Did You Start EIW on Grade Level? If Not, Why?

[Valley Girl]

Yes, yet another question from me. I've seen recommendations for EIW. I like the video approach and the idea of having an instructor other than me explain the how-to's. If you used it, did you start your student at grade level? If you started one level lower, what made you decide to do that?

 

DS is in 9th grade next year. We used a writing program this year and saw some good results. But he still isn't where I'd like him to be at this point. (He has some challenges, so there's that.) I'm planning on doing a separate, thorough grammar review and then focus on any problem areas next year, so I'm not sure we need level 8. But I don't want to push him ahead into level 9 if that would be too advanced. Any suggestions if you've BTDT with this particular program?

[MerryAtHope]

If he's at all reluctant, I'd go with Level 8. I think it has a gentler start. Both programs will cover the same basics--an intro section on sentences, then a section on paragraph writing, and then a section on essays and a research paper. 

 

In Level 9, the program asks the students to find and write out examples of certain types of sentences (for example, sentences that start with a dependent clause, and so on). Back in Level 8, the sentences are provided for the student to mark--so it's a step easier. It might not make a huge difference, but for a reluctant writer, the section on sentences is not as easy/approachable, and might turn a student off before they get very far into the program.

 

Other than that though, they are going to be pretty comparable, and I don't think it would matter much. My oldest actually did level 7 in 9th grade, because that was the highest level out at the time. The next year, I bumped him up to level 9 for 10th grade, and then he did 10 in 11th grade (and worked on speech in 12th grade). My youngest has done levels 8, 9, and 11, using the level that equals her grade level. (She skipped 10 to do speech the same year my son did.)

 

HTH some!

[Hilltopmom]

I agree, start in the lower level, I found it really helped & started them slower with each type of paragraph then essay.

I started my 10th grader in 8, then had him do 9th, then the Bravewriter Expository Essay class.

[Valley Girl]

What you say makes sense. We covered depended clauses, compound/complex/compound-complex sentences, etc. this year. We did a lot of paragraph writing and have just in the last few weeks started 5-paragraph papers. He struggled some with the grammar. So having that extra reinforcement (on top of the general grammar review I planned) plus a thorough review of the writing basics is probably a good idea. I definitely want to give him plenty of time grasp everything. Thanks for the good advice.