IEW - Review

As a homeschooling mom, I have struggled for years with trying to find a writing curriculum that would both instruct and engage my kids.  Until now, most programs I have tried have instructed, but the instruction was strictly old school book and paper and pen.  When I was given Institute for Excellence in Writing’s (IEW) Student Writing Intensive Level C (SWI) to use for this review, I discovered a vastly different writing curriculum.  Along with the SWI program, I received the Teaching Writing: Structure and Style (TWSS) set which is for instructors (in any educational setting). 

     IEW is the brain-child of Andrew Pudewa.  The courses are based on a seminar originally taught by Dr. James Webster. With his blessing, Pudewa has developed his seminar courses so they can be used as a comprehensive writing curriculum.  When my products arrived, I dug in to the TWSS set.  I have my degree in English, and have taught for many years; however, I have never seen writing presented in the way Pudewa presents it.  The TWSS set contains 10 dvd’s and a seminar notebook complete with all needed handouts.  It retails for $169.00.  After following the directions to organize the notebook, using TWSS was as simple as putting the dvd in my computer and following along in my notebook.  Since I am a relative newcomer to IEW, going through the TWSS was extremely informative.  The dvd’s show Mr. Pudewa in a seminar interacting with participants.  It makes you feel like you are actually at one of his seminar’s. Although it takes a few hours to complete the entire TWSS, it is invaluable for learning how to teach writing using the IEW curriculum. 

     Once I completed my training, I was ready to let my son begin his SWI.  He is working in Level C, which is designed for students in grades 9-12, whether or not they have had previous IEW instruction.  The SWI set contains the DVD lessons, the  student handouts, a student binder, and daily lesson suggestions for the teacher/parent. It retails for $109.00. A value package containing both the TWSS and SWI is available for $249.00. It is a very easy-to-implement curriculum.  Being in 11th grade, my son is very independent in his work; so, I simply had to show him how the system worked and he has been able to take off with it.  He watches the appropriate lesson segment on Monday of each week and then uses the rest of the week to complete the assignments.  Typically, the assignments include things like writing a key word outline from an existing passage, re-writing the passage from the key word outline, and using ‘dress-ups’ to improve the quality of the written work.  Messy papers before the final notebook copy are encouraged.  I think that fact alone won my son over!  He is the type of writer who scribbles out instead of erasing.  (A trait that drives mom crazy!)  With IEW, however, it is ok to allow the mark outs and scribbles as the creative process is taking place.  A checklist for assignment requirements is given which  makes grading very quick and easy.  I can see great improvement not only in my son’s writing after 6 weeks of lessons, but also in his ability to pick out important information and take notes.  His observational skills are being honed along with his writing and editing skills.  This learning process has impacted him in many areas beyond just writing.

     Our experience with SWI and TWSS has been so positive that I purchased the SWI Level B to use with my eighth grader. I can tell we will be using this curriculum for the rest of our homeschooling journey.  On a funny note, we live in Tennessee and when my kids first watched the dvd, they laughed and laughed at the Canadian accent they heard.  I forgot to tell them to expect that!  It reminded them of some of their cousins who were raised in Canada.  We have had a lot of fun with it. 

    Other crew members have been reviewing several of IEW’s stellar products.  To read their reviews, visit the main crew blog by clicking on the banner below.