RhondaM. Posted February 23, 2008 Share Posted February 23, 2008 My 9th grader/15 yr old really struggles with any type of writing. Over the years we've tried Writing Strands, Wordsmith, PTIW and CW (Aesop B & Homer A) and lessons in R&S. I'm really hoping IEW may be the answer. Where would we start? What do I need to buy to get started with someone his age? (I'll take all the handholding I can get.) Thanks very much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mama25angels Posted February 23, 2008 Share Posted February 23, 2008 Well, you would definitly need the TWSS and you could use the SWI C with Andrew Pudewa teaching the lessons or you could get one of the themed lesson sets. I bought the TWSS, there are workshop CD's in your set that you could have your DS watch and see if he'd prefer to have the SWI. Join the email loop as well, those women are a wealth of knowledge and there are plans in the files section as well as at the IEW site. HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MIch elle Posted February 23, 2008 Share Posted February 23, 2008 nt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RhondaM. Posted February 23, 2008 Author Share Posted February 23, 2008 Well, you would definitly need the TWSS and you could use the SWI C with Andrew Pudewa teaching the lessons or you could get one of the themed lesson sets. I bought the TWSS, there are workshop CD's in your set that you could have your DS watch and see if he'd prefer to have the SWI. Join the email loop as well, those women are a wealth of knowledge and there are plans in the files section as well as at the IEW site. HTH My dh is on the way to our local homeschool store to get both TWSS and SWI C. I'm going to spend some time with it this evening and tomorrow and hopefully will be able to get started with it Monday. Thanks for your help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RhondaM. Posted February 23, 2008 Author Share Posted February 23, 2008 I've looked over the samples of these, and they do look good. If I like this program I will most probably be using the History Based Writing Lessons in the future. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grace is Sufficient Posted February 23, 2008 Share Posted February 23, 2008 I have an almost 15 year old 9th grader who sounds a lot like you're describing! We had no success with Writing Strands or Understanding Writing, and some success with PTIW. (His biggest problem is that he writes like he talks -- in the fewest possible words using fewest possible syllables... sigh.) In March we're trying an online writing class, and for next year, I've got PTIW 2 and IEW's The Elegant Essay, and I may keep trying online classes. So, I'd love to know if IEW works for you. I hope it does! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RhondaM. Posted February 23, 2008 Author Share Posted February 23, 2008 I have an almost 15 year old 9th grader who sounds a lot like you're describing! We had no success with Writing Strands or Understanding Writing, and some success with PTIW. (His biggest problem is that he writes like he talks -- in the fewest possible words using fewest possible syllables... sigh.) In March we're trying an online writing class, and for next year, I've got PTIW 2 and IEW's The Elegant Essay, and I may keep trying online classes. So, I'd love to know if IEW works for you. I hope it does! I'll post back later with an update. I've listened to a bit of TWSS and SWI C and it looks great! He is very easy and enjoyable to listen to. My 6th grader ...who does not struggle with writing, but who does need help with organization, liked what he saw too. I think this just might work. As much as I personally like CW, this looks like something the kids will respond to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StaceyinLA Posted February 25, 2008 Share Posted February 25, 2008 I ordered the SWI-C as well for my 7th-11th graders. We have really slacked in this area and I received some of this same input when I posted a question a few weeks ago. I did some research, and ordered the SWI-C. I have access to TWSS on video to watch, and we did do IEW in a co-op years ago. Anyway, I don't think you can go wrong with this. I'm just loving the idea because I'm going to have 4 between these ages doing the program (I am home schooling a friend's dd right now too) and I think this is going to be VERY helpful for us all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RhondaM. Posted February 25, 2008 Author Share Posted February 25, 2008 I ordered the SWI-C as well for my 7th-11th graders. We have really slacked in this area and I received some of this same input when I posted a question a few weeks ago. I did some research, and ordered the SWI-C. I have access to TWSS on video to watch, and we did do IEW in a co-op years ago. Anyway, I don't think you can go wrong with this. I'm just loving the idea because I'm going to have 4 between these ages doing the program (I am home schooling a friend's dd right now too) and I think this is going to be VERY helpful for us all! Thanks Stacey. We just finished watching the first lesson minutes ago. My 6th and 9th grader both wrote the KWO and paper. And it was painless! They love IEW! After they were done my 9th grader insisted that we continue so we listened to him explain the story sequence chart. My ds is not off trying to plan his own story from scratch using this chart. Needless to say, I am very excited about this. I think I have finally found what will work around here! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quiver0f10 Posted February 25, 2008 Share Posted February 25, 2008 I ordered the SWI-C as well for my 7th-11th graders. We have really slacked in this area and I received some of this same input when I posted a question a few weeks ago. I did some research, and ordered the SWI-C. I have access to TWSS on video to watch, and we did do IEW in a co-op years ago. Anyway, I don't think you can go wrong with this. I'm just loving the idea because I'm going to have 4 between these ages doing the program (I am home schooling a friend's dd right now too) and I think this is going to be VERY helpful for us all! I ordered SWI C today too! LOL I am really hoping this is a good fit for my 15 yo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bev in B'ville Posted February 25, 2008 Share Posted February 25, 2008 What is it, exactly and is there a website I can visit to see it? It sounds intriguing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bev in B'ville Posted February 25, 2008 Share Posted February 25, 2008 What is it exactly and is there a website where I can see it? It sounds intriguing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RhondaM. Posted February 26, 2008 Author Share Posted February 26, 2008 What is it exactly and is there a website where I can see it? It sounds intriguing Well, I just started using it today so I can't reallyu tell you about it...but... TWSS is Teaching Writing: Structure & Style SWI is Student Writing Intensive Both are products of IEW (Institute for Excellence in Writing) You can visit their website and learn more at: http://www.excellenceinwriting.com/ Look under products, then writing. There is also a fabulous yahoo group..not sure of the name...I think it might be IEWfamilies. Hope this helps some. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Posted February 26, 2008 Share Posted February 26, 2008 My 9th grader/15 yr old really struggles with any type of writing. Over the years we've tried Writing Strands, Wordsmith, PTIW and CW (Aesop B & Homer A) and lessons in R&S. I'm really hoping IEW may be the answer. Where would we start? What do I need to buy to get started with someone his age? (I'll take all the handholding I can get.) Thanks very much. A couple of words of advice.... Don't get bogged down in the Writing with Pictures unit. I've been using IEW methods for three years now and still find that unit goofy and confusing. Maybe it is just me. :rolleyes: My son began to see the light his SECOND year of using IEW. Don't worry about it if they don't make huge leaps the first year. This year, our third, I'm seeing some of this become a part of him. Revising is still a weak area and I hope we can work on that in the coming months. We use the DVDs only as a review and reference these days. Write, revise, re-write! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RhondaM. Posted February 26, 2008 Author Share Posted February 26, 2008 A couple of words of advice.... Don't get bogged down in the Writing with Pictures unit. I've been using IEW methods for three years now and still find that unit goofy and confusing. Maybe it is just me. :rolleyes: My son began to see the light his SECOND year of using IEW. Don't worry about it if they don't make huge leaps the first year. This year, our third, I'm seeing some of this become a part of him. Revising is still a weak area and I hope we can work on that in the coming months. We use the DVDs only as a review and reference these days. Write, revise, re-write! Advice on the picture writing taken. I'm sure we won't see huge leaps here either this year. However I am really encouraged. My 6th grader sat down this morning (with a funny book he has called 'Oh Yuck! The Encyclopedia of Everything Nasty') and wrote a KWO and a paper from it without hardly any prompting. I handed my 9th grader his paper to outline along with instructions on outlining 3 topics from history and he didn't blink an eye. He is just doing it without complaining. Watching the CD made the lesson so clear to them that they now realize how easy it is. Already that is a huge leap. I am very excited! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momee Posted February 26, 2008 Share Posted February 26, 2008 Good luck with it. Quiver - I still have the TWSS disks if you need to borrow them but I don't think you'll need to with the SWI-C disks. IEW has made writing instruction and correction!!!!! painless (well, not painless but less painfull) for us. It's a resource we continually pull from anytime we have problems - even with some simple note taking strategies we rewatched the KWO info again and it clicked as to how he could better streamline his history notes for a difficult book he's reading there. Enjoy it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted February 26, 2008 Share Posted February 26, 2008 Couldn't help jumping in to say that Oh, Yuck! is a great book. There is another titled Oh, Yikes!: History's Grossest Moments also by Joy Masoff that is equally good. See: http://www.amazon.com/Oh-Yikes-Historys-Grossest-Moments/dp/0761136843 Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quiver0f10 Posted February 26, 2008 Share Posted February 26, 2008 Good luck with it.Quiver - I still have the TWSS disks if you need to borrow them but I don't think you'll need to with the SWI-C disks. IEW has made writing instruction and correction!!!!! painless (well, not painless but less painfull) for us. It's a resource we continually pull from anytime we have problems - even with some simple note taking strategies we rewatched the KWO info again and it clicked as to how he could better streamline his history notes for a difficult book he's reading there. Enjoy it. Thanks for the offer! I will email you if I get bogged down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RhondaM. Posted February 26, 2008 Author Share Posted February 26, 2008 Couldn't help jumping in to say that Oh, Yuck! is a great book. There is another titled Oh, Yikes!: History's Grossest Moments also by Joy Masoff that is equally good. See: http://www.amazon.com/Oh-Yikes-Historys-Grossest-Moments/dp/0761136843 Regards, Kareni Kareni, I've seen this book several times at B&N and have almost picked it up. I really ought to get it as they have had such fun with Oh, Yuck. Thanks for reminding me of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan P. Posted March 2, 2008 Share Posted March 2, 2008 I'm piggybacking on your question. Does anyone have a good schedule to use TWSS. I only have the old video set. I don't know if that makes a difference. I have tried to implement it with my 9th grader, but having difficulty knowing how to schedule it. If I can't figure it out soon, then I'm going back to Writing Strands. Thanks, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MIch elle Posted March 2, 2008 Share Posted March 2, 2008 nt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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