IEW Teaching Writing: Structure and Style Review for Homeschool Parents

This school year was the fourth year using the Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW) in our homeschool. When my two youngest children graduate high school we will have been using IEW for twelve years total in our home with our four children. Essentially this is why I decided to invest the time into Teaching Writing: Structure and Style (TWSS), which is a streaming seminar course, to assist me to fully understand the how’s and why’s behind IEW.

Two years ago I submitted all my practicum assignments for this course. This included watching each video lesson and completing the corresponding practicum assignments for all nine IEW units. Through completing the assignments, I became more of a resource and support to my children as they work through their own IEW curriculum. Editing their writing has become much easier for me because I now understand exactly what they are being asked to do and how to guide them through it effectively.

Recently, I renewed my accreditation as a Trained IEW Instructor, which gave me the opportunity to revisit the material with fresh perspective and continue sharpening my skills. Below I am sharing my experience journeying through the accreditation process and advice to others contemplating putting the time and effort into this course.

What Is IEW Structure and Style and Why My Kids Love It

The Structure and Style method is the foundation for the IEW curriculum. This curriculum gives clear steps and tools to help students learn how to write. Students learn how to structure and style their paragraphs and essays with key word outlines, topic clincher sentences, strong verbs, quality adjectives, sentence openers and more.

IEW has given my children confidence as the lessons continually build on each other. From the beginning to the end of each school year they love seeing their writing progress. Advancing in the IEW program, students feel empowered because each level builds on the previous one. Concepts are reviewed and reinforced, which allows students to gain confidence through repetition while adding more complexity and depth each year. While all of these reasons have contributed to my children’s success with IEW, their favorite part of the curriculum is the instructor, Mr. Pudewa. His teaching style is engaging, encouraging, and effortlessly entertaining, which keeps my kids motivated and excited to keep learning.

My Experience with IEW Teaching Writing: Structure and Style Course

Many late nights were spent watching the course videos and writing my papers. When I had finished the assignments, which took me over a year to complete, I submitted my application. After several weeks I was notified of multiple changes that needed to be made on my papers to ensure that I fully understood the Structure and Style method. Correcting my assignments was where I learned the most since it forced me to completely comprehend the program during my final rewrite.

Teaching Writing: Structure and Style was a great lesson in perseverance for myself and I imagine equally as valuable to my children. Watching me struggle at times through the practicum assignments, my children and husband listened to my writing and offered encouragement as needed. When I began watching the videos I was unsure if I would actually complete the practicum assignments. By Unit 2 I was thoroughly convinced I needed to invest the time and effort. How could I ask my kids to learn and practice a skill that I had not learned or practiced myself? Fortunately each time I looked at my children they instantly became the best motivation to continue working on the assignments.

Tips for Parents Considering IEW Accreditation

Teaching Writing: Structure and Style is worth your time. Invest the time. Try not to take breaks between assignments. Life happens. During the time between when I started the course and when I finished I had a hysterectomy, which could be another blog post, and this delayed me finishing the assignments at a more quicker pace. Working on the course sporadically, I would have to review what had previously been taught. Ultimately the best advice I could offer to anyone attempting to complete this course would be to commit to the process and stick with it. Try not to let too much time pass between assignments.

• Apply what you’re learning with your children as you go. Teaching the methods while learning them reinforces everything.
• Set aside dedicated time each week to watch the seminar videos and work through the assignments without distractions. Treat it like professional development.
• Don’t rush the practicum assignments. Take your time to understand and apply each step.
• Listen to the IEW podcast for encouragement, insights, and practical tips.
• Keep your folder somewhere that is easily accessible. You’ll reference it often, so make sure it’s always within reach.
• Remember to include Fix It! Grammar as it provides a solid step-by-step approach to build grammar and editing skills.
• If you ever feel totally lost or stuck, don’t hesitate to reach out to the IEW staff. They are very supportive and can help clarify any questions or challenges you encounter along the way.
• Homeschooling will have its challenging days but don’t forget why you started. When God calls you to homeschool, He also equips you with the motivation and energy you need. Keep your “why” front and center to stay encouraged.

Final Thoughts on IEW Teaching Writing: Structure and Style

Learning and now practicing the Structure and Style method has been a worthwhile use of my time. The entire process was very well organized and I felt very supported to succeed by the IEW staff. Hopefully the advice offered here will encourage and motivate another homeschool parent attempting the accreditation process. For reference our children began IEW in fourth grade using Structure and Style for Students Year 1 Level A. If you want your children to reap the very most out of IEW take the time to do the Teaching Writing: Structure and Style practicum assignments and submit them for review. You can do this!