mmasc Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 I have read many threads on these topics, but still have questions! I need help deciding on grammar and writing for 5th grade. First: SWB has a suggested writing sequence posted that recommends for 5th grade to use EIW level 6 (this is only one of her suggested paths). Does anyone know why using level 5 isn't recommended? Next question: It looks like EIW covers grammar AND writing. Does it include diagramming?For fourth grade, DS is finishing up an IEW themed book. He has done fairly well with it, but I feel like I've had to really drag it out of him. He likes step by step direction, but I'm still wondering if IEW is a good fit. So my other option is to go with Fix-It for grammar, and IEW for writing. We have another theme book on hand already (Fun and Fascinating) but I've never tried a Student Writing intensive so maybe that's the way to go? His biggest hang-up in IEW was producing sentences that pretty much sounded like the ones he had just read.I think his writing needs help more than his grammar. He likes to look at sentences and figure out what's wrong with them, he likes diagramming, and he's got a pretty good grasp on parts of speech and their usages.Please help guide me! :)Thank you so much!(Also, he will be continuing AAS) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wonder Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 Bumpity Bump 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murrayshire Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 To help you with your question about EIW and the grammar. EIW is advertised that it is all the grammar you need. I personally don't agree with that. My 3rd grader is using EIW with FLL and has no problems. In EIW, the first part of the lessons are grammar and then the last half is writing. No diagramming. FLL has diagramming though! Is diagramming all that necessary? My oldest went through Analytical Grammar with lots of diagramming.....she knows her grammar but I think the diagramming was overkill. I am thinking of starting my ds in IEW with Fix It for next school year. I can't decide b/w theme book or SWI-A! Good luck with figuring it all out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue G in PA Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 I do not prefer how EIW has grammar for the first half of the year and then writing the last half. I would prefer that it be integrated. My son is working through EIW 5 this year and while I like the writing portion, I just don't find it beneficial to have all the grammar first, then the writing. I just received Fix It! grammar and am excited to start it. If your son like to find out what is wrong with sentences, Fix It will be right up his alley! It certainly will not be overkill with EIW and would work hand-in-hand with IEW. You could always skip the grammar in EIW and jump ahead to the writing assignments. There isn't any diagramming in EIW or Fix It! but if you really want diagramming you could use Analytical starting in 6th or 7th. Plenty of diagramming in there. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmasc Posted April 3, 2015 Author Share Posted April 3, 2015 Thank you for the replies! They've been very helpful. It looks like EIW might not be quite the grammar I'm looking for, but I am still wondering about the writing portion. Sue G...do you think the writing is good enough that you'd want to use it even if you skipped the grammar? Do you all think IEW writing (either theme or SWI) and Fix It grammar is sufficient? I'm not sure if Fix It is supposed to be a full grammar book or not?? I got the sample of Fix It and my DS liked correcting the sentence, but then he wanted to know if we were going to diagram it. :) It seemed light/easy, but appeared to cover a lot in the sample. I've never seen the entire book though. I feel like my DS needed a lot of hand holding with the IEW theme book this year, so I was looking for greener writing pastures, but maybe I should just stick with what we know. Decisions, decisions... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue G in PA Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 I don't have a problem with the writing portion of EIW. Both my 5th and 9th grader uses it. I am contemplating having my rising 5th grader use it just for the writing next year. As for IEW and Fix It, I would think, certainly, that it would be plenty for grammar and writing. If you ds likes diagramming, there are websites that teach it and worksheets available as well. CLE puts out an Extra Practice Diagramming book which would work well, too. I have my Fix it manual and the lessons are designed to be short (15 min.). The student corrects the sentence, labels the parts that are being studies and then re-write the corrected sentence in a notebook. That seems to "cement" what was learned. I have not started it with my dc yet. My plan is to start Monday. In the early years, there will be a lot of hand-holding in most writing programs. EIW teaches via DVD but my ds still needs my help when putting pencil to paper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmasc Posted April 3, 2015 Author Share Posted April 3, 2015 Thank you! That really helps. I'll look into the CLE diagramming book as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jess4879 Posted April 4, 2015 Share Posted April 4, 2015 :bigear: I have really debated between these two. I find them both pricey, although IEW more so. We've only just started EiW and we aren't doing formal grammar this year, so we skipped to the writing lessons. I really like them and my oldest is already varying her sentence beginnings just after a couple lessons, so that is encouraging. Glancing through the grammar exercises in EiW, I am not sure that we will use it, except maybe as review. I am leaning towards Fix It. Which brings me full circle to whether EiW is worth the cost if only using half the program... One thing that has really held me back with IEW was the comment that kept popping up that IEW students could be pinpointed because of their formulaic writing... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmasc Posted April 4, 2015 Author Share Posted April 4, 2015 :bigear: I have really debated between these two. I find them both pricey, although IEW more so. We've only just started EiW and we aren't doing formal grammar this year, so we skipped to the writing lessons. I really like them and my oldest is already varying her sentence beginnings just after a couple lessons, so that is encouraging. Glancing through the grammar exercises in EiW, I am not sure that we will use it, except maybe as review. I am leaning towards Fix It. Which brings me full circle to whether EiW is worth the cost if only using half the program... One thing that has really held me back with IEW was the comment that kept popping up that IEW students could be pinpointed because of their formulaic writing... These are the thoughts running through my head exactly! :)I *want* to try EIW, but like you, wonder if just the writing portion is worth it. We've used one year of IEW, and I wouldn't say my DS's writing is formulaic...yet. He does add in all those 'dress-ups' but since he doesn't write any more than he absolutely has to, it sounds ok right now. I can see how adding too many might make a paper sound a bit silly, so I haven't made him do exactly how many it requires per paragraph. When I showed him the sample videos of each, he instantly said he didn't like EIW. ??? I don't know why! When he watched the IEW video, he said 'I like that guy better.' ??? Writing decisions are so hard for me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jess4879 Posted April 4, 2015 Share Posted April 4, 2015 These are the thoughts running through my head exactly! :) I *want* to try EIW, but like you, wonder if just the writing portion is worth it. We've used one year of IEW, and I wouldn't say my DS's writing is formulaic...yet. He does add in all those 'dress-ups' but since he doesn't write any more than he absolutely has to, it sounds ok right now. I can see how adding too many might make a paper sound a bit silly, so I haven't made him do exactly how many it requires per paragraph. When I showed him the sample videos of each, he instantly said he didn't like EIW. ??? I don't know why! When he watched the IEW video, he said 'I like that guy better.' ??? Writing decisions are so hard for me! My kids don't absolutely *love* the EiW guy, but the lessons are so short (another reason I liked it over IEW - apparently those are 30+mins each!) that they deal with it. I do find the lessons (EiW) to be short and to the point. They get the job done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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