are in the book more clear. WttW is much better.

My understanding was both curriculums were meant to be a year long?  our homeschool co-op does both in one year.....it appears to be a semester for each?  we are not joining again next year so I was going to do them at home still.......how did you fit both in together in one year?!

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20 minutes ago, Traci said:

My understanding was both curriculums were meant to be a year long?  our homeschool co-op does both in one year.....it appears to be a semester for each?  we are not joining again next year so I was going to do them at home still.......how did you fit both in together in one year?!

This is a really old thread.  EE is a semester course. I am not sure about WttW.  It looks like one of the prior posters upthread used it as a one semester class.  

EE is probably one of those love it or hate it products. Personally, we hated it.  YMMV. 

This is a syllabus you can purchase that pairs WttW with Teaching the Classics--I think it might be available for free download with purchase of WttW--so the $15 is just for a hard copy. https://iew.com/shop/products/syllabus-introduction-literary-analysis

With the above syllabus, WttW is a one year course.

Here are some old threads: 

https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/242539-can-you-tell-me-about-windows-to-the-world/

 

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=236548&highlight=windows+world

 

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=214389&highlight=windows+world

 

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=204682&highlight=windows+world

 

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=14446&highlight=windows+world

Any thoughts on IEW's Windows to the World?

Windows to the World?

IEW's Windows to the World -- Questions from a Newbie

Windows to the World -- Anyone Have This?

Windows to the World: A Complete Lit Course?

(WttW IS now a complete course if you sign up for the Yahoo group and download the additional material from the author there -- see this more recent thread: Questions About IEW's Windows to the World)

Difference Between Teaching the Classics and Windows to the World?

Windows to the World: Has Anyone Used This?

Edited by cintinative
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3 hours ago, Traci said:

My understanding was both curriculums were meant to be a year long?  our homeschool co-op does both in one year.....it appears to be a semester for each?  we are not joining again next year so I was going to do them at home still.......how did you fit both in together in one year?!

Welcome! I see by your post count you are new.

No, each of those programs are 1 semester long, so not a problem to do both in 1 year.

(Note: Windows to the World is a 1-year program ONLY if you add the Jill Pike syllabus from IEW, which folds in ALSO doing Teaching the Classics, AND adds 3 longer works of literature to cover: Jane Eyre, Hamlet, and To Kill a Mockingbird.)

For how to schedule each of these programs in 1 semester, check out the teacher book sample:

Windows to the World teacher book (page 16 for schedule)
15 week schedule (which gives you an extra 3 weeks to spread it over if doing traditional 18-week semesters)

- Elegant Essay teacher book
pages 8-11 = 14-week schedule
page 12 = 3- or 4-week "boot camp" schedule

If wanting to do these 2 programs simultaneously, rather than Windows to the World, followed by Elegant Essay, one way to do it is once you finish the first half of Windows to the World (which teaches annotation and then how to use your annotations as support in writing a literary analysis essay), you could start working in the Elegant Essay a little at a time -- doing Elegant Essay in the weeks where Windows to the World doesn't have much in the way of writing assignments. 

@cintinative kindly linked you to more threads about these programs, if you want more recent experiences and info.

Edited by Lori D.
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