1. A homeschooler (or a teacher, another administrator) told me about you. How do I receive an examination copy?
3. How do I sell this to my principal?
4. How do I sell this to my teachers?
5. Where can I go for training?
7. Do you meet all the Common Core Standards?
8. I am a college professor; will this work for me?
1. A homeschooler (or a teacher, another administrator) told me about you. How do I receive an examination copy?
Because we train teachers in a method of teaching writing with curriculum support, we do not publish textbooks and answer keys. To understand our approach, watch our one-hour pre-recorded webinar, From Imitation to Innovation. This offers you an overview of our methodology. Next, request an information packet, which includes a magalog (catalog and magazine), results from schools, and a link to watch a demonstration lesson.
The methodology’s “sweet spot” is in the upper elementary grades and middle school, but with adjustments to the presentation and pacing, it will lay a strong foundation in the lower elementary and fill learning gaps in high school, which seem to be widely prevalent. When it is implemented from K–12th, writing instruction has consistency and cohesion in terminology and explanation from grade to grade.
3. How do I sell this to my principal?
We recommend you request an information packet, which includes a magalog (catalog and magazine), results from schools, and a link to watch a demonstration lesson. The demonstration lesson includes a download of student materials and student samples so that you can try this in your classroom. To show your principal the difference this method can make, take him/her a writing assignment from your students’ work before and the writing assignment you imitated from the demonstration lesson. To understand our approach, watch our one-hour pre-recorded webinar, From Imitation to Innovation. This offers you an overview of our methodology. We always recommend that a school equip three to four teachers to pilot the program before they decide to implement it school wide. This way you have mentors in place and organic evidence that this method works.
4. How do I sell this to my teachers?
Since the teachers are the ones most affected by the decision to use this method, we want them to be the most excited. First, during a staff meeting plan to watch our one-hour pre-recorded webinar, From Imitation to Innovation. This offers you an overview of our methodology. Another option is to schedule a live, private webinar for your teachers. Please call the office to schedule this. Next, request an information packet, which includes a magalog (catalog and magazine), results from schools, and a link to watch a demonstration lesson. The demonstration lesson includes a download of student materials and student samples so that your teachers can try this in their classrooms. We always recommend that a school equip three to four teachers to pilot the program before they decide to implement it school wide. This way you have mentors in place and organic evidence that this method works.
5. Where can I go for training?
Check if we have a Structure and Style Writing Workshop scheduled in your area. Our basic training is on video. We always recommend that a school equip three to four teachers to pilot the program before they decide to implement it school wide. This way you have mentors in place and organic evidence that this method works.
Although IEW's curriculum is not research-based in the commonly used sense of the term, our instructional methodology was developed utilizing thirty years of actual classroom experience and has been used successfully by students all over the world for over forty years. The results are measurable. A field study conducted at a school district in Rocklin, California, demonstrated that students who were introduced to the Excellence in Writing process in their 4th to 6th grade years scored significantly higher than those tested previously. In addition, we have just received the results from another study which, like the Rocklin data, clearly shows IEW's superiority in teaching writing skills. We welcome studies that test our methods and will be posting more results as they are made available.
7. Do you meet all the Common Core Standards?
IEW's curriculum meets or exceeds all the Common Core Standards for writing, with the exception of the computer skills portion. However, we do not believe it is necessary to change our methodology to include those standards. Our students have enjoyed great success without it, and the results speak for themselves. A teacher or school can easily integrate a computer skills component into our writing program if desired.
8. I am a college professor; will this work for me?
Yes, a college professor designed the basic training, Teaching Writing: Structure and Style®, for college students. However, we have not yet designed support materials for adult education. Make an appointment with a School Division Educational Consultant to discuss your needs.
