BJU English was not a good fit for my reluctant writer either, although we stuck with it for a year...wish I would’ve just switched to IEW. Like you, I was hesitant bc I actually thought it might be too hard for my son. But after hearing your review and looking through their website I think we’re going to make the switch next year to IEW. I’m excited and hopeful this program will help my son become a more confident writer. Thank you for your review!
I keep hoping to avoid the cost on IEW but I think I'm going to just have to bite the bullet and get it! It sounds amazing and totally worth the price.
You may want to see if you can find it used! That's what I did :) Check my Buy/Sell/Trade section of our COAH Community to see if anyone has one they'd like to sell! community.confessionsofahomeschooler.com/c/buy-sell-trade
Hi Erika, I can't find Student Writing Intensive on IEW website. Did they change the name of the program? Do you know what it is called now? What age did you start your kids on the program at? Thank you
I am so glad you mentioned that you use the IEW themed writing. I was having a hard time finding reviews for those. Do the themed writing lessons cover all of the 9 units of student intensive writing? I was looking online at some samples and couldn't tell if it included inventive writing and writing a research report or an essay about a historical event etc. I am basically wondering if it goes beyond units 1-4 (outlining and summarizing what someone else has written).
They cover quite a bit, but I think they expect that you've already done the student writing intensive prior to trying a themed unit. I feel like some of the lessons might not be as clear if you haven't done that first.
You mentioned you don't need to add vocabulary curriculum. Was that for the theme-based writing program or the student writing intensive? How do they work vocabulary in?
Well, IEW doesn't really start until third grade, so if you want to do something more formal before that then I definitely suggest WriteShop. That said, I don't really bother with a formal writing curriculum prior to third grade now and so yes, I would just start with IEW in third and call it good :)
Thank you for that tip! I'm researching and stressing - there is so much IEW info to process - about when to begin and what to purchase first. Your experience provides clarity.
It looks like they no longer have Student Writing Intensive. They have Structure & Style for Students. Do you think that is the same? Also, I saw a video on the IEW page that says we should do the teacher intensive course so that we know how to teach our kids. Do we have to? I thought that was the point of the video instruction.
Hi, yes, they just renamed it, so the old Student Writing Intensive, is now called Structure & Style. So it's the same, but the updated/added some videos. I didn't do the teacher intensive course, but I know they recommend it. I just watched the videos with my kids and that seemed to work for us :)
I have a 2nd, 4th, and 6th grader this year. We've done very little grammar and writing. Would the 3rd-5th be a good fit or too easy and hard for my kids on the outliers?
H! Your curriculum reviews have been helpful for this first time homeschooler. We’re transitioning our 4th grader from public school. He’s a reluctant writer, and struggles with spelling/grammar. Would you start with Write Shop or IEW? Or something traditional, like BJU? If Write Shop, what grammar curriculum would you suggest along with it? (We will also be using a spelling curriculum to help catch him up). Thank you!
Do reading and writing curriculum go hand in hand? For example, I purchased the IXL writing program, does this count for reading also? I live in Texas, so we have to teach Reading, spelling, grammar, math, and good citizenship.
Hi Amanda, I haven't used that curriculum, so I'm not sure what's included. But for the most part, no. Reading and writing are their own unique skill set and I usually teach them separately. They do overlap a bit, but someone may be a great reader, but not a good writer and visa versa. So I think it works better to address them as individual subjects.
I have 6th.8th and 10th grader homeschoolers. Looking for additional writing add on to main LA curriculum from Acellus. Is IEW more teacher intensive or older kids can work independent?
It depends on which one you use. Their Student Structure and Style (previously Student Writing Intensive) is a bit more teacher intensive in my opinion. I would watch the videos with my kids and then they would do the assignments. But that way I felt more confident in helping them and grading their work. The Themed Based Writing units are less teacher intensive, each lesson has written instructions and was very easy for me to oversee what they were doing.
I have a son in six grade and another son in fourth grade. They are not homeschooled. However I feel that they are both lacking in the writing skills and my six Th greater did not get a good foundation in elementary school. He hates going to language arts and he has a very low self-esteem because he feels that his writing is that like his peers. I want to find something to help them after school and during the summer and I was wondering if IEW Is something that I can do with him after school if I’m not homeschooling.
Hi, yes, I think that the IEW Student Writing Intensive would probably benefit them both. Since they're close in age, you can probably use the same level with them and do it over the summer or after school.
Hi, sorry I haven't tried that, you might want to post your question on our homeschool COAH Community, I'm sure someone there has used it: community.confessionsofahomeschooler.com
Hi Erica, i am just thinking to start home schooling to my son and try to find writing program that i can follow with him. I saw your review(thanks for this very informative review) and SWI looks like is a good one to follow. During my research I also come across one more site which is called Here to Help Learning's Homeschool Writing Program. I wonder whether have heard it? if you know it what is your opinion? your opinion is really valuable to me. Thanks a lot.
Hi, sorry I haven't tried that one. You might pose your question to the COAH Community to see if anyone else has heard of it! community.confessionsofahomeschooler.com
I know that IEW has a new edition out, but I see that you have an older edition. Do you know of there are any differences between the two editions? Is the concept or general organization of the program the same? Do you feel that the older video quality have any effect at all on engaging the student?
Honestly I'm not sure, you may want to ask them if there are any differences. I'm assuming the concepts are the same though, but that would be something to ask them!
What do you think about switching curriculum during the school year? Do you tend to stick it out or allow the freedom to switch? I’m conflicted about this! I switched my daughters writing curriculum pretty late in the year and she’s doing great but I wonder if I’m holding her back by starting something new so late..
If something really isn't working, I give myself permission to change it! I typically only do that if it's causing an issue in our homeschool, making us miserable, not serving it's purpose, etc. If there's something that I don't love, but it's working okay, then I"ll usually stick it out. I don't think you're holding her back, especially if it's working well for her! And writing curriculum is usually something you can just continue on with the following year regardless of the level you're using.
How much time per day (or week) do you commit to the IEW Intensive Writing program? I’m trying to find something that I can slip in with my son’s grammar lessons. Thank you so much for taking the time to review all these programs!
I usually do 3-4 days per week for writing. We usually watch the video on day 1 and then I give my kids the rest of the week to finish their writing assignment. Some of them are faster than others :)
Erica Arndt Thank you for the quick reply! I found your video that went further in depth on this curriculum :) It sounds like this is what I am looking for in a writing program. Again, thank you for the review!! New sub from me and I look forward to learning more about homeschool programs from you in the future!!
I know you do Fix It Grammar and IEW Writing Intensives (thank you for those video reviews, by-the-way!) but besides the writing and grammar, what do you use for LA, particularly for reading (not reading novels per se but say lessons on context clues, vocabulary, inferencing, main idea, etc.) for your third/ fourth grader? Thanks again, Erica! You ROCK!
I use my literature units for third grade-fifth grade for our reading curriculum. The lit units include comprehension, inference, main characters, settings, report writing, etc. and are more engaging stories typically. I also add in Abeka Read & Think Skill sheets once as week for testing/comprehension purposes. Otherwise, I don't use any other formal reading curriculum for those grades. The IEW Fix It includes vocabulary.
I think the IEW history based writing units are great as a supplement for history, but I don't use it as our primary history curriculum. For example this year my oldest is working through BJU Press US History and so I also chose the US history based writing unit for her.
We break up the lessons so we watch the video one day, then do the assignment the next. I would say we average 30 min/day. But you can really kind of make it work for your schedule as well.
Thank you so much! I’m am now excited about this curriculum that I have been totally intimidated by! Thank you for thorough reviews of IEW!
BJU English was not a good fit for my reluctant writer either, although we stuck with it for a year...wish I would’ve just switched to IEW. Like you, I was hesitant bc I actually thought it might be too hard for my son. But after hearing your review and looking through their website I think we’re going to make the switch next year to IEW. I’m excited and hopeful this program will help my son become a more confident writer. Thank you for your review!
Thank you so much for this very helpful video. I've been checking IEW out and this really helped solidify my decision. Shell
I keep hoping to avoid the cost on IEW but I think I'm going to just have to bite the bullet and get it! It sounds amazing and totally worth the price.
You may want to see if you can find it used! That's what I did :) Check my Buy/Sell/Trade section of our COAH Community to see if anyone has one they'd like to sell! community.confessionsofahomeschooler.com/c/buy-sell-trade
Erica Arndt I'll do that. Thank you!
Hi Erika, I can't find Student Writing Intensive on IEW website. Did they change the name of the program? Do you know what it is called now? What age did you start your kids on the program at? Thank you
Love this! So helpful!
I am so glad you mentioned that you use the IEW themed writing. I was having a hard time finding reviews for those. Do the themed writing lessons cover all of the 9 units of student intensive writing? I was looking online at some samples and couldn't tell if it included inventive writing and writing a research report or an essay about a historical event etc. I am basically wondering if it goes beyond units 1-4 (outlining and summarizing what someone else has written).
They cover quite a bit, but I think they expect that you've already done the student writing intensive prior to trying a themed unit. I feel like some of the lessons might not be as clear if you haven't done that first.
You mentioned you don't need to add vocabulary curriculum. Was that for the theme-based writing program or the student writing intensive? How do they work vocabulary in?
That is for the theme based writing units, they include vocab.
If you could do it all over again, would you just start with IEW in the early years? Or still start with WriteShop? Thank you for your reviews!
Well, IEW doesn't really start until third grade, so if you want to do something more formal before that then I definitely suggest WriteShop. That said, I don't really bother with a formal writing curriculum prior to third grade now and so yes, I would just start with IEW in third and call it good :)
Thank you for that tip! I'm researching and stressing - there is so much IEW info to process - about when to begin and what to purchase first. Your experience provides clarity.
It looks like they no longer have Student Writing Intensive. They have Structure & Style for Students. Do you think that is the same? Also, I saw a video on the IEW page that says we should do the teacher intensive course so that we know how to teach our kids. Do we have to? I thought that was the point of the video instruction.
Hi, yes, they just renamed it, so the old Student Writing Intensive, is now called Structure & Style. So it's the same, but the updated/added some videos. I didn't do the teacher intensive course, but I know they recommend it. I just watched the videos with my kids and that seemed to work for us :)
I have a 2nd, 4th, and 6th grader this year. We've done very little grammar and writing. Would the 3rd-5th be a good fit or too easy and hard for my kids on the outliers?
Hi, yes I think that would probably be a good place to start. IEW also has a placement chart on their website too.
H! Your curriculum reviews have been helpful for this first time homeschooler. We’re transitioning our 4th grader from public school. He’s a reluctant writer, and struggles with spelling/grammar. Would you start with Write Shop or IEW? Or something traditional, like BJU? If Write Shop, what grammar curriculum would you suggest along with it? (We will also be using a spelling curriculum to help catch him up). Thank you!
Did you end up finding something you liked? We did BJU 4 this year, but unsure for next year.
Do reading and writing curriculum go hand in hand? For example, I purchased the IXL writing program, does this count for reading also? I live in Texas, so we have to teach Reading, spelling, grammar, math, and good citizenship.
Hi Amanda, I haven't used that curriculum, so I'm not sure what's included. But for the most part, no. Reading and writing are their own unique skill set and I usually teach them separately. They do overlap a bit, but someone may be a great reader, but not a good writer and visa versa. So I think it works better to address them as individual subjects.
I have 6th.8th and 10th grader homeschoolers. Looking for additional writing add on to main LA curriculum from Acellus. Is IEW more teacher intensive or older kids can work independent?
It depends on which one you use. Their Student Structure and Style (previously Student Writing Intensive) is a bit more teacher intensive in my opinion. I would watch the videos with my kids and then they would do the assignments. But that way I felt more confident in helping them and grading their work. The Themed Based Writing units are less teacher intensive, each lesson has written instructions and was very easy for me to oversee what they were doing.
I have a son in six grade and another son in fourth grade. They are not homeschooled. However I feel that they are both lacking in the writing skills and my six
Th greater did not get a good foundation in elementary school. He hates going to language arts and he has a very low self-esteem because he feels that his writing is that like his peers. I want to find something to help them after school and during the summer and I was wondering if IEW Is something that I can do with him after school if I’m not homeschooling.
Hi, yes, I think that the IEW Student Writing Intensive would probably benefit them both. Since they're close in age, you can probably use the same level with them and do it over the summer or after school.
Have you used CAP Writing and Rhetoric? I'm curious how that one compares to the IEW student writing intensive.
Hi, sorry I haven't tried that, you might want to post your question on our homeschool COAH Community, I'm sure someone there has used it: community.confessionsofahomeschooler.com
Hi Erica, i am just thinking to start home schooling to my son and try to find writing program that i can follow with him.
I saw your review(thanks for this very informative review) and SWI looks like is a good one to follow. During my research I also come across one more site which is called Here to Help Learning's Homeschool Writing Program. I wonder whether have heard it? if you know it what is your opinion? your opinion is really valuable to me. Thanks a lot.
Hi, sorry I haven't tried that one. You might pose your question to the COAH Community to see if anyone else has heard of it! community.confessionsofahomeschooler.com
If you had a very reluctant 3rd grader would you go with write shop or iew or ?? I'm struggling with what to try.
I would go with IEW, Andrew makes it a lot of fun and takes all of the struggle out. We had great success with it!
Hi erika. If you have finished the instensive course, will it be ok to proceed to theme based stories?
Hi, yes definitely!
I know that IEW has a new edition out, but I see that you have an older edition. Do you know of there are any differences between the two editions? Is the concept or general organization of the program the same? Do you feel that the older video quality have any effect at all on engaging the student?
Honestly I'm not sure, you may want to ask them if there are any differences. I'm assuming the concepts are the same though, but that would be something to ask them!
What do you think about switching curriculum during the school year? Do you tend to stick it out or allow the freedom to switch? I’m conflicted about this! I switched my daughters writing curriculum pretty late in the year and she’s doing great but I wonder if I’m holding her back by starting something new so late..
If something really isn't working, I give myself permission to change it! I typically only do that if it's causing an issue in our homeschool, making us miserable, not serving it's purpose, etc. If there's something that I don't love, but it's working okay, then I"ll usually stick it out. I don't think you're holding her back, especially if it's working well for her! And writing curriculum is usually something you can just continue on with the following year regardless of the level you're using.
Is teaching structure and style the same as the student writing intensive? I can’t find the writing intensive when I searched their site
Hi, yes it is the same, they just re-named the curriculum so their new version is the Structure and Style.
How much time per day (or week) do you commit to the IEW Intensive Writing program? I’m trying to find something that I can slip in with my son’s grammar lessons. Thank you so much for taking the time to review all these programs!
I usually do 3-4 days per week for writing. We usually watch the video on day 1 and then I give my kids the rest of the week to finish their writing assignment. Some of them are faster than others :)
Erica Arndt Thank you for the quick reply! I found your video that went further in depth on this curriculum :) It sounds like this is what I am looking for in a writing program. Again, thank you for the review!! New sub from me and I look forward to learning more about homeschool programs from you in the future!!
I know you do Fix It Grammar and IEW Writing Intensives (thank you for those video reviews, by-the-way!) but besides the writing and grammar, what do you use for LA, particularly for reading (not reading novels per se but say lessons on context clues, vocabulary, inferencing, main idea, etc.) for your third/ fourth grader? Thanks again, Erica! You ROCK!
I use my literature units for third grade-fifth grade for our reading curriculum. The lit units include comprehension, inference, main characters, settings, report writing, etc. and are more engaging stories typically. I also add in Abeka Read & Think Skill sheets once as week for testing/comprehension purposes. Otherwise, I don't use any other formal reading curriculum for those grades. The IEW Fix It includes vocabulary.
With the IEW when you move into the History or other options does this count as History and writing?
I think the IEW history based writing units are great as a supplement for history, but I don't use it as our primary history curriculum. For example this year my oldest is working through BJU Press US History and so I also chose the US history based writing unit for her.
Erica Arndt thank you! I appreciate your input and all your homeschool review/suggestions!
How much time per day do you schedule for IEW?
We break up the lessons so we watch the video one day, then do the assignment the next. I would say we average 30 min/day. But you can really kind of make it work for your schedule as well.
T
MOBILE PHONE AND THE FIRST
What grade level do you start giving this subject?
I usually start writing at 3rd grade, before 3rd they're typically still working on forming proper sentences, spelling, grammar, etc.
I feel like an outcast we didn't like iew.
It's not for everyone! That's the beauty of homeschooling :)