Pre-curser to IEW

[Hakg]

I have a recently turned 8yo DS (will be grade 3 this coming year). This past year we have dabbled with a few writing programs and the main ones we have stuck with have been WWE2 and WWW2. For the coming year we plan to use Galore Park Jnr English 2 SYRWL. Would love to start IEW as well, however I dont think DS is quite ready for SWI-A. Is there an IEW product (not PAL) that would be good to use as a pre-curser to SWI-A? Or should we use something else?

 

I dont want to use WWE or WWW anymore as there is little retention with WWW, and after 2 years with WWE we have had enough. Both WWW and WWE were too slow and incremental for DS also.

 

I am looking at Writing Tales and the reviews seem luke warm (compared with IEW).

 

What would you recommend for a child this age for the coming year, who will most likely use IEW the year after (grade 4). I'd like something that will get him ready for KWO's etc.

 

Thank you :001_smile:

[Woodland_Mom]

I've been using IEW for 5 years with my dc. It is truly okay to wait until 4th grade to begin IEW. You could start next year without doing any formal writing program. For 3rd grade, you could easily focus on letter writing, envelope addressing, etc. However, if you feel the need to begin writing with your ds, my recommendation would be to order the IEW "Teaching Writing with Structure and Style" set. It is a 9 part video series and notebook set that is purposes to equip the parent to teach writing to his/her children. Believe it or not, no other texts are needed. The videos will show you how to use literature/resources that are already part of your curriculum. You would watch the unit 1 video, which is about key word outlining, and then stay focused on that skill until it becomes easy for your dd. Then, you'd watch the unit 2 video. If you move slowly, without pushing your young ds,, the program will be easy to implement. As you become more familiar with IEW, you may opt for some of their theme based writing books, but their very best (and most useful resource IMHO) is the TWSS video series. It is about $100, but worth every penny.

[Heartsjoy]

KWO's are best started with a paragraph that's at the super easy level but 5 + sentences. Use anything at hand. Child's encyclopedia.

Model the process side by side with your child.

Sit next to the child each with a paper copy of the paragraph. Each of you circle 3 important words per sentence. Next day write the words into the KWO/ outline and "read" each other your own paragragh in your own words. The next day type or write the paragraph for the child as they narrate it to you or write as they write.

 

The yahoo group has many free files that helped me get started.

[Hakg]

I've been using IEW for 5 years with my dc. It is truly okay to wait until 4th grade to begin IEW. You could start next year without doing any formal writing program. For 3rd grade, you could easily focus on letter writing, envelope addressing, etc. However, if you feel the need to begin writing with your ds, my recommendation would be to order the IEW "Teaching Writing with Structure and Style" set. It is a 9 part video series and notebook set that is purposes to equip the parent to teach writing to his/her children. Believe it or not, no other texts are needed. The videos will show you how to use literature/resources that are already part of your curriculum. You would watch the unit 1 video, which is about key word outlining, and then stay focused on that skill until it becomes easy for your dd. Then, you'd watch the unit 2 video. If you move slowly, without pushing your young ds,, the program will be easy to implement. As you become more familiar with IEW, you may opt for some of their theme based writing books, but their very best (and most useful resource IMHO) is the TWSS video series. It is about $100, but worth every penny.

 

Thank you Angela. I should have mentioned that I do have the TWSS and SWI-A already. I also have a download of Articles and Stories.

[Hakg]

Thanks Heartsjoy. I may give that a try - it may give me an idea as to whether he would cope well with IEW or not.

[bethben]

I've been doing just kwo with my second grader. There's no need to do all units when you're starting out.

 

Beth

[Amy in KS]

I've been focusing on one aspect of iew each week with my 2nd grader. However, the focus has been sentences. We use iew's student resource book (the one with the lists of strong verbs, ly words, etc). My second grade son writes sentences (4 or so a day) focusing on strong verbs one week, sentences with ly openers the next week, etc. he can use the reference sheets as much as he wants.

[Amy in KS]

I've been focusing on one aspect of iew each week with my 2nd grader. However, the focus has been sentences. We use iew's student resource book (the one with the lists of strong verbs, ly words, etc). My second grade son writes sentences (4 or so a day) focusing on strong verbs one week, sentences with ly openers the next week, etc. he can use the reference sheets as much as he wants.