Anyone not do the "dress ups" in IEW?

[KIN]

I'm intrigued by IEW (just got my theme lessons in the mail today). However, I'm nervous about the dress ups mainly b/c SWB really dislikes them. :) Does anyone just skip that part?

[Melissa in CA]

When my older boys used IEW we didn't exactly skip the dress-ups, but I did not emphasis them as much as the program required. I think they have their purpose, and can be useful to liven up boring writing, but I don't think one needs to be so rigid in forcing them into each and every paragraph.

 

[ETA Your kids are still young...I say introduce some of the dress-ups that interest you, but overall just let your kids write and add in dress-ups if they choose too. ;)]

Edited March 9, 2009 by Melissa in CA

[Night Elf]

You could skip it if you like, or just choose which dress-ups to use and skip the others. I remember reading that SWB didn't like them. When I had IEW though, I thought the dress-ups helped my children's writing be more interesting.

[KIN]

Melissa -

 

Can you tell me why you are using WT2 now after using IEW? What made you switch? I can't decide which route to go next year, it's killing me!!!!!!!

[KIN]

Beth -

 

Why did you switch from IEW? I'm trying to learn from other people. :)

[Melissa in CA]

Melissa -

 

Can you tell me why you are using WT2 now after using IEW? What made you switch? I can't decide which route to go next year, it's killing me!!!!!!!

 

Kathy,

 

Well, I've never used IEW with my youngest. It's always been in the back of my mind as a possibility though. I really like WT2. Something about it just 'feels' right...and it's very easy to teach.

 

I actually recently posted a thread about IEW and CW, trying to decide where to go after WT2. I looked at samples of an IEW Theme-based book and thought it looked fabulous...but CW really intrigues me after using WT2!

 

At this point in time [this could very easily change tomorrow! :lol:] I am planning to move on to CW next year. I have even tossed around doing both CW and IEW next year and may actually try it if my schooling funds hold out. It might be nice to do one full lesson of CW and then take a break and work on an IEW one. Or perhaps just break every three or four CW lessons and add in an IEW one. I don't know actually, but I think that would be the very best of both worlds. ;)

 

Not to dissuade you from using IEW, but have you considered Writing Tales? I would think both your older two could do WT1 together. I find it very open and go.

[rafiki]

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[KIN]

children need more hand holding in how to add "more" to their writing. This gives them step by step how to. When they first learn the dress ups, they are to use them in every paragraph, but this is so they get used to using a variety of sentence styles. I believe it relaxes later on, if not, it's easy to change the "every paragraph" requirement to in "every composition".

 

While this IEW does sound formulaic, the child's personality still shows in their word choice, etc.. Have you taken a look at sample compositions children who have been taught via IEW wrote? They are excellent and personality does show through.

 

Michelle - I just got my theme book in the mail, so I'll have to look at it all a bit closer. I just know that SWB really dislikes the dress ups. :) I respect her writing, so it makes me question the dress up stuff. But, I hear what you are saying and I'll be reading my book over!

[Deanna in TN]

My son has done IEW for 3 years through outside classes. The only dress-up that I don't like being required is the who/which one. Sometimes you really have to work hard to get one in the paragrah, and you can tell you've worked really hard, if you know what I mean. He is sometiems allowed to do invisible who/which dress-ups which are much better.

[Heather in Neverland]

children need more hand holding in how to add "more" to their writing. This gives them step by step how to. When they first learn the dress ups, they are to use them in every paragraph, but this is so they get used to using a variety of sentence styles. I believe it relaxes later on, if not, it's easy to change the "every paragraph" requirement to in "every composition".

 

While this IEW does sound formulaic, the child's personality still shows in their word choice, etc.. Have you taken a look at sample compositions children who have been taught via IEW wrote? They are excellent and personality does show through.

 

:iagree: and I have a degree in English and taught AP English for many years. My ds used the dress-ups faithfully at first and weaned off of them as his own writing became stronger. And his personality did shine through even when I required them. IEW has made him a better all-around writer. If I was still teaching, I would use many of those ideas in my classes as it takes the "fear" out of writing.

[Night Elf]

Beth -

 

Why did you switch from IEW? I'm trying to learn from other people. :)

 

It was my DH's decision to put the kids back in K12. I really liked IEW and would have gladly stayed with it. My DH didn't like the eclectic mix of materials because I couldn't provide a structured planned program easily.

[AngieW in Texas]

I really like the dressups and openers in IEW, but I wouldn't require all of them to be in every paragraph. That's fine when you're first starting out and have only one or two dressups and openers, but by the time you have four or five, it gets to be too much.

 

I require my girls to have two different dressups and two different openers in each paragraph. I also require them to have every dressup and opener in at least two different paragraphs. Since their papers are usually 5 paragraphs, that allows plenty of freedom.

[Rhonda in TX]

I really like the dressups and openers in IEW, but I wouldn't require all of them to be in every paragraph. That's fine when you're first starting out and have only one or two dressups and openers, but by the time you have four or five, it gets to be too much.

 

I require my girls to have two different dressups and two different openers in each paragraph. I also require them to have every dressup and opener in at least two different paragraphs. Since their papers are usually 5 paragraphs, that allows plenty of freedom.

 

We're still learning all the dress-ups and openers and their assignments are not that long. By next year, though, they should get up to 5 paragraph papers and they will not be using them in every paragraph. I like this method of requiring variety, but not everything in every paragraph.

 

I know the dress-ups have really strenthened my DS's writing. I know SWB doesn't like them, but for kids like my DS, they teach him how to make his writing more interesting.

[MariaTX]

Heather, that was a great reply. I have used IEW off and on through the years. My boys needed that extra handholding (dress-ups) to learn to write, but now we don't try so hard to include them in their writing. Now we look for conciseness and clarity.

 

Thanks,

Maria in TX

[Pongo]

I think the dress-ups, decorations, openers is what makes the program. Without them it's just another writing program without any real tools to make the writing polished. I don't remember SWB not liking them. I remember reading something to the like of, feeling that you could spot an IEW paper because they sounded similar, maybe she was being nice and really didn't like them at all:). I will agree they do sound the same, but that's in the beginning. As they get older, you relax some of the techniques and you actually have them, at a fairly early stage take out the who/which clause.

 

They will learn clausal at an early age and by the time I teach middle/high school students, the requirements are relaxed and the paper sounds much more polished. Left to their own devices, most children will ALWAYS use the dress-up; because, but replacing a weak verb like "run" with a strong verb like "gallop" is more of a technique and not a wrote dress-up. Same with openers, most start with a subject opener, and young children almost always start with "I", because we all know they always write about themselves..lol. To teach "ing" openers and when, while, where, as ,if since , although openers , takes the paper to a higher level and that's the goal. To have them work at creating a writing sample that looks and sounds polished, stretch their vocabulary sometimes to the point of sounding forced but it gets better and they learn to use these techniques better and better every year.

Edited March 13, 2009 by Pongo

[Beth in SW WA]

I think the dress-ups, decorations, openers is what makes the program. Without them it's just another writing program without any real tools to make the writing polished.

 

:iagree:

That is the beauty of IEW. The dress-ups are key, imho.