wingedradical Posted October 16, 2013 Share Posted October 16, 2013 I looked at The Elegant Essay at a curriculum fair this past summer and somehow, just got the impression I wouldn't like it. It didn't seem very IEW-ish to me (I know, IEW isn't the only way to go, but it has worked for us so far). I am now coming to the point where I need to think about our next step and I've looked again as much as I can - they have a TOC, etc on the IEW site. I still don't think I'll care for it. Again, I'm not saying it is bad -- I just don't care for what I see of the presentation. So -- please convince me I'm wrong ---- or right. Also, if I don't use TEE, any suggestions on where to go within the IEW family? It seems the other essay program, actually by Padewa, is for practice on short essays assigned on the SAT and ACT. Then, there is the one (can't recall name) for research papers (written by same author as TEE) and the Advanced Communication Series. Is the ACS do-able after the Continuation Coarse? Or do I pretty much have to go with something else, emphasizing essays more, before I go there? And if so, any recommendations? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wingedradical Posted October 16, 2013 Author Share Posted October 16, 2013 I should probably add that my student didn't start out as a strong writer at all but has come along very nicely. She has some challenges as far as executive skills and working memory and Padewa's approach seems to really be good for her in that area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coffeegal Posted October 16, 2013 Share Posted October 16, 2013 Well, I decided against the Elegant Essay as well. We switched over to IEW at the end of last year, and I determined I wanted at least one year of progression through all the units, so we're using the theme Life Science. It's level C, works through all the units, explains what an essay is when we reach unit 7, and walks the student through a super essay. We may very well use Elegant Essay next year, but I've been pleased with the writing my son is producing from Life Science. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlsdMama Posted October 16, 2013 Share Posted October 16, 2013 To me, Elegant Essay is a step for after a basic, strong essay ability has been established. Perhaps that's just my take on it. Would you say that your child has a good, basic ability to write a structurally correct essay? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swimtaxi234 Posted October 17, 2013 Share Posted October 17, 2013 I used EE after using IEW for a few years with my daughter. When my DD was 11-years-old, she would cry when I made her write a paragraph. Thanks to hard work and the IEW program, in her duel enrollment, DD placed into English 102 and she has an A average at mid-term. DD's instructor told the class today that most of the papers were awful, but my daughter got a 96 on her essay. Thank you IEW!!! I want to add that I really didn't like EE or Windows to the World, but I am so thankful that we worked through them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted October 17, 2013 Share Posted October 17, 2013 Check out "The Lively Art of Writing" by Lucille Vaughn Payne with the workbook available free here: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BwZcrirqSDvAdEtieVM1UklvS1k/edit?usp=sharing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4wildberrys Posted October 19, 2013 Share Posted October 19, 2013 We used IEW for years with mixed reviews/results. It got quite tedious after a couple of years. While browsing at Amazon I found a book called Evergreen by Susan Fawcett and it has been THE book that has resonated and motivated my son more than anything else!!! He truly loves it---and he NEVER, EVER says that about any curriculum. It's actually a book meant for community college, but it walks the student step by step through paragraphs and then the 5 paragraph essay, with exercises to practice right in the book. It's actually exactly what I have been looking for ALL these years---which the homeschool market could never fulfill for me. The homeschool products for the high school level has just been so....juvenile...for my son. This speaks to young adults that are obviously more mature. That said, he will be finished with this book mid year, so I did go ahead and get IEW Advanced Writing program, as it sounds like there are some good topics addressing writing college level papers and taking notes effectively. We LOVED the High School Essay Intensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThisIsTheDay Posted October 20, 2013 Share Posted October 20, 2013 We gave EE a shot before they had any sort of teacher manual, and it didn't work for us at all. Instead, I had my dd use High School Essay Intensive. It was short, sweet, and effective. We also used the Lucille Payne book mentioned above, The Lively Art of Writing. It was WONDERFUL!! Who would guess that this tiny, older (and cheap!) paperback would be such a gem! I also appreciate that it was simple for either of my kids (different ages, different abilities) to work through on their own, answer the questions at the end of each section, and then easily review with me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3carolyn Posted May 22, 2014 Share Posted May 22, 2014 Have struggled with a reluctant writer, and I appreciate all these options. Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In The Great White North Posted May 22, 2014 Share Posted May 22, 2014 While browsing at Amazon I found a book called Evergreen by Susan Fawcett and it has been THE book that has resonated and motivated my son more than anything else!!! Is the latest edition necessary? What about the workbook? What was it that he liked about it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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