Where to Start with IEW in 2020 (Institute for Excellence in Writing)
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- čas přidán 22. 08. 2020
- If you are interested in the Institute for Excellence in writing and don't know where to start, I will explain everything you need to know to begin! Do you need the parent training materials? What is the difference between the video lessons and themed books? What package is best? All this and more! Also, be sure to look in the links below for reviews and looks inside various IEW products.
Review: Structure and Style for Students Level A:
• IEW's Structure and St...
Review: Structure and Style for Students Level B:
• IEW's Structure and St...
Review: IEW Bible Heroes:
• IEW Bible Heroes Review
IEW’s 9 Units:
• What Are IEW's 9 Units?
Free Writing Lessons:
iew.com/affiliate/324198/webf...
SSS A Basic Package:
iew.com/affiliate/324198/node...
SSS A Premier Package:
iew.com/affiliate/324198/node...
SSS B Basic Package:
iew.com/affiliate/324198/node...
SSS B Premier Package:
iew.com/affiliate/324198/node...
SSS Main Page:
iew.com/affiliate/324198/sss
Bible Heroes:
iew.com/affiliate/324198/shop...
Disclaimer: Some links included in this description are affiliate links. If you click on the links provided it lets IEW know that you found this video helpful, so they will continue to send me their products to review. This allows me to continue to make more videos! If you purchase a product from the link provided, I may receive a small commission at no additional charge to you. Thanks for supporting my channel!
your videos are officially my favorite! This helped me so much. I am still trying to decide if I should do the teacher intensive though. Its a lot of $
Oh my gosh, this is so helpful! I’ve been waffling about IEW because I found their site and product descriptions so difficult to parse. This makes it all make so much more sense. Thanks!
I'm so glad this helped!
So much info! Thank you- I finally understand what I need to do!
So glad! :) :)
Thank you for your wonderful review and informative video. I purchased All Things Fun and Fascinating. As a new homeschooling mom am I over my head we have not done any previous IEW curriculum. I am currently watching a video they provided with this purchase.
Hi! I don’t think you will be over your head at all! I love all things fun and fascinating and think it is very well written and user-friendly. Just be sure to go at the pace that is comfortable for your child! Don’t stress if you get hung up on unit three as well. Many parents and children find that one tricky but I have a video on that specifically, and even if you just do one of the unit three lessons and go on to unit four, you would be good to go! I hope it goes very well for you!
This video has help me make my decision about IEW, thank you so much.
Wonderful!!! 😄
I just want to say thank you. I ordered IEW a year ago, but when everything arrived, it just felt overwhelming. Which is silly...After watching several of your videos, I finally felt like I had a better handle on the program, and we finally jumped in, and I am amazed at the progress my son is making. So thank you!
I don't think it's silly at all that you were overwhelmed at first because I felt the EXACT same way! My first IEW curriculum sat on my shelf for months before we finally jumped in. I'm so happy you took the plunge and that it's going well for you and your son!!!
@@karlacanon2507 im glad im not the only one who has struggled with the amount of curriculum. I'm happy they're so well rounded. but i feel like in need to take the class because i still feel lost when looking at everything. how every book and online source works together. i really want this to work :/
@@danagarner7798 The Teaching Writing with Style and Structure for parents/teachers might be the perfect thing for you then! Also, I think if you just dive into the program, it does become more clear! :)
Thank you for this!! I’m switching this year with all 4 of my students… I was having a hard time understanding what teachers materials I really needed for each Sss. Seems I only need one of the teachers courses and the rest I can do only the basic set. I appreciate your recommendation on the Bible hero’s, sounds like a perfect fit for my 8 year old son to get started. For a junior in high school who has never done this curriculum would you still recommend C year one? Thank you again. I’ll be viewing more of your videos! 💕🙏🏼
Such a great, informative video! Thanks so much!
Thank you for commenting!! :)
Hi there Karla, thank you so much for all of your videos. They have been so helpful to me. So, I am sitting on the floor watching your videos and reorganizing and going through all the things. We used to be in CC and I am realizing that I have the TWSS and a theme based book from being in Essentials. I also have the SWI , the first level that I purchased once we decided not to continue with CC 🙆🏾♀️. But when I purchased it, I quickly realized I wasn’t ready to teach it because it kept not getting done 🤦🏾♀️. We would dabble here and there but ultimately I found something else that we loved and still do. Fast forward and now I am bringing my other son along for this ride and I want to start them both with IEW this go around. I don’t know why I have such a strange block in my head with this program and I promise I love this program 🤷🏾♀️. I feel like I need you with me . IJS but I am kinda serious 🤣😳 this is my help me face 😳🙆🏾♀️
Oh my goodness, I'm in the same boat. We left CC and have books from Essentials and a medieval theme. I'm having such a hard time wrapping my head around IEW. I heard something about 3 months free. Let me finish this video and check out there site.
I totally get where you are coming from!! I had IEW on my shelf for over a year before I finally cracked it because it kept overwhelming me! I just had to force myself, which sounds silly now, but once I did, we fell in love with the program. Watch the first video of the TWSS, then do the SWI with both your children, and JUST do the assignments that correspond to the video lessons. There are tons of practice assignments built in, and you could do one or two if you feel they need extra practice, but it can get repetitive. Also, in the SWI be sure to pay close attention where to start and stop the video. That can be tricky but it does say the exact time stamp on the lesson page. Once you all feel comfortable with units 1 and 2 (making an outline and writing from it) move on the the story sequence chart, and you watch the next video in the TWSS. I also have 3 videos JUST on unit 3 if you get stuck. You can totally do it!!! :)
Karla Canon Thank you sweet lady . I am taking my notes. I am so gonna follow your sage advice. I will let you know how we are doing. Blessings to you
@@sha-toinaswint2152 Please let me know how it goes!! It's so fun to get updates!
@@karlacanon2507 I think we need a video that shows us how to set everything up once it arrives and how a lesson works. I felt so overwhelmed just reading the teacher's manual and trying to figure out how I was going to teach this to my sons 😫
Very informative. Thank you!
Thank you so much for creating this video, it was very helpful. My son is entering the 5th grade this year and is a very reluctant writer. All his writing assignments begin with anxiety and frustration. Eventually, it ends with him realizing he can successfully complete the assignment, but he continues to reiterate how much he hates writing. We have never used the IEW program, but I am hopeful that the IEW way will help build his confidence and maybe change his attitude about writing. Since he detest writing, would you recommend we start with the less intensive theme based Fables, Myths, and Fairytales for 5th grade and then start SSS Level B Year 1 in 6th grade? Or would the video-based SSS Level A year 1 be the best option?
So helpful! Thank-you!
Love your IEW videos!! They are truly helpful to understanding the program! I noticed you said to use Bible Heroes for 3rd-4th grade (which I will be following your recommendation for my youngest). Do you think all the levels might be a bit advanced? I ask because we started IEW this year using a themed book and I got TWSS for myself to be able to teach it. Next year I want to do SSS; they’ll be 7th and 9th. One rep told me to do SSS 1B and one said SSS 2B. And of course my 9th grader could do SSS 1C according to IEW. But in terms of level B, is it really necessary to start at year 1 if we have done a themed book do you think? Would SSS 1B be too young for my 9th grader or like Bible Heroes for 3rd-4th, it will still be a good pace? I appreciate your thoughts and experience!!
Hi there! Good questions! So I do think that IEW levels are advanced overall. I feel level B is perfectly great for your 9th grader, and some of the assignments may feel long to your 7th grader. My son is going into 7th grade and I know we will work through B slowly. Did you make it through all the units in your theme book? That is what I would base your decision on whether to do SSS 1B or 2B. Year 2 will move through things more quickly with the assumption that the students have done year 1 and have prior knowledge and practice with the units. That being said, there is still lots of review and great instruction. For example, my son grew up doing IEW, and was much happier this year with SSS 2A vs 1A because he already knew about the units, so he liked that it moved through things more quickly.
Thank you so much for this video!!
We currently use The Good and the Beautiful Language Arts. Would TWSS replace that or will it just replace the writing portion? I have a 4th grader and 5th grader.
Hello! So TWSS is for the parent/instructor to learn how to teach IEW. The Structure and Style for Students is the video lessons for kids. I would go with the SSS Year 1, Level A for your age of kids! That will take care of all writing concepts and projects that you would need for a whole year or even more depending how quickly you move through it!
Thank you so much for all of your informative videos!
I have decided to switch to IEW this fall. I will have a 3rd and 5th grader. I would like to start them together on the same program if possible. Would Bible Heroes be too easy for my 5th grader? Should I start both of them on All Things Fun and Fascinating? Do you have any suggestions?
Thank you so very much!
I LOVE All Things Fun and Fascinating! It makes total sense you wanting to do both of your kids together, so I would go with that one. I think Bible Heroes would likely be too easy for your 5th graders. You can do the lessons with them together for All Things Fun and Fascinating, and then just modify how much you have your third grader write. You could have them write the first half of the assignment, and then dictate the second half, switch off and on with the child writing a sentence and you writing one, or anything like that! That way you can work with both kids together, and just help the youngest more with the writing portion of it. That's what I would do anyway! :)
Such a great video - thank you! I have a child in 3rd grade, and I want to start with Bible Heroes. I have never done IEW before, so do I still do Structure and style for students or should I just jump in Bible Heroes?
Jump right into Bible Heroes! It is great for grades 3 - 4, and the perfect introduction to IEW for both you and your child.
Hi Karla, thank you so much for your videos on IEW, they have been so helpful (actually beyond helpful!). We have been using SSS Level A year 1 and Fix it! Grammar for half the year already and we are loving it. I am starting to prepare for the High School years. You often comment that one could do Level A or Level B year 1 over two years, and i think that would be great for Grade 7 and 8 - do you agree? Besides Fix It! Grammar and suitable Grade level reading, would you add anything to make it a complete course? Or would you say it already is?
And do you have any advice regarding IEW and High School? I have seen they have a Level C… would i just continue with that and Fix It? Do you know if that would be enough for complete credits and college prep? Thank you for your help!
Hi Vicky! So we are just entering the high school years here in our house! We have used IEW for many years now, and I feel what you described up above is a very complete course. We just got the SSS Level C, Year 1, and are diving into that this year. It's a similar structure the previous courses, but it really takes it to the next level. We are only on week 3 but so far I think it's going to be fantastic. The only other thing I would suggest before high school, and it's definitely not something you would have to do, is to have your child take an essay writing class on Outschool. IEW will prepare them for this, but my daughter took a 4 week class this spring, and it was nice for her to hear similar things from a different source. We also enjoyed getting feedback on her writing from someone other than me! I will plan to shoot a video all about the SSS Level C this spring and talk more about the high school years. It's exciting and a little scary too! :)
Do you have all or most of the themed books that you could do a flip-through with? I have early elementary through high school.
I have quite a few so I can try to do a video like that one day! I was trying to shoot a video this weekend and had all kinds of technical difficulties! Hopefully this week will be smoother. :)
Hi. Thank you for creating this video. So thorough and helpful. I do have a question though, do we really need to go through SS Level A Year 1 or we could go to SS Level A Year 2? My sons are 10.
I would really recommend starting with year 1! Year 2 assumes you have done year 1 and have a foundational understanding of how the program works. I think it would be really confusing to jump in at year 2 unless your sons previously had a lots of experience with IEW.
So if we are new we can do SSS yr 1 level B and then go straight to the theme books or do we need to do year 1 & 2 first and then move onto the theme book?
Either way! You can move on to the theme books after year 1, OR you can go on and do year 2! It will depend if you prefer to have more video instruction, or like the idea of theme books and decide to do one of those. We have enjoyed both over the years!
Hi! I'll have a 2nd and 4th grader this Fall (and a Kinder, pre-schooler and toddler under foot). What would you suggest I start with that I could do with both older kids -- the Style and Structure for Students level 1, Bible Heros, or All Things Fascinating? So many great options. I was leaning toward Structure and Style to get a handle on the program (we're new to IEW), but after watching your video I wonder if Bible Heros would be a better place to start? But then should I make it a one year program for my 4th grader? I also think my kids would enjoy the All Things Fascinating topic. Hm. Thoughts? Then I wonder if we start with a Topic, when would we do the Structure and Style for Students? Also, do you think Fix It Grammar would be appropriate for them both, or just my 4th grader? Sorry for so many questions. Thanks for your thoughts!
Lots of options for sure! If you want to do something with your 2nd and 4th grader, I would do Bible Heroes! In my opinion the SSS would be way too much for both of them. You could do Bible Heroes over a year for your oldest, and just leave out some of the assignments as there are multiple weeks to practice the same skill. I don't start IEW until my kids are in 3rd grade, but I appreciate that you want to teach them together. I would just help your 2nd grader a TON, and allow them to dictate to you their own words, and complete many of the assignments as copywork. Fix it would be just fine for your 4th grader but I wouldn't do it with anyone younger. Hope that helps!
Does this system lend itself to a classroom setting? I am thinking about offering writing classes and would like to implement this program but not sure about logistics. Is it possible for a family to buy just the books w/o DVDs? Would it even be feasible to purchase whatever they need from IEW plus pay a teacher???
Yes, this works wonderfully in a classroom setting! You can see an example of that here at this link! iew.com/affiliate/324198/intro-iew/working-iew-materials/what-does-lesson-look
Hi. I’ll be homeschooling my daughter in the fall. She will be in grade 6. She’s been in public school since kindergarten but struggles with organizing idea for writing. Where should I start her? In the grade 6 or lower?
Thank you for sharing. Can I just clarify, We can start IEW with no prior experience with Bible Heroes or All Things Fun and Fascinating WITHOUT doing the one year of Structure & Style for Students or the Teaching writing and structure course?
Yes, that's exactly right! Bible Heroes and All Things Fun and Fascinating are both great ways to start with IEW, and are much easier than the Structure and Style for Students, in the level of writing expected, etc. The SSS is wonderful because of the video instruction, but I wouldn't do that program with a child younger than 5th grade.
If I were to start my girls on bible stories, would I need to also add in fix it grammar? Right now we are doing fix it grammar as a family.
Hello! You certainly can do whatever you think is the best fit for your family! I did Bible Heroes with my son over two years, when he was in grades 3 and 4. When my kids are young I use Easy Grammar Daily Guided Review Grade 2 over a couple years (pink book, NOT a grade two level, best suited for grades 3 through 5) , and then they do the first Fix It Grammar book in grade 5 or 6. That has worked well for us because I prefer to take a gentle approach to grammar, including some instruction and practice, and then just lots of gentle reminders about applicable rules as they are writing (what to capitalize, appropriate punctuation, etc).
Hello. I really appreciated this video and also the other video that goes into details about this program itself. I looked over the student sample and saw certain literature books in the course outline. Are those books provided or are they to be gotten by the parent? Also are the books a suggestion and maybe other books can be used? I would like to purchase the premier package but want to make sure I have everything I will need to properly teach my students. Whenever you’re available, I would appreciate some input on this topic. Thank you.
The literature books listed are suggestions. They do not come with the program. They are often good books, but you could have your students read them or any other book as the lessons don't tie in with them. I would get books that suit the interests of your children, as developing a love of reading is one of my top priorities!
@@karlacanon2507 I completely understand. I will look into getting books that interest them instead. So just to be clear, the literature section of the course is an addition to everything else but the students aren’t tested on the material that the literature consist of?
@@sadiejessabiz Yes, that's right!
@@karlacanon2507 Thank you for that clarification. I appreciate you for replying so quickly.
If I do the iew ss for my 4th grader with fix it Grammer. Do I also need to add a spelling and a literature? Can I use it as a complete language arts?
SSS and fix it will be a very complete LA program! As far as literature, I would just recommend finding and reading books that you all enjoy! The Read Aloud Revival has great book suggestions. We do some copywork for spelling, and IEW has an easy to use spelling program as well, but you wouldn't have to add it. We don't do spelling as a subject every single year. I would encourage you with a 4th grader that the SSS and Fix It could easily take 2 years to complete, so enjoy it and take your time!
I have a First grader and a fifth grader, if I start with the student ss package are there differences for age? Would I need to get two at different levels? Can I buy one then add something for each level or how can I use it with both my children?
Hello! The SSS Level A, Year 1 is the perfect place to start with your 5th grade child. Depending on the child, you could do that over one or two years. I just encourage you to find a pace that works for you. IEW is fantastic but I don't recommend starting it until your youngest is in at least 3rd grade. In grades 1 and 2 we do a lot of copywork, and focus on printing neatly, forming letters properly, etc. In grade 3 I start the IEW Bible Heroes, and then do that over the course of grade 3 and 4.
This video was really helpful! I am a little unsure of one thing... so if my son does Structure and style level B year 1 for his 8th grade year... then for 9th grade does level C.. what does he do for the rest of his high school years? Repeat the same course each year? I would appreciate any help you can give this poor confused mama. lol!
Hello! If he starts with SSS B, Year 1, he could do Year 2 the following year. There are also two years for level C! After doing one of the video courses, there are also lots of theme books you could choose from as well! The other thing you may find is that it takes more than one year to complete the Structure and Style for Students, and that's okay too!
I have heard this program is very teacher intensive. Do you feel this way? Thanks, Shell
You can be as involved or not involved as you choose, especially with older kids. I know parents who have gotten the video lessons, handed them to their children, and told them to go for it! They make sure they are doing the lessons, and look at their finished assignments, and that's about it. I'm pretty involved because I only have three kids and I enjoy it, but it can be pretty independent as well.
We are new to IEW and are wondering where to start our 8th and 9th grader.... any suggestions? Thank you!
Hello! I would start them both with the Structure and Style for Students Level B, Year 1. You would just need to get an extra student binder so they each have their own! iew.com/affiliate/324198/node/20458
I have a 4th and 6th grader. This is our first year with IEW, not our first year homeschooling. What do you recommend for them?
I would use All Things Fun and Fascinating for your 4th grader, and Structure and Style of Students, Level A, Year 1 for your 6th grader. :)
So many options! I have a 9th grader and I’m wanting her to work on writing papers . Then 2 5th graders - one dyslexia that needs grammar and paragraph support and a 3rd grader. Recommendations please!!😊
Hello! I would get level B or C of the Structure and Style for students for your 9th grader. See if she prefers a challenge, then get the higher level, or less overwhelm, get level B, either would be fine! I would get All Things Fun and Fascinating, and use it with both 5th graders, and modify it to make it simpler for your 3rd grader (they can do less writing, dictate some to you, do some of the assignment as copywork etc.) and that way you can work with the three of them together!
IEW should pay you for this video. I almost went with a different curriculum until I seen your video.
Aaww, thank you! Glad it helped you make a decision!
Is the new teaching course the same as the old teaching course?
The Teaching Writing With Structure and Style is the same as it has been for awhile now. It was the Student Writing Intensives that were replaced by Structure and Style for Students.
@@karlacanon2507 if I bought the dvd's used, would the new SSS books go along with those old DVD's?
@@lisabirdwell8582 No I'm sorry, they are completely different. You used to be able to purchase a PDF version to go with the old SWI DVDs from IEW directly, but I'm not sure if this is still an option, but it may be worth checking out.
Any tips for teaching two kids two years apart? They’re too young to start right now, but I’m starting to think about the next couple years in a broad way. I would like to teach IEW, but I would prefer to just teach from one set if I can instead of having them do different things.
I think you can absolutely make it work for kids of different ages! I would just have the younger one do less writing (shorten the assignment) or dictate some of the assignment to you. The concepts work for multiple ages, and you can tweak the amount of writing to suit each child. :)
This sounds interesting, however I am so confused. The website is overwhelming.
Yes! I have tons of videos on IEW so hopefully they will help break it down!
@@karlacanon2507 Thank you. I am new to homeschooling