IEW is dramatically different from other language arts program available. In fact, you will not find the term “Language Arts” within the product description. The focus of Institute for Excellence in Writing is to teach the arts of language. Writing is simply the written form of communication, therefore, cannot be successfully taught independently of the other arts of language. For five years, we have used IEW and I am pleased to share with you my IEW Writing Reviews. Having a SCHOOLS division and a HOMESCHOOL division, IEW caters to ALL students, teachers, and parents. It truly is a company dedicated to improving communication.
Arts of Language – All Are Important and Encouraged
- Listening – Learning to listen well is essential in communicating and meeting expectations
- Speaking – Fear of public speaking is one of the most common fears worldwide. Practicing the art of speaking from childhood can help reduce the fear because a way to overcome fear is to conquer it.
- Reading – This is the first and most obvious skill that most parents and educators start with. A recent initiative is 1KB4K – that is for kids to have been read to one thousand books before kindergarten. This is wonderful! Reading books out loud to children is a predictor of success. Learning to read is essential. All children learn to read at different ages and this can be a source of stress if the student does not fit neatly in the bell-shaped curve. Children with certain learning differences, such as dyslexia, can understand far more than they can read. Don’t stop reading out loud when your kids can read. There are so many other benefits I shall discuss in another article.
- Writing – This is taught methodically through imitation, simply at first, then building on the same method to increase skill according to individual ability.
- Thinking – How do you think? Do you just listen to and repeating other’s opinions? Nope- that’s not thinking – that is regurgitating. Thinking is done through the art of asking and answering questions.
Who Does the Teaching in IEW?
IEW offers three options at the time of this writing.
- Parent teaching IEW offers extensive Teacher training. I completed this the summer prior to starting to teach with IEW. This training was immensely valuable to me and is necessary for anyone who plans to teach using IEW material other than video based lessons.
- Video Based Instruction Andrew Pudewa, founder of IEW, does ALL the teaching. Funny and engaging, his video lessons provide all the content required for student instruction. Watch this with your children so you can understand the expectations in order to adequately grade the assignments.
- Online Classes This option is by far the best choice for working or busy parents. It does not require parent involvement other than ensuring your child has a computer and internet available.
Why I LOVE IEW!
IEW has engaged my boys and encouraged them to grow in all the arts of language. Interesting and engaging source texts take the drudgery away from writing. Simple prompts are never given and the student told to just “write whatever you want.” Writing involves thinking first so thinking is required prior to writing. Thinking then writing is modeled and taught. To make writing more stylish, techniques called “dress ups” are taught, modeled and encouraged.
We still remember some silly topics we wrote about when we first started including how eggplant is the most repulsive vegetable ever! Poetry memorization is encouraged in the K-2 program and alternates between classics and silly poems. Ooey gooey was a worm and is an all-time favorite of our family. The silly way we practice saying “ooooooooey gooooooooey” still is heard in our home when we find encounter something gooey.
Institute for Excellence in Writing not only trains students but with tremendous efforts, focuses on supporting teachers as well. Through their website, magazine articles and podcasts, they encourage parents and teachers to reach children.
Do Kids Love IEW?
I have three boys. “All-Boy” is how I would describe them. Given the choice, they would play sports, play with friends, play pretend, swing, run, fish, bike, hike or do anything active ALL DAY LONG! I suppose they could just as easily be captivated by screens all day but there is a limit to screen usage in our home. So when I ask them if they love IEW as much as I do… the answer is “kind of.” They don’t love to brush their teeth either but it’s something I require of them. So while they may not love it, they do appreciate the program. In retrospect, some of our areas of the greatest challenge are more likely a result of interpersonal conflict or mistakes that I’ve made and not at all to do with the program itself. Tremendous growth has occurred as a result of using IEW. Speaking confidently, thinking articulately and communicating effectively are the benefits I’ve observed and attribute to the skills acquired through IEW program materials.
Is IEW Christian or Secular?
You can choose Christian or Secular versions. IEW has a public school division which uses non-christian materials.
Andrew Pudewa is unashamedly Christian and the company has Christian foundations. A variety of source texts are available so you have the ability to choose.
What if My Child is Gifted or Has Special Needs?
This is the beauty of IEW! It is a system of teaching that truly works for everybody at every level. Children are instructed in a certain logical way and are given assignments based on an “easy plus one” model. I have taught three levels simultaneously with different expectations and requirements of each student. I have one average student, one gifted student and one dyslexic student. They each have their areas of excellence and struggle, yet I can easily accommodate all three together in an environment where they are encouraged to each learn, grow, and do their best.
Thank you for reading my review. I pray for blessings for you in whatever you choose and hope to be an encouragement to. If you want to read more about the curricula we use, I share about Sonlight and general homeschool curriculum suggestions. All the best!
Leave me a comment below and let me know your favorite curriculum and if you try this!
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