IEW? Workbook?

[MeganW]

My kids are currently 4th & 5th graders.  Their school uses IEW, but we came in after the rest of the kids had been using it for a while, and I think we missed some of the basics.  My 5th grade DD did the first paragraph of the contrast essay in the IEW Ancient History book yesterday, and let's just say it was worse than a kid who hadn't had any writing instruction.  The dressups and all are there, but there is NO organization whatsoever.  It's just a random list of facts.  This is a pattern for this kiddo, not a one-time issue.

 

I am thinking we will do one of the IEW DVD intro programs this summer.  How much harder is the Level B vs. the Level A?  I don't want boredom, but it is summer, and I don't want stress either.

 

A different option might be to do some sort of workbook-type program for the summer that focused on organizing your writing.  I am thinking of something like the old "hamburger" thing we learned as kids - topic sentence being the top bun, supporting details as the fillings, and clincher as the bottom bun.  Is there something along the lines of Reading Detective or Inference Jones that addresses organizing your writing?  

 

Other thoughts?

[cintinative]

I am a little lost. Did they not do a key word outline before they wrote their papers? That should have the topic and clincher that you are referring to. Ask him if there is an outline he is supposed to be working from and see if maybe he has abandoned it and put things in his own order. 

 

We are doing SICC-A. When we do essays, we do the internal paragraphs first, and then the intro and conclusion because those repeat ideas from the body paragraphs. I am not sure if maybe this is what seems missing? If he wrote the first paragraph of the body, then it may seem that things are being left out. It seems like you would benefit from getting a closer look at the assignment. 

 

Level A is for grades 3-5 and level B is for 6-8.  The main difference is the source material, speed, and the dress ups introduced. If he is still struggling with putting together an outline, I would try the Level A. 

[G5052]

Yes, make sure they have a complete keyword outline. I wouldn't worry about the content, just that they have enough information to write and a topic/clincher pair if that's called for.

 

That said, at that age organization is still developing. I've taught paid writing classes with IEW for kids 8-13, and the less experienced they are, the more likely you'll see an unorganized outline. In the early grades, you're really looking for structure and mechanics, not as much the logical development and good sentences. They need to develop confidence and the ability to get things down first.

 

As a parent, it's important to take things step-by-step. When I was teaching my own, I focused only on mechanics and basic structure (topic sentence/clincher pair) until they were in 5th or 6th grade. Then we focused on arrangement and began looking at what the sentences really said.  In time, they'll be able to do their own paragraphs without the organizational and wording helps that IEW provides. It's a tool to get them started.

 

Both of mine used IEW in 3rd-7th grade and are excellent writers. My son is a sophomore in college with a 4.0 and has no problems cranking out all kinds of papers. I used to teach at the college he's going to, and his English professor told me that he was one of the best students she had ever had. My daughter did AP English Composition last year and is a teaching assistant for that class this year.