Wow! Love the new forums, need help with IEW and other curricula!

[ma23peas]

I was on the boards heavily 5 years ago...have been sailing through on my own and sticking to curricula that's carried me thus far...now that my son is almost 13 I'm looking beyond Saxon/Rod & Staff (still using those!) and trying to find curricula for writing/science etc. that we can use for upper grades...Technically, he'll be in 7th grade this year....but we've stuck to narrations/dictations/copywork for writing other than some creative projects we've used and the Poetry Primer and Imitations in Writing (Greek) we've thrown in...now I think I'm ready to get into the nitty gritty of writing but don't know what's happened/changed in the past 5 years.

I'm interested in IEW, would love opinions on that program or any other recommendations that are out there. I'm sticking with Saxon Math, I'm using
Cambridge Latin (book 2 right now), various logic books (Deducibles/logic grids etc.), science I just bought Earth Science by Apologia...haven't started it yet..and still using Rod&Staff...we're on book 6 right now...just wondering if there's anything new/improved that I might look into as I tweak our curricula (my other two children are 9 & 10)...look forward to getting back into the forums and helping others out as I've been helped out on my journey! Thanks!!

Tara

[MIch elle]

for my 8th grader. My 5th grader is currently using IEW SWI A. He will probably use IEW Ancient Based Writing lessons in the fall with his study of history. I like Lori's IEW theme based writing lessons!

We use R&S English also but may switch to Christian Light Lang. Arts in the fall for my youngest.

[ma23peas]

Anyone with ideas?

:)

[Christine]

science I just bought Earth Science by Apologia...

This is killing me!

Did I read this wrong???

You bought Earth Science by Apologia????

I've been waiting for them to put one out, and I know Jeannie, has asked permission to do an Earth Science from Dr. Wile (like a semester long course). . . but WHERE?! Where did you buy this book????!!!! (I went to their site, and didn't see anything. . .)

[ma23peas]

Christine! I am sooo sorry! We have a local mom here who teaches full course science and she starts with Earth Science, I actually have Apologia's General Science and Zoology or something along those lines..I just bought the books a month ago and haven't even cracked them yet...I was planning on signing my son up for Earth Science (she uses Apologia for every other subject, except this one I guess...I think she uses Bob Jones or something like that)....atleast now I'll know to be keen when they do come out with it! :)

Thanks!
Tara

[ma23peas]

Michelle, thanks! Any reason why you would not continue with R&S? Haven't heard about the grammar program you're mentioning...I'm wondering about using Apologia's Jumping In to start and then going IEW...just have no clue! :)

Tara

[MIch elle]

Ds is having a hard time memorizing to mastery all that's in R&S E.5 this year. He does well with it but I took a year off from R&S English with my older ds (he has a stronger memory). Then he cont'd w/R&S E.6 in his 7th grade and this year he's using R&S E.7 for 8th grade. SO I know how hard R&S E. 6 & 7 are and feel that if we use CLE LA for a year that might help younger ds cement all he needs to remember in English (DO, IO, PA, PN, etc.); then we may go back to R&S E. after that or just stick with CLE LA.

We used R&S math for my oldest (gr.3-7). But I switched to CLE math 5 for my youngest. As much as I loved R&S math before I think CLE math is even better. I'm willing to give CLE LA a try thus giving us a fresh approach for a yr. and maybe CLE LA will be better than R&S English for us and if not we'll pick back up with R&S English 6 for 7th grade.

[Cheryl B in VA]

After years of saying that IEW was too pricey I finally splurged and bought TWSS and SWI A. Okay, I confess, I bought them two years ago and they sat around for a year before I got to them. But, wow!, how writing has improved this year. My 10th grade ds has been watching TWSS as part of TRISMS this year. One day in the car he said that his mind was wandering and a Bible verse came to mind. Then he had a revelation - that Bible verse was a triple extension (a writing dress-up taught in IEW).

My 7th grade ds is doing SWI A. I bought SWI A intending to do it with a 2nd/3rd grader and a sixth grader but it sat around for a year. Otherwise I should have bought SWI B. But this ds has done no formal writing program before and has really excelled this year. Doing SWI A and Analytical Grammar at the same time has really made writing "click" for him.

Next year I will continue using IEW. Oldest ds will do High School Essay Intensive and/or SWI C continuation (I will talk to the reps at convention this year to help decide what to do next). Rising 8th grader will do a SWI continuation course. Youngest ds will do SWI A.

[Christine]

Christine! I am sooo sorry! We have a local mom here who teaches full course science and she starts with Earth Science, ...I was planning on signing my son up for Earth Science (she uses Apologia for every other subject, except this one I guess...I think she uses Bob Jones or something like that)....atleast now I'll know to be keen when they do come out with it! :)

Oh, that's fine. . .I was just afraid I was missing something. . .or maybe you were getting something early.

[ma23peas]

Cheryl, you sound like me! I have good intentions on writing programs but haven't been sold on any, I have liked the little bits we've gotten through the little primers we've used but my kids are voracious readers and either a program will be too simplistic and they get bored or it'll be too technical and they get frustrated....what are SWI and TWSS (may have got that wrong!)..we are redoing the ancients right now and someone said IEW had a writing program based on history? I just haven't had a chance to sit down and look at it all...I did go ahead and buy Apologia "Jumpin In" just so we'd have something to start on while I'm checking out long term writing curricula..my kids have copied poetry and written in their journals 2-3x a week plus any creative writing they do on their own, they really love to write so I've just let those creative juices flow and worry about formalities later, but to be honest, with as much reading as they do (well over 100 chapter books a year) their writing is really well formed for having no instruction, I really attribute it to their extensive reading..I remodeled a new house last year and spent 5 months acting as general contractor...which meant the kids education for 5 months was reading/reading/reading....now we need to get into some writing! :)

Tara

[Cheryl B in VA]

....what are SWI and TWSS (may have got that wrong!)..we are redoing the ancients right now and someone said IEW had a writing program based on history? I just haven't had a chance to sit down and look at it all...
Tara

TWSS is Teaching Writing Structure and Style. These are the teacher DVDs that are the basis of IEW. Now, some people can get that, watch the DVDs, and integrate what Andrew Pudewa teaches into their curricula. I knew I wouldn't do that so I bought SWI A (Student Writing Intensive for grades 3-5) also. This has Andrew teaching a 4 day workshop. There are suggested daily lesson plans that can stretch SWI into 12 weeks or more. SWI CC (Continuation Course) is more of Andrew teaching and can be stretched into 36 lessons.

Yes, there are several IEW history-based writing lessons. I highly suggest watching the TWSS videos as you go through the history curricula, but it is not required.

Request their catalog for great explanations of all the courses.