Is IEW as scary as it looks??

[Runnermom]

I am trying to find a writing program for next year and I am very curious about IEW. I have checked out the website and when I see that the DVD teaching can be up to an hour, I wonder how I can keep my kids focused enough for that length of time ( I have two boys going into 3rd and 4th). Can anyone who has used this share their thoughts, please!!! I am interested but also quite intimidated by it! I am all for rigor in homeschooling but I also don't want to drive my kids to tears (at least not every day :lol:). I so want this to work for us but I don't want to drop $250 on something could quickly become a train wreck! Thanks in advance for the input :)

[lillehei]

It was way too much for us. I used their lifetime guarantee and returned it. I thought the principles were awesome and the program was really useful, it was just overwhelming for me and the kids. They got tired of doing Key Word Outlines and they didn't like Pudewa nor did I.

[txhomemom]

I am another one that did not like it. I know there are a lot of fans, but just saw it at a homeschool convention this past weekend for the millionth time and still cannot wrap my brain around it. I even went to an IEW seminar they are having and it just felt like it would not fit for me as a teacher or my dd's learning style. I think it would appeal to someone that really wants to break down the components of writing. It has a lot of detailed aspects about it. Also, from hearing the speaker it sounded like her sons benefited from it the most, they tended to be kids that did not know what to put on the paper so the concepts of IEW basically gave them a process to follow.

 

That being said, it does fit for some people so you may just need to do a little more research to see if it would work for you. There is an IEW Yahoo group that might have information that would help you decide. Also, if you buy from IEW and you don't like the curriculum you can get a refund.

 

If you are at all interested in SWI Level B, I was planning on posting it on the sale board in a few days.

[Runnermom]

Thanks for the input. My boys would be 3rd and 4th next year so I believe it starts with SWI A.

[boscopup]

I'm using it with my third grade boy. It's a good fit for us. I have watched 4 of the TWSS discs, and I feel pretty comfortable teaching it. It's actually quite straight forward. The SWI-A lessons are around 30-40 minutes, but that's once every couple weeks, not every day, and they don't do a lot of writing during the video. My son enjoys Pudewa and thinks he's funny.

 

I purchased from IEW, so if it didn't work, we could return it. Their return policy is excellent.

[Isinglore]

Our co-op uses the US History based writing lessons. We love it and the class is very popular. Oldest dd was writing books at a very young age, we did not use it for her, but for the boys it was great!

[Runnermom]

The history based lessons were something that initially caught my eye because my boys are history nuts!

[4Hisglory]

We used SWI-A last year with my ds-5th and dd-3rd. Like a previous post stated, the lessons on DVD are as much as once a week and sometimes there are several weeks between DVD's where you are building on the skill taught previously. My son loved them and this year we are moving into the Geography Based Writing Lessons. I was available to help my daughter and she did require a little more pulling out in Key Word Outlining, but by the time we were done she was creating her own stories based on the source text and not just following a rewriting which is something they can do but don't have to. We liked it and are sticking with it.

[justLisa]

I'm using it with my third grade boy. It's a good fit for us. I have watched 4 of the TWSS discs, and I feel pretty comfortable teaching it. It's actually quite straight forward. The SWI-A lessons are around 30-40 minutes, but that's once every couple weeks, not every day, and they don't do a lot of writing during the video. My son enjoys Pudewa and thinks he's funny.

 

I purchased from IEW, so if it didn't work, we could return it. Their return policy is excellent.

 

Yup. I actually can never figure out what is so confusing about it. Maybe because it's more along the lines of training yourself to teach writing, rather than just an open and go type thing. I have decided that math and writing will require most of my time, and I am fine with that.

[crazyforlatin]

I have TWSS and watched a couple of hours of it. I know it's a program that I will use because DD is good at speaking from an outline, so I think it will transfer well to writing, as soon as she can gain some more motor skills in writing up to 5 sentences. I like that it will train Dd to pick out the most important words in a paragraph for the outline. In fact, I'm going to try this out starting today, but not have her write out the paragraph.

 

I like Andrew and his self-deprecating manner. I also like listening to his lectures, especially the ones about listening to audiobooks, memorizing poetry, and having kids just narrate freely (e.g. just let them talk and talk about the day). But I don't think I can listen to him recite poetry every day. :tongue_smilie:

[sassenach]

I REALLY like their themed programs. If you can get your hands on TWSS, that will train you (the teacher) on the philosophy. Then use a themed program to implement it= perfection.

 

ETA: I just caught the ages of your kids. Personally, I don't like IEW for that age. I think it's a great middle school curriculum, but it's overkill for elementary school (and not the way I want to approach high school). Check out Writing Tales if you want a nice lead up to IEW. Similar approach, but better suited for elementary imo.

Edited June 27, 2012 by Shannon831

[crazyforlatin]

We used SWI-A last year with my ds-5th and dd-3rd. Like a previous post stated, the lessons on DVD are as much as once a week and sometimes there are several weeks between DVD's where you are building on the skill taught previously. My son loved them and this year we are moving into the Geography Based Writing Lessons. I was available to help my daughter and she did require a little more pulling out in Key Word Outlining, but by the time we were done she was creating her own stories based on the source text and not just following a rewriting which is something they can do but don't have to. We liked it and are sticking with it.

 

That's really great. So your daughter uses the key outline, words from the source, and creates her own stories. I didn't think of that, and it would work well for kids who may want to do some creative writing, yet still have a key outline for organization.

[4Hisglory]

He presents that as an option, at first neither one of my dc took it but they both ended up doing it. He doesn't push it but I could see my dc trying to come up with a new story that would work. My daughter did The Balloon That Cried Needle Shop for The Boy That Cried Wolf. They did use their original key outline for organization.

 

 

That's really great. So your daughter uses the key outline, words from the source, and creates her own stories. I didn't think of that, and it would work well for kids who may want to do some creative writing, yet still have a key outline for organization.

Edited June 28, 2012 by 4Hisglory

[mytwomonkeys]

we have SWI A. i really like it a lot, as does my daughter (my son will start in august). i don't find it overwhelming or confusing at all. really, it is very self explanatory, and the extra review is fabulous if your child needs more practice. i love his teaching style & don't find the videos long or winded at all. for your sons ages, i would recommend SWI A. we love it. simple. easy. hope this helps.

 

ETA, i don't own the TWSS and i've never watched it. i still have no problems using the program at all.

[black_midori]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who sees it as super-scary looking! lol. I think the concept is GREAT, and if I actually liked Grammer & felt really comfortable teaching it, I'd want to give it a go. However... not so much. I just don't think I'd be able to implement it in a way that would make it effective for us.

 

My friend is a very Grammar-oriented person, and I gave her the catalog to look at with a comment that it sounded right up her alley - she is really excited to try it out sometime! :)

[Sew happily ever after]

NO! It I actually super easy to implement especially if you get the lessons on DVD! You only watch a portion each week ten do the assignments. Not a big deal at all! I LOVE IEW and will NEVER look for another writing program EVER!!!!!!! The SWI along with the continuation courses hold your hand and guide you through. The DVD with mr. Pudewa does all the teaching, the kids do the assignments, you check them/help edit. On the IEW website there is a place where you can even find someone to help you wih editing their work!

[mama2cntrykids]

I used it with my ds11 last year in 5th grade. If you have a child who is interested in writing, go for it. If not, look at something else.

 

It's an awesome program. We love it, but it's not for everyone, like many curricula out there.

[Denise in IN]

My boys love Andrew Pudewa, and they actually watch the TWSS dvd's with me. :001_smile: We have not used SWI A, but my middle ds did All Things Fun & Fascinating over the last 1 1/2 years. He was a verrryyyyy reluctant writer, but he's done very well with AFF.

[jentancalann]

It was only scary before I bought it! I remember thinking that if the website was that hard to understand, then the program must be, too. The swi's are super easy to implement. Just take some time to look through the materials and it will all come together, I promise.

[dtsmamtj]

I used it with my ds11 last year in 5th grade. If you have a child who is interested in writing, go for it. If not, look at something else.

 

It's an awesome program. We love it, but it's not for everyone, like many curricula out there.

 

 

So, I do have a reluctant writer - if not IEW then can anyone offer up any suggestions? Thank you!!

 

T

[MerryAtHope]

It was way too much for us. I used their lifetime guarantee and returned it. I thought the principles were awesome and the program was really useful, it was just overwhelming for me and the kids.

 

I did too. For us, the idea of the key word outline was helpful but mostly it was overhwelming and I struggled with how it was organized. There's a yahoo email loop that is super helpful though if you want to give it a go--for those it works for, it seems to work very well.

 

I found Essentials in Writing much easier to implement and more intuitive to the way I think. Short videos (usually about 3-5 minutes) and then work related directly to that video that day.

[angela in ohio]

So, I do have a reluctant writer - if not IEW then can anyone offer up any suggestions? Thank you!!

 

T

 

IEW is usually recommended for reluctant writers. In fact, 90% of the time, people say that it is better for the reluctant and "too much" for natural writers.

[angela in ohio]

This is a great time for you to begin using IEW. I value it because it teaches the parent how to teach the subject, instead of requiring you to buy materials ever year. IEW will save you a lot of money if used with multiple children over multiple years.

 

I always recommend starting with the TWSS for you. Do the assignments yourself, learn the methods, and start using the first 2-4 units with your 4th grader. You can search these boards for many, many threads about how to implement IEW, and the Yahoo group is very helpful. You can also ask here if you have any questions.

 

The key is to not get stuck in those first few units forever. In most negative reviews, only those first few units are addressed. If you never get past them, you miss the beauty of the program. After the first year, cover those quickly and then move on to the real meat of the program.

 

IEW is ideal for classical education, because it allows you to integrate writing into your history or literature and it teaches dc to model classic writing.

 

We have never used the SWI at home (though I taught two of them for a camp once,) and I don't care for the history-based lessons (though, again, I've taught three of them for various outside classes.) I think mom learning the TWSS is the gold standard. My dc have watched the TWSS, too, as they have gotten older, and they enjoy his wit and learning from him directly.

[malleyfam]

I borrowed it from a friend and watched it with my 3rd and 4th grader. They loved it! They thought the instructor was hilarious and they were excited to follow along and apply the principles. I didn't leave it on for a full hour - we just went through one lesson at a time and I stopped it periodically when it seemed to move too quickly.

[5LittleMonkeys]

IEW is usually recommended for reluctant writers. In fact, 90% of the time, people say that it is better for the reluctant and "too much" for natural writers.

 

:iagree:

 

It was perfect for my reluctant writer, dd13. It gave her clear, specific, step by step instructions. It gave her stylistic tools that have become second nature through repetition of use. Now, she's able to use those tools objectively, and is creating her own style. Being able to quickly and effectively create an outline and produce a well structured, stylistic piece of work has given her so much confidence...so much that we can now focus on perfecting content.

 

Dd9 started out doing keyword outlines and retellings verbally and is now writing short reports. Even ds6 is doing verbal outlines and retellings. My natural writer, dd14, appreciated expanding her knowledge on how to use different techniques to add interesting sentence variations and style to her content rich writing, in addition to becoming more comfortable with quickly organizing reports and essays.

 

I was very intimidated by IEW at first, but now that I've watch the TWSS twice and worked through an SWI, I feel completely confident. I've been pulling assignments from across the curricula easily. I feel sure that I could continue teaching my younger dc writing up to highschool without ever purchasing another program if I had to.

 

I will say that, although I love IEW, and will probably continue using their products for years to come, there are other programs that offer different skills that I think are important too. I feel working through a year or two of IEW prior to starting WWS is a solid plan, and one I intend to use with my youngest 4 dc.

 

Money back guarantee is a no brainer in my opinion. Get the TWSS or the SWI and watch through it on your own before investing your dc in it. If it doesn't click with you just send it back and you won't have waisted any "school time".

[crazyforlatin]

:iagree:

 

It was perfect for my reluctant writer, dd13. It gave her clear, specific, step by step instructions. It gave her stylistic tools that have become second nature through repetition of use. Now, she's able to use those tools objectively, and is creating her own style. Being able to quickly and effectively create an outline and produce a well structured, stylistic piece of work has given her so much confidence...so much that we can now focus on perfecting content.

 

Dd9 started out doing keyword outlines and retellings verbally and is now writing short reports. Even ds6 is doing verbal outlines and retellings. My natural writer, dd14, appreciated expanding her knowledge on how to use different techniques to add interesting sentence variations and style to her content rich writing, in addition to becoming more comfortable with quickly organizing reports and essays.

 

I was very intimidated by IEW at first, but now that I've watch the TWSS twice and worked through an SWI, I feel completely confident. I've been pulling assignments from across the curricula easily. I feel sure that I could continue teaching my younger dc writing up to highschool without ever purchasing another program if I had to.

 

I will say that, although I love IEW, and will probably continue using their products for years to come, there are other programs that offer different skills that I think are important too. I feel working through a year or two of IEW prior to starting WWS is a solid plan, and one I intend to use with my youngest 4 dc.

 

Money back guarantee is a no brainer in my opinion. Get the TWSS or the SWI and watch through it on your own before investing your dc in it. If it doesn't click with you just send it back and you won't have waisted any "school time".

 

I like that plan of using IEW before WWS. DD will be too young for WWS. I have an uninhibited narrator, reluctant writer, so I think a keyword outline and verbal retelling is the path for us.

[boscopup]

IEW is usually recommended for reluctant writers. In fact, 90% of the time, people say that it is better for the reluctant and "too much" for natural writers.

 

:iagree:

 

My son literally freaks out at the thought of writing something down. After the first lesson in SWI-A, he very easily wrote his paragraph and had a smile on his face when he was done. :)

 

Writing a final copy isn't smiles, but he is fine with the rough draft. The keyword outline is helpful to him. I'd highly recommend this for reluctant writers. Natural writers are the ones that may not need it (though the reigning in of the child that goes on and on and on is helpful).

 

We do plan to do WWS later, but we needed IEW to bridge the gap between oral narration and written paragraph. With WWE, he'd purposely shorten his narrations (even counting words before saying it!) to avoid writing as much. In IEW, i'm seeing decent length sentences - more like his oral sentences.

[Lots of boys]

:iagree:

 

My son literally freaks out at the thought of writing something down. After the first lesson in SWI-A, he very easily wrote his paragraph and had a smile on his face when he was done. :)

 

Writing a final copy isn't smiles, but he is fine with the rough draft. The keyword outline is helpful to him. I'd highly recommend this for reluctant writers. Natural writers are the ones that may not need it (though the reigning in of the child that goes on and on and on is helpful).

 

We do plan to do WWS later, but we needed IEW to bridge the gap between oral narration and written paragraph. With WWE, he'd purposely shorten his narrations (even counting words before saying it!) to avoid writing as much. In IEW, i'm seeing decent length sentences - more like his oral sentences.

 

This is exactly what my son is doing now in WWE2. Glad to hear i am not alone. I will check out IEW for him after WWE3

[freesia]

IEW is usually recommended for reluctant writers. In fact, 90% of the time, people say that it is better for the reluctant and "too much" for natural writers.

:iagree: in general. It was a godsend for my reluctant writer who now wants to be the scribe of his Boy Scout patrol because that's the "easy" job. This is the child who would fall to the floor when asked to write *anything* before we started IEW in fifth grade. He went from barely writing at 10 to writing extremely well over the 2 years we have used IEW with him.

 

My dd9 is not a reluctant writer so I use the style principals loosely with her at this point. I do use the structure principals as I feel they are clear and easy to use and teach. I probably will put her through one rigorous year of IEW when she's in middle school if I feel she needs practice with varying sentences, trying new style techniques, etc.

 

IMO, if you have a reluctant writer, IEW is *less* overwhelming bc it is so step by step and clear.

[Mrs Twain]

After using the SWI-A last year with my 3rd grader (and 1st grader incidentally), as well as recently listening to three hours worth of Andrew Pudewa's workshops this summer, I am sold on IEW. The SWI has been the very best resource for teaching writing I have used, and once you get into the program and start applying the principles to other writing assignments, it is easy to see the good results.

 

My kids laugh hysterically at Andrew Pudewa's silly jokes. Periodically I have to stop the DVD and rewind it because they are laughing for so long. The kids are always happy to watch one of his DVD writing lessons. I have not found any other writing program that my kids not only don't complain about, but actually have a positive feeling toward.

 

Any program with something like the TWSS is naturally intimidating. However, you only have to watch the TWSS section for the unit you are currently going to teach. So you can either buckle down and watch the whole TWSS at once or spread it out over a school year. The TWSS really does make a big difference in teaching the program. I felt it was very worth the time. Many people who haven't watched it think they don't need it, but IMO they don't know what they are missing.

 

When I first bought the SWI-A, I planned on using it only for a year or two and then switching to other programs. However, after learning of the big picture through Andrew Pudewa and seeing great results with my own kids, I am planning on making IEW my main writing program through homeschool.

[laughing lioness]

I am trying to find a writing program for next year and I am very curious about IEW. I have checked out the website and when I see that the DVD teaching can be up to an hour, I wonder how I can keep my kids focused enough for that length of time ( I have two boys going into 3rd and 4th). Can anyone who has used this share their thoughts, please!!! I am interested but also quite intimidated by it! I am all for rigor in homeschooling but I also don't want to drive my kids to tears (at least not every day :lol:). I so want this to work for us but I don't want to drop $250 on something could quickly become a train wreck! Thanks in advance for the input :)

 

You can do IEW 1 of 2 ways- get the Student videos and have your kids learn on their own. Get the TWSS and learn to teach it and then have a zillion more options. Optin #2 is a front end load propsition. You have to watch it. Once you do, you are set for life (at least through college). There is a learning curve involved if you watch TWSS. Expect it.

I've taught IEW for over a decade, vended for the company and love IEW. Just finished teaching a group of 3rd gr girls from Fairy Tales theme book- they all wrote a paper a week- pretty impressive for kids who had never written a full paragraph before :001_smile:

 

Pudewa says once you get a concept- move on. Don't camp there, torturing yourself and your kids.

[j3mom]

We are just starting with IEW. I purchased both the TWSS and the Intensive A. My 8 year old son is a very reluctant writer. He is doing excellent in narration and summaries. We are continuing to do WWE3, but very slowly, and are focusing on IEW at the moment.

He loves Pudewa's humor and the instructional DVD's, and is finally starting to produce some nice sentences and paragraphs. I found the instructions for teachers very easy and it provides an adequate hand holding, even to me (not a native English speaker). I think that I will improve my own writing after this year :-)

In my opinion, these types of classes are great for kids who are very verbal but have hard time writing. My son's mind is very technical and rules oriented, he loves the structure that IEW is providing for him. And his writing is starting to flourish. I could imagine that it may not be a good fit to a very creative child, who is already doing lot of writing on its own.

In the beginning, I did not wanted to spend this kind of money on a writing program. In retrospect, I am so glad that I did. Hope, this helps.

[5LittleMonkeys]

Runnermom - I wanted to address something you said in your post regarding keeping your dc's attention for the length of the dvd lessons, some of which can be up to an hour. If you find that their eyes start to glaze over due to the length simply watch half one day and half the next. The schedule is completely up to you. Keep this in mind while working through the different units. If you feel your dc need more practice with a skill then you can take an extra week, two, or three, to pull assignments from their history, science, and literature and continue to practice what they've learned. You will have the checklists from their last assignment to use as a rubric for as many assignments as they need.

[Guest tennhorse]

My two middle children did IEW in 6th and 7th...we found that it was intense. I worked with them very closely and met with their homeschool co-op class teacher quite frequently. They did well in the class, and although they were really glad when the class was over, they both admit they learned an increadible amount in one year.

[fourcatmom]

Has anyone used IEW for a creative child who loves to write? I just placed my order today but now I read through this whole thread. I have been sold on IEW for months. Now, I am second guessing it.

 

I have one going into 5th who likes to write okay but needs a lot of work. I think it will be a good fit for her. I ordered the All Things Fun book.

 

I also have a child going into 6th who loves to write. Working on writing a book. I ordered the main program , twss and swi-b for her plus the ancients to just be able to have access to. I also ordered the spelling program and the poetry book.

 

Do you think this will or won't work for the child who loves to write. I figured I could just focus on what she needs to work on. She won't need as much but if people use this program through HS, then why wouldn't it be a good fit for her in 6th?

 

Another question - it states that they need their own notebook for this. Does a 1 inch binder usually work okay for this or do you use a larger one? If you are not doing a SWI but a theme based, do you still use a notebook? Thanks!

Edited July 12, 2012 by fourcatmom

[mothergooseof4]

I bought TWSS and SWI a couple of years ago. I like TWSS, the method itself, and that you are to teach writing within your content studies. I had a problem actually implementing it. Perhaps if I sat down and made a plan out before the year started and already had everything scheduled with all resources I needed picked out ahead of time, it would get done. But.....

 

So, I had ds start the SWI. He hated it. He is the type that just wants the facts, tell him what to do so he can do it, and make it concise. While I found Mr. Pudewa entertaining, ds thought he took a long to explain something that could have just take a few minutes. I sold it.

 

This year, I am starting All Things Fun and Fascinating with my younger two and I love how it is set up. Concise and to the point. After seeing it, I really considered doing the Narnia themed program with my oldest who hated the SWI, but we already have WriteShop and will stick with it.

 

All of that to say, I am still tempted with the TWSS and applying it to our history and science. But, I think it is more work than I want to plan.

[mschickie]

I know someone recommended TWSS but do you absolutely need it? Has anyone done SWI A without it?

[angela in ohio]

Has anyone used IEW for a creative child who loves to write? I just placed my order today but now I read through this whole thread. I have been sold on IEW for months. Now, I am second guessing it.

 

It will be great. Even if she loves to write creatively, she will need to learn how to structure an academic paper and write from sources. IEW will flesh that side out. I had one creative writer, and I've taught many in classes. :001_smile:

[fourcatmom]

It will be great. Even if she loves to write creatively, she will need to learn how to structure an academic paper and write from sources. IEW will flesh that side out. I had one creative writer, and I've taught many in classes. :001_smile:

 

Based on that sentence, I need IEW! It was very late last night and I was on the laptop, which I cannot type on. ( I meant my sentence that you quoted, not your sentence)

 

I went back and re-watched everything last night since I was feeling nervous and I am confident it will be a good fit. I ordered the TWSS with the SWI-B and the Ancients. I won't use them both together but I wanted the option to through in the theme based writing if she wanted or needed more practice on certain topics. She loves Ancient History and is studying it this year so it seemed like a natural pick.

 

I also ordered the Fun things book for my younger one but I still can't find the A information online that I was told about. I also ordered the Poetry memorization book but not the audio. Do you find that you need the audio to teach this properly. I also ordered Phonetic Zoo starter A but thought it had all 3 levels in it. I didn't realize I would have to spend $80 per level to order new CD's. I might just start with the audio for A and then move into the budget package. Anyone have experience with this?

 

I think I went a little IEW crazy yesterday. :D With a writer in the house who really is a bad speller, she tested for level A and she's going into 6th I knew I wanted a excellent writing program.

Edited July 12, 2012 by fourcatmom

[trishalinn]

We have really enjoyed IEW. I've found it very very easy to implement. I just wrote about our experiences with IEW on our blog yesterday!

[fourcatmom]

Does anyone know what size notebook for the Student Notebook to go with IEW? I don't have my materials yet but I read online that they want or encourage you to make a student notebook.

 

If you were using the Better Binders, would a 1 inch be the right size or should I go with 1.5 inch.

 

Going back to Staples today for round 2! :D

[Mrs.Gregg]

Last year in 4th Grade my daughter was a very reluctant writer. She took a year long workshop in IEW and her writing improved so much. She ASKED to do it this year as part of our homeschooling. We are starting Student Intensive A and we also have the themed US history she will make her way through over the next 2 yrs.:)

[boscopup]

Does anyone know what size notebook for the Student Notebook to go with IEW? I don't have my materials yet but I read online that they want or encourage you to make a student notebook.

 

If you were using the Better Binders, would a 1 inch be the right size or should I go with 1.5 inch.

 

Going back to Staples today for round 2! :D

 

Mine came with a 1†binder.

[fourcatmom]

Mine came with a 1†binder.

 

I didn't realize they sent you one! Maybe I will pick up a 1 inch and then if they do send it, one of them can just be extra.

 

Thanks! :001_smile:

[hsmom24]

Can anyone who has used this share their thoughts, please!!! I am interested but also quite intimidated by it! I am all for rigor in homeschooling but I also don't want to drive my kids to tears

 

The title of this thread caught my eye, but I haven't had a chance to read any but the first post. Just thought I'd share my opinion. :)

 

*****IEW is an excellent training program that should build confidence and REDUCE the tears instead of create them! :) I also looked highly on the program, but it seemed intimidating to me, as well. Now that I have been trained through the TWSS videos and workbook, I am no longer intimidated but rather excited to teach kids this empowering method of writing! Andrew Pudewa teaches you to introduce one concept to the kids at a time, if necessary,(at their own pace and to their level) and let them practice it until it is EASY. Once that soaked in to my brain, it brought relief and confidence as I learned his approach. To the creative student--this training brings much needed structure on which to build creatively (and plenty of room to use creativity!!)! To the reluctant student, this is step-by-step, check the box when you're done relief to be able to see progress and lists of ideas so you don't have to come up with it all yourself! It's SOOO not intimidating at all and yet, step-by-step, it will build competent writers who have the skills necessary to communicate well!

Personally, I haven't used the videos to teach kids. Once you learn the vision/methods yourself through the training, you will know what you need to do to take each child to the next level. You can use any materials you want to to take them through learning the skills! If they are interested in science, choose a science paragraph to learn from! If they are interested in ancient history, use a paragraph from the book they just read! This is so flexible to make it work for YOUR child and their interests, skills, attention span and your goals for stretching them a bit and building their confidence.

****The history, bible based, etc. courses that are available are only resources, in my opinion, for someone who already has a strong understanding of the curriculum vision! Otherwise, they can seem to possibly go too fast and possibly expect children to be further along than they are in understanding the process. The strength of the program is that YOU, the parent, judge what is expected of your students individually! It's really easy to find appropriate material to use for the kids to practice the skills they are learning (even catered to their own interests if you desire), and you can have several students working on the same thing with different expectations lined out in their checklist. It's really a flexible curriculum that, once you are trained in it's vision, will take the burden off of you while still building excellent writers! :)

 

Anyway, this is a long post! Didn't mean for it to be--I just wanted to share and hopefully dispel some misunderstandings from this excellent resource! I'll be glad to share more if interested. :)

[fourcatmom]

The title of this thread caught my eye, but I haven't had a chance to read any but the first post. Just thought I'd share my opinion. :)

 

*****IEW is an excellent training program that should build confidence and REDUCE the tears instead of create them! :) I also looked highly on the program, but it seemed intimidating to me, as well. Now that I have been trained through the TWSS videos and workbook, I am no longer intimidated but rather excited to teach kids this empowering method of writing! Andrew Pudewa teaches you to introduce one concept to the kids at a time, if necessary,(at their own pace and to their level) and let them practice it until it is EASY. Once that soaked in to my brain, it brought relief and confidence as I learned his approach. To the creative student--this training brings much needed structure on which to build creatively (and plenty of room to use creativity!!)! To the reluctant student, this is step-by-step, check the box when you're done relief to be able to see progress and lists of ideas so you don't have to come up with it all yourself! It's SOOO not intimidating at all and yet, step-by-step, it will build competent writers who have the skills necessary to communicate well!

Personally, I haven't used the videos to teach kids. Once you learn the vision/methods yourself through the training, you will know what you need to do to take each child to the next level. You can use any materials you want to to take them through learning the skills! If they are interested in science, choose a science paragraph to learn from! If they are interested in ancient history, use a paragraph from the book they just read! This is so flexible to make it work for YOUR child and their interests, skills, attention span and your goals for stretching them a bit and building their confidence.

****The history, bible based, etc. courses that are available are only resources, in my opinion, for someone who already has a strong understanding of the curriculum vision! Otherwise, they can seem to possibly go too fast and possibly expect children to be further along than they are in understanding the process. The strength of the program is that YOU, the parent, judge what is expected of your students individually! It's really easy to find appropriate material to use for the kids to practice the skills they are learning (even catered to their own interests if you desire), and you can have several students working on the same thing with different expectations lined out in their checklist. It's really a flexible curriculum that, once you are trained in it's vision, will take the burden off of you while still building excellent writers! :)

 

Anyway, this is a long post! Didn't mean for it to be--I just wanted to share and hopefully dispel some misunderstandings from this excellent resource! I'll be glad to share more if interested. :)

 

That really summarized it very clearly. I am glad to hear that it can be catered to meet the creative student and the reluctant student. I think I ordered too much for their first year but we can always use some of it next year! Thanks for sharing. I can't wait to get this! :001_smile: