Homeschool Review Crew - IEW Fix-It! Grammar

I was thrilled to get a chance to review the Fix It! Grammar program from Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW).

  

What is Fix It! Grammar?

The idea behind this program is for students to successfully learn grammar in just 15 minutes a day. The student learns a new concept and then hunts to correct errors. The text builds and eventually tells a complete story.

The author, Pamela White, is a certified IEW instructor and has an M.A. in English. She has taught traditional classroom as well as homeschooled students with more than 30 years of experience. Fix It! Grammar came about as part of her frustration with traditional grammar teaching methods, mostly because the texts being used to teach the new concepts were completely random and out of context. She discovered that when she put the learning text in context of a full story that students remembered the skills faster and retained the information longer.

I received Fix It! Grammar: The Nose Tree Student Book 1

It is part of a 6-book series. Together, each book in the series provides a full year of grammar instruction and editing practice.

These are physical books, with downloads available in the Teacher's Manual. Also included are a set of flashcards to cut out and review, called grammar cards. This is set up for four days per week, roughly 15 minutes per day. The curriculum is set up based on four main steps for each lesson:

Learn it
Fix it
Discuss it
Copy it


The idea is to explore a new grammar concept and then go to work locating and fixing errors in four short passages each week. The teacher manual also suggests that the student look up the bold words in a dictionary and then writing down the definition in a notebook. Then, the student explores how grammar applies to the passage and discusses it. Finally, the student rewrites the corrected passage into a separate notebook.

It provides you with 33 weeks of daily passages, 132 vocabulary words, reproducible student pages, teacher notes that make everything clear, and a grammar glossary.

Purchasing the teacher manual also gives you access to a free download of the student book that you can use for all of your students within your household or classroom. You also have access to Mastery Learning e-audio and but, but, but ... What about Grammar? e-audio.

The Teacher Manual is easy to follow:

  

The student book allows the student to apply editing and grammar marks directly to the workbook:

Additionally, you will need a separate notebook where your student completes the copywork and the dictionary definitions:

How Did We Use It?

I was very excited since my daughter is coming to the end of her current grammar curriculum, and I wasn't sure where we were going to go from here. I thought this would be perfect for her since she really likes hands-on. I was also excited about how the program presents everything in context and allows the child to develop editing skills, which is perfect for my daughter who enjoys pointing out grammatical errors. My daughter really requires some element of her learning to be hands-on or moving, so this offered us the perfect transition to a new level of grammar.

I was happy to see that she was actually open to using this new-to-her style of learning grammar. I found that the teacher manual is laid out in such a way that anyone could step in and follow it without much, or any, planning time. I also discovered that the lessons are short and not overwhelming.

What Did We Think?

I really like this approach to learning and applying grammar because it allows the student to become a proofreader of sorts and put what they learn to immediate use. All of the grammar is taught in context with plenty of repetition to allow the child to master the new skills before moving on.

FIND IEW ON SOCIAL MEDIA @:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/excellenceinwriting
Twitter: https://twitter.com/iew
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/iew/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/iewtv
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iew/

Read what other members of the Homeschool Review Crew thought by clicking on the picture below:

Homeschool Review Crew - IEW Institute for Excellence in Writing High School Essay Intensive

For some reason, all but one of my children dread writing with a terror and intimidation accompanied with lack of self confidence, so when I was offered the opportunity to review the High School Essay Intensive from Institute for Excellence in Writing, many homeschoolers know as IEW, with author Andrew Pudewa, I was thrilled.

What is the High School Essay Intensive from IEW?

The High School Essay Intensive is on its second edition and comes with DVD seminars and handouts and is intended to be used with students in high school, Grades 9 through 12.

I was not familiar with the first edition, but from what I could gather, this updated edition is mostly due to the reason that the SAT and ACT tests changed their essay writing portion format, so in 2016, IEW updated their Essay Intensive to reflect these new requirements. This Essay Intensive also includes techniques for writing a college application as well as provides your student with tools and tips for general composition writing skills.

This 2nd edition intensive includes:

• 5 DVDs which provide 6 1/2 hours of instructional videos
• Student Handouts
• Portable Walls for the Essayist Folder (One of my favorite parts of the package - This is basically a tri-fold summary of the main points students need to remember when writing essays)

The material is presented in seminar fashion that is watched from the DVDs and then the students are asked to delve into essay writing and work through activities provided on the student handouts.

The  DVD seminars cover:


Part 1A - General Strategies for Essay Writing: Length and Structure

• Initial Exercise
• A Hurt and Rescue Operation
• What is an essay?
• Two Questions Writers Need to Ask
• Translating Assignment Length to Paragraphs
• Types of Paragraph
• The TRIAC Paragraph Model
• Essay Models

Part 1B - General Strategies for Essay Writing: Invention and Style

• Canons of Rhetoric
• Invention
• Practicing Common Topics of Invention
• Practice with TRIAC Outline
• Stle
• Sentence Patterns
• Literary Devices: Schemes and Tropes
• Practice with SEntence Openers and Figures of Speech

Part 2 - Understanding and Preparing for the New ACT Essay

• ACT General Guidelines
• The Assignment
• Strategies for Planning
• Strategies for Writing
• Strategies for Proofing

Part 3 - Understanding and Preparing for the Redesigned SAT Essay

• General Guidelines
• The Assignment
• Annotating
• Handy Annotation System
• Annotating Practice
• Strategies for Planning
• Strategies for Writing
• Using Effective Vocabulary
• Strategies for Proofing

Part 4 - Strategies for the Personal Essay

• General Guidelines
• Sample Essay Prompts
• Strategies for Planning: Pop out from the Crowd
• Strategies for Writing, Editing, and Proofreading
• A Not-So-Secret Secret
• Final Practice
• Concluding Comments
• Last Bits of Advice for Life

How Did We Use It?

I have two high schoolers this year, but my daughter is always so much more receptive to the idea of writing than my son, though my son, who is a Junior this year,  probably would benefit hugely by learning how to tackle the ACT or for the redesigned SAT essay writing, I decided that it would be best to start with my daughter and focus on the general strategies section. While she loves to write, she does not like her writing evaluated for grading purposes, was picky about my showing any pictures of her writing and doesn't tend to thrive on anything video related when it comes to instruction, but she has been introduced to IEW's style in the past and was open to the idea of trying it out. 

What Did We Think?

As always, IEW never ceases to deliver excellence in its unique approach to encouraging and instructing students to write well. If you are familiar with Mr. Pudewa's style, you will know exactly the quality you will be presented with. If you are not familiar with him yet, Andrew Pudewa delivers the material in an engaging manner that includes bits of humor that helps the student relax and delve into writing well.

FIND IEW ON SOCIAL MEDIA @:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/excellenceinwriting
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/iewtv
Twitter: https://twitter.com/iew @IEW
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/iewriting/

Read what other members of the Homeschool Review Crew thought by clicking on the picture below:

TOS Review - Linguistic Development Through Poetry Memorization IEW

Poetry seems to often be a lost art, yet if done well, it can be used as an amazing linguistic language arts tool - Especially when you school inside a heavily right-brained creative oriented family who was thrilled to get a chance to review the Linguistic Development Through Poetry Memorization from Institute for Excellence in Writing, often referred to as IEW.

What is Linguistic Development Through Poetry Memorization from IEW?

The idea behind the program is to use sophisticated English language patterns found in classic poetry and speeches, to introduce these to students and have them memorize them to recite back.

The kit that I received came with:

• a teacher book
• a leather packet of CDs 
• a DVD that presented Andrew Pudewa in a lengthy seminar style presentation explaining how memorization and poetry work. 
• There are also 7 mp3s to listen to that are available to download via the IEW site:
  1. Nurturing Competent Communicators
  2. Mastery Learning, Ability Development, and Individualized Education
  3. Ten Thousand Times and Then Begins Understanding
  4. On Listening
  5. On Speaking
  6. On Reading
  7. On Writing
  . 
• I also received a spiral-bound student book for the review - BUT PLEASE NOTE that even though I received a spiral-bound version as part of the review, this poetry set actually comes with an e-book format PDF download of the student book which can be printed from a home printer as needed. The spiral-bound book, however, is sold separately from the IEW site.

The book contains 96 poems and speeches that start with very simple, short poems complete with coloring page images and then it progresses through 5 levels of content that gradually presents lengthy historic speeches to learn and recite.

How Did We Use It?

As with all IEW programs, the first step is always to educate the instructor as to how to use it with students as well as why it's important. So, the first step was to watch the DVD, Nurturing Competent Communicators, where Andrew Pudewa explained the theory of memorization. Set aside an afternoon for this, as it's a very in-depth seminar style speech and not a quick start guide. He explains the importance of memorization and how the neuro-memorization connection helps to grow the brain.



The next step was to read the Teacher's Manual introduction which gave me an overview of the methodology used in this program and how to use it with my students. I discovered that it suggested to start everyone at Level 1 and that the Teacher's Manual also provides 3 Appendix which have author biographies and extended study suggestions that take the poetry and turn them into science and history lessons as well.

Finally, it was time to get started with helping my children memorize. I announced to my 3rd grader and my 8th grader that this program was for them. While there were variant levels provided that ranged from very simple poems to the more complex higher level learning, it is suggested that everyone start at the beginning /Level 1. My youngest was ok with this, but my almost high-schooler avid reader wasn't fond of starting with a short poem called Ooey-Gooey complete with a coloring page.

The books provide you with a checklist to highlight and check off as each poem is memorized.

I was very happy that the audio CDs and mp3s could be transferred to an iPod or other electronics for ease of listening.

My one daughter has always been incredibly amazing at memorization. Starting with AWANAs Cubbies, moving into scripture memory, and now onto theatrical lines - She has an incredible knack for being able to remember. I think this is largely due to exposing her to dance at an early age as her instructor would simply have the students copy her moves starting at the age of 2. This poetry program is set up with a similar mindset of that imitate-to-learn concept.

What Did We Think?

The Linguistic Development Through Poetry Memorization from IEW packet couldn't have arrived at a more fitting time. We received it to use during the month of April, which is National Poetry Month. I used to be a firm believer in memorization, and some days I waiver back and forth as to whether or not it is important. Still, I do believe that a lot of what I know today stems from information I had memorized when I was younger. I also realized the other day that even though my husband is a professional musician, and all of my children seem to just wallow in the love of music, that music isn't my first love. It dawned on me that any music I have ever loved has usually been because of the lyrics it contains, and the more poetic and mentally deep the lyrics are in a song, the more it speaks to me. Though, classic poems don't always pique my interest, nor the interest of my children. So, I went into using this product with that in mind.

I like that it is intended to be used for a multiple age and grade level of student which means I could use it with my youngest as well as my oldest, and even I could benefit from the poetry memorization. Though, the toughest things was convincing my 14-year-old to start from Level 1. I love that it provides an audio version of the poems and speeches so that we could hear the infliction and proper cadence of speech intended for each, individual piece. Overall, I think it's an intriguing way to grow our brains by being exposed to this program. Also, even though my teen wasn't fond of starting with a short, easy childish poem, I like that the program grows with the student providing first simplistic poems and gradually moving into more complicated ones.

Find IEW on Social Media @

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/excellenceinwriting

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/iew  @IEW

Pinterest:  https://www.pinterest.com/iewriting

YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/user/iewtv

Read what other members of the TOS Review Crew thought by clicking on the picture below:

TOS Review - IEW Phonetic Zoo Spelling

Admit it, when you hear a catchy jingle from a commercial, there's no telling when that rhythm will pop into your head without warning. This is part of the idea behind IEW's Phonetic Zoo Spelling, and I was thrilled to get a chance to review the Phonetic Zoo Spelling Level C (Starter Set) from Institute for Excellence in Writing.

What is the Phonetic Zoo Spelling?

The Phonetic Zoo Spelling system is based on the half-century studies of Mrs. Anna Ingham called the Blended-Sight-Sound Program. She discovered that combining sound and vision were very effective in learning. With this in mind, IEW developed a spelling program that uses sight and sound along with the overall functioning of the brain for learning spelling words, of knowing that the information needs to first go in and then be stored before it can be fed back to spell. It uses mnemonics in a sequential fashion and gives enough, but not too much, information at one time.

The program begins with the parent/instructor watching the 1 hour 10-minute video about how the brain works when it comes to learning spelling words. The link to the video is provided within the teacher manual that comes as a pdf download with the CDs.

The 6-CD pack contains the lessons. Each lesson takes about 10 minutes to complete.

• The lessons begin with showing the student the large phonics card. Read the rule out loud and then have the student spell each word, and discuss how the animals relate to each rule.
• Next, you set up your student with headphones, a pen, and paper and have them listen to the lesson.
• The student takes the test and then self-corrects by listening to the correct spellings on the CD. The student re-takes each test until he or she reaches 100% and then moves on to the next lesson.
• Every 5th lesson has the student fill out a personal spelling words card.
• There is a Final Exam at the end of each level.

*
I received a physical starter set. It contained:

6 discs that covered 47 lessons, the Final Exam in two parts, and grading information.

Phonetic Zoo Lesson Cards, and Spelling Zoo Cards.

How Did We Use It?

I was so excited to get to present this to my daughter. She is in 8th grade and a very avid reader. Her spelling has come a long way since she had hearing issues in Kindergarten and, unbeknownst to us, was not hearing the sounds of words so could not spell them phonetically.

I first downloaded the files online that came with a pdf teacher notes file, and then I handed my daughter the physical set of CDs for her to play on her laptop, along with the cards. I noticed that one of the first things included in the teacher notes was a video to watch about how the brain works when it comes to spelling. The video is just a little more than one hour and really gives a great background to how the Phonetic Zoo Spelling program works. I also downloaded the audio mp3 files from the IEW site so I could play them on my laptop which is a new PC that does not have a disc drive.

What Did We Think?

I think the idea behind this program is pure genius. It's based on solid research, and I think it works. I still remember little jingles of tidbits of information put to rhythm or a catchy tune from when I was younger, and with use of this product, I'm sure these memory jingles for each new spelling rule will pop into these students' heads every time they attempt to spell a word. I think it's a great method that makes learning to spell memorable and stick. When all is said and done, I wish I would have chosen my 4th grader for the review, as I think she would benefit from the program best as it seems to be more at her level than my 8th grader's level. With all of the visual effects bombarding our media, it took me awhile to get used to the CD as being audio and not another visual overload of images. Though, I appreciate why it was done this way, and I love that the picture cards are able to be held, looked at and touched while learning. It covers the bases for senses learning.

Find IEW on Facebook, Instagram, Google+, YouTube, Twitter, Pinterest, Vimeo, and on the IEW blog.

Read what other members of the TOS Review Crew thought by clicking on the picture below:

TOS Review - IEW

I was thrilled to get a chance to review the Deluxe Combo Teacher/Student Writing Package Level A [FIX-1 & 2] (Fix It! Grammar 1 and 2) plus A Word Write Now and Portable Walls from Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW).

What is IEW and their Deluxe Combo writing packages?

IEW offers a unique way of teaching writing that is effective. It's not so much an "out-of-the-box" kind of curriculum as it is an extensive training course for the parent/teacher and students, along with physical books and downloads that accompany and follow this more than 18 hours of seminar teacher instruction on DVD and 4-disc Student Writing Intensive Level A DVD set.

I was beyond jumping up and down when I opened up this package. There is a lot of information tucked away inside these books, downloads, and DVDs - Let me break it down: 

What Is Included and How Did We Use It?

SEMINAR 12 DVD PACK AND PRACTICUM WORKBOOK:

This one is for the adult. It comes with a leather case filled with DVDs, a notebook and 3-hole-punched practicum sheets.

I started by viewing the video seminars, which to be honest, was very difficult for me only because I had to find the time where it was just me with no interruptions. It seemed that just hitting "Play" on the video was enough to draw every member of my family to me to ask unrelated questions about things I needed to tend to right now.

The Deluxe Premium Program came complete with both the physical DVDs and an online code to view the video seminars streaming online. I ended up viewing it by the live stream while I worked out and on my laptop early in the morning hours before anyone else in the household was awake.

There were also downloadable files, which I downloaded. Some were audio, others were in pdf format.

I found it fascinating and was thrilled that it presents writing curriculum information in a way that I always thought it should be presented - In a way kids can understand and not so rigid! By the end of the video seminars, you will not only be prepared to teach your child using the IEW curriculum, but you will be enthused about the open doors in writing you are handing your child.

Andrew Pudewa first explains the background of the IEW program. I had no idea that he did not create the system but has learned it to present it. In the introductory seminar video stream or DVD, he explains how the program works and how to use it within a school year, month by month for nine months. He explains first how to use it for an approximately 4th through 8th grader. He suggests that younger students take more time with the units and older high-school level students spend less time on each unit and more time on the latter units of more in-depth writing.


THINGS I LEARNED FROM WATCHING THE SEMINARS:

• Andrew Pudewa didn't create this system, but there's an interesting story about how an African history course in Nova Scotia has a lot to do with the IEW courses and that Mr. Pudewa is not Canadian but the program has a Canadian influence.
• Andrew Pudewa used to be a skilled violin teacher who spent time in Japan learning the Suzuki method, and he relates how the method applies to teaching writing.
• The course encourages using what is called Source texts, such as Aesop's Fables, and beginning by learning by following an example/modeling, or basically what amounts to a form of copying but not plagiarizing because it is used as a learning process.

NOW, IT WAS MY CHILD'S TURN:

STUDENT WRITING INTENSIVE LEVEL A

   

               

These are the instructional DVDs for the student. It is a 4-disc pack plus an introductory Structure and Style Introductory DVD to be watched first by the parent/teacher and pdf handouts that are downloaded from the site. The Level A program is intended to be used with children in Grade 3-5. I sat down with  my 3rd grader to introduce her to the IEW curriculum. I began with the Student Writing Intensive Level A Disc 1. Each disc is part of the full-length intensive seminar for kids.

Structure and Style Overview Disc
Disc 1 - Unit I and II - Outlines, Summary, Dress Ups (a term described in the parent seminar)
Disc 2 - Unit III - Story Summary, Dress-Up
Disc 3 - Unit IV - Reference Summary, Paragraph Structure
Disc 4 - Unit V - Creative Writing

Fix It! 1 and 2

   

 

I received the spiral-bound Teacher Manual Books 1 and 2. With the books, I received an online code to download the 130-page Book 1: The Nose Tree and 134-page Book 2: Robin Hood Student pdfs and a couple audio mp3 files: But, But, But What About Grammar and Mastery Learning.

A WORD WRITE NOW



This is a physical spiral-bound Thematic Thesaurus with workbook style lines to add additional words to each section.

PORTABLE WALLS

This is a really clever tool. It is a tri-fold folder that contains helpful writing models and word lists, sort of like a quick reference card with everything summed up for you in one easy, handy hand-held folder.

What Did We Think?

Starting with the seminar videos, these are jam-packed full of information. If you can set aside even just a half hour a day to complete the 12-disc seminars, you will feel as if your brain has been opened up and new information poured inside. Even if you get away for a weekend and are able to watch the entire seminar in one setting, you will most likely be thankful that it is on DVD or online streaming so you can refer back to parts of the lessons again and again. I love this teaching concept that includes ideas such as the Plus One idea of learning one easy task and then just adding only one new task to what you've learned, not overwhelming the child. I really like Mr. Pudewa's knowledgeable style of presenting the material.

This presentation style carries over into the Student Intensive. If your child is like mine, he or she will most likely not be able to sit through an entire disc in one sitting. The program suggests what segments of the Student Writing Intensive DVD to watch with each new lesson section. It's great to have it on DVD and able to pause or rewind as needed.

The Fix It! Grammar books are great for my child as it is hands-on and intended to be used in small segments of just 15 minutes a day. I would definitely recommend viewing the teacher and the student writing intensive seminars first, because they really explain the style of learning/teaching that is used in the Fix It! Grammar books. Once you finish the seminar DVDs, the books will make a lot of sense. They are a positive reinforcement method rather than tedious, endless grammar police style learning. It models proper grammar in a way that also builds editing skills.

I am in love with the A Word Write Now Thematic Thesaurus because I write for a living, so I am a huge fan of word lists for expanding writing horizons and making it come alive.

The Portable Walls folder is wonderful as well, because it summarizes all of the information into one carry-with-you tri-fold.

It is not a boxed curriculum that you open up and turn your child loose with. It does require at least an initial commitment on the part of the teacher to learn the method before sitting down with your child to teach. Maybe an older child would be able to work through the lessons in the Fix It! Grammar books without much, if any, help. But, honestly, the rewarding part of the IEW method is when you see the sparkle of excitement for writing in your child's eyes that you would miss by simply turning them loose with a workbook.

Find IEW on Facebook, Pinterest, Vimeo, Twitter, YouTube, iew.com blog and Google+.

IEW also has some excellent products that are specifically intended for Special Needs learners. The TOS Review Crew received a variety of Special Needs and other packages for various levels of learners. Read what other members of the TOS Review Crew thought by clicking on the picture below: