IEW (and fix-it grammar) vs EIW

[displace]

I decided on EIW for DS for writing composition.  At the time, it seemed much more incremental than IEW and I was concerned IEW would be too fast or too much writing.  My problem is we're a third through third grade level and it's still discussing grammar and there hasn't been any composition yet (just picking some adjectives or whatever for a sentence, which I guess is a start).  In addition, I've stopped MCT because of the repetition.

 

I was scared of IEW but now rethinking my choice.  Is it easy to slow down if there is too much composition?  Like just a couple sentences a day of a paragraph and work up?  Does it assume any writing composition ability or starting from scratch?  DS still struggles with basic capitalization and punctuation sometimes.  

 

And I know fix it grammar is recommended often here.  Would that be better than MCT?  I feel DS knows that different types of words but just needs more daily practice on it.  I'm still researching fix-it grammar.  I feel I have a good idea how the IEW writing program works, but the fix-it grammar I'd like to understand better before deciding.  

[OneStepAtATime]

1.  Yes it is easy to slow down or speed up IEW.  Go as slow and as detailed as needed.  The system helps you do that.  Are you looking at SWI-A or TWSS-A?  Or both?

 

2.  As for Fix-It, if you need a program that does diagramming, this ain't it.  If you want lessons that take more than :15 minutes this won't fit the bill either unless you want to double up or quadruple the lessons or something along those lines.  If you want something that does a ton of drill and practice daily, then nope this won't work for you either.  What it does do is introduce everything very gently, with short lessons, and then review a lot over time as more things are slowly folded into the mix.  Easy to slow this down or accelerate it.  Lots of scaffolding but customizable.  The TM has a lot of extra info you can choose to share with your student if you feel they are ready.  Buy the TM and you have access to the student pages in pdf form for free.  Takes about 30-40 minutes to print out the pages and set up the Student notebook at the very beginning of each Book but after that daily lesson set up/prep is almost nothing at all.  Literally just sit down with your TM and your student with their notebook and just discuss the next thing.  Its all there, clearly laid out.  It can seem TOO light at first but honestly DD and DS needed that so they wouldn't feel overwhelmed.  Now they never argue over doing lessons.  And they are retaining the information.  :)  DD is in Book 3 and DS is in Book 1.

[Julie of KY]

IEW - it is easy to slow down as much as you want. 

[MerryAtHope]

Levels 1-6 in EIW spend half the year on grammar and half on composition, so if you don't want to continue grammar right now, just jump ahead to where the writing lessons start. Then you'll have a better feel for whether the instruction is a match. 

 

Levels 7 and up only have writing.

 

I've heard some good things about Fix-It Grammar, especially for kids who struggle. IEW seems to be a good match for many as well. It wasn't here, but I know it really helps a lot of kids. Sometimes you have to try a few things out to see what will work. 

[Guest]

This:

 

Sometimes you have to try a few things out to see what will work.

[OneStepAtATime]

 Sometimes you have to try a few things out to see what will work. 

And boy can that be a long, exhausting process!

 

My plan is to create a virtual holodeck for homeschoolers.  You can scan your children into the system so an exact virtual duplicate exists in the virtual world, along with virtual copies of various curriculum you would like to try.  You can practice on the virtual children in the holodeck before purchasing the real curriculum in the real world.  In the holodeck 5 hours is only 5 minutes in the real world so you can try out various curriculum over several months of virtual time and still have time for a nap ever time you enter.  :)  

 

As soon as it is finished I will let all of you be beta testers.  

[displace]

I think, after viewing CAP writing and rhetoric, I may start with that.  I was going to do IEW and then DIY with writing samples from books, but it sounds like a lot of work, and the CAP samples look good.  I think it is just trial and error for most curriculum.  It's just another drop in the bucket.  I hate "wasting" time switching, but at least I know when things aren't working out.  

 

I can help with input on the curriculum program.  We've tried so many.  

[displace]

Or maybe I'll do IEW teacher's course and the fable supplement from them...

 

 

 

[OneStepAtATime]

Or maybe I'll do IEW teacher's course and the fable supplement from them...

I wish I knew something about CAP to help with a comparison.  I never used it.

 

 As for IEW, TWSS is great but the Fable supplement would help you with having ready made source material.  I strongly recommend that you watch the first few lessons of TWSS before starting the program so you can really wrap your head around it.  Try to stay ahead by at least one lesson once you do start.  Carve out some time every weekend.  

 

What worked best here was doing the first lesson of each section together, usually brainstorming on a dry erase board, then work through additional practice more independently.  

 

Also, I was not militant about having to add in every single dress up for every single paragraph once we got the flow going but I did have them work through it until they were comfortable understanding what was meant by each of the terms and where and why something like that might help.

 

The Key Word Outline seemed weird at first and the kids resisted.  They didn't get it and got frustrated, especially with the limit of only 3 words per sentence.  I started doing my own ahead of time to make sure I was comfortable with the process myself and I scaffolded like crazy for the first few assignments (as Pudewa strongly encourages).  We did everything together until they were more solid.  Things started to click.  The structure made things more manageable.  The whole system started to make more sense to them (and to me).  DD is further along than DS (she started sooner) and actually does well with this program.  She needed concrete, clearly laid out structure and this system definitely provided it.  It is helping a ton with her writing and her analysis of material.  I think the system is actually quite brilliant but it can seem stifling at first.  Not anymore.  It is even helping me and I never had any issues with writing in school.

 

SWI has actually helped more than TWSS, though.  DD didn't want me teaching her directly.  I watch TWSS because it helps me be a better facilitator but DD prefers to watch Pudewa's instruction through SWI herself.  I just review what he said and break things down further as needed.

[Heathermomster]

My DD is 3rd grade too. My emphasis this year has been reading, math facts, and sorting her handwriting issues. I used CAP with my DD and found it rather unchallenging. We quit using it, and she writes beginning-middle-ends from our literature. CAP's writing instructions are not overly explicit like IEW.

 

Next year, I may wind up using TWSS with a theme book. We use Well-Ordered Language and love it!

 

My son used IEW with an O-G and IEW certified tutor for two years. I detested the experience; however, DS is a very good writer now. The best thing about IEW is the money back guarantee. If you don't like it, send it back.

[displace]

Well, I ended up buying WriteShop.  I'm so undecided. :lol:  And I took to heart the point of the prior post: usually you just have to try things.  I get in a holding pattern trying to find a perfect fit for curriculum instead of just biting the bullet and getting something and working on it and then changing when needed.  I won't know what is good or not if I don't try anything.  I didn't love EIW (and I even looked ahead to the actual composition part and still don't think it'll work for us).  

 

 

[importswim]

I wish I knew something about CAP to help with a comparison.  I never used it.

 

 As for IEW, TWSS is great but the Fable supplement would help you with having ready made source material.  I strongly recommend that you watch the first few lessons of TWSS before starting the program so you can really wrap your head around it.  Try to stay ahead by at least one lesson once you do start.  Carve out some time every weekend.  

 

What worked best here was doing the first lesson of each section together, usually brainstorming on a dry erase board, then work through additional practice more independently.  

 

Also, I was not militant about having to add in every single dress up for every single paragraph once we got the flow going but I did have them work through it until they were comfortable understanding what was meant by each of the terms and where and why something like that might help.

 

The Key Word Outline seemed weird at first and the kids resisted.  They didn't get it and got frustrated, especially with the limit of only 3 words per sentence.  I started doing my own ahead of time to make sure I was comfortable with the process myself and I scaffolded like crazy for the first few assignments (as Pudewa strongly encourages).  We did everything together until they were more solid.  Things started to click.  The structure made things more manageable.  The whole system started to make more sense to them (and to me).  DD is further along than DS (she started sooner) and actually does well with this program.  She needed concrete, clearly laid out structure and this system definitely provided it.  It is helping a ton with her writing and her analysis of material.  I think the system is actually quite brilliant but it can seem stifling at first.  Not anymore.  It is even helping me and I never had any issues with writing in school.

 

SWI has actually helped more than TWSS, though.  DD didn't want me teaching her directly.  I watch TWSS because it helps me be a better facilitator but DD prefers to watch Pudewa's instruction through SWI herself.  I just review what he said and break things down further as needed.

Thank you for this reply! We have been doing modified IEW this year with what I remember from our co-op (I don't have the TWSS) and using our own source material. I have the money this next year to purchase either the TWSS or the SWI and I was leaning towards the SWI as DS would probably prefer the instruction from Pudewa. I'm glad to hear that the SWI alone worked for you!