Beauty, Adventure, and Skunks—Oh My!
Lying in my soft denim sleeping bag in the bed of my parents’ long bed Chevy truck, my sister asleep on one side of me, my cousin on the other, I squirmed. Despite... read more
A Father’s Influence
My teacher training began around age eight. After my grandfather died, we moved to be closer to my grandmother, and my father changed careers from accounting to teaching. This is truly his gift.... read more
The Special Education Journey: Podcast Episode 143
ADHD, ASD, APD, PDD-NOS, SLD. If you know any of these acronyms, you may be the parent of a child who struggles with learning disabilities. Dyslexia, dysgraphia, and dyscalculia are other common learning... read more
Becoming an Imperfectionist
On June 17 in the United States, we celebrate Father’s Day, a day to recognize the special role that fathers hold in their families. Evan Smith, one of our fabulous IEW dads, wrote... read more
No Better Legacy
The month of June marks Father’s Day in the United States. Fathers are vitally important to the raising of healthy, happy children. One of the ways fathers contribute to their children’s development is... read more
Making Boring Content Fascinating
Even after debating in high school for five years and attending college for over two years, the thought of sitting through a lecture still bores me. Although I know how to effectively take... read more
Where Are They Now? Ryan Cardinale, Author and Administrator
Our IEW alumni enter the professional world well equipped with solid communication skills, whether their jobs are in journalism, science, law, or somewhere else. Today we feature a former student who has taken... read more
It’s a Hit! One Mom’s Quest to Make Reading Literature Fun
When Danielle’s oldest son went off to college, she reflected on some of her regrets and decided to do something about them. Read her post and see how she created some fun social... read more
A Poem in Honor of Mother’s Day
Sunday, May 13, is Mother’s Day in the United States. To celebrate the date, we found a lovely poem written by Christina Rossetti in 1881. A sonnet, this untitled poem’s structure varies from... read more
Writing Critiques: Podcast Episodes 139a and 139b
The month of May doesn’t just bring flowers; if you have been keeping up with the suggested IEW unit pacing, it also brings Unit 9, the formal critique. But what is a formal... read more
Thank You, Mrs. Texley!
When I was a junior in high school, I enrolled in my first English class with Mrs. Texley. She taught honors English to eleventh and twelfth graders in my small-town Kansas high school.... read more
Writing Blind
Imagine a lightless world, full of sound, touch, and smell, but absent of color, visible texture, and sight. In their reading and writing studies, most students rely heavily on their sense of sight,... read more
Are You a Follower?
At IEW we have a lot happening all of the time. And it’s all good stuff, too! From the writing contests to the product giveaways to the podcasts, there is always something new... read more
Do Blank Stares Mean I Have Failed? A Teachable Moment
Moments prior to having eight peering and baffled faces staring at me with astonished eyes, I had proudly declared today’s Latin class was going to start out with good old-fashioned review. First and... read more
Celebrating Poets
April is National Poetry Month. Begun in 1986, it is a time dedicated to celebrating poetry and the poets who create pictures with their words. Every poet writes with his or her unique... read more
The Core of Literacy: Podcast Episode 136
Andrew Pudewa was back in Oklahoma last week, and he and Julie Walker met to discuss one of this month’s themes: poetry. By including poetry in a child’s developing years, you are providing... read more
Building Literacy One Activity at a Time
The days of spring are here, which for many parents and teachers is a time to think and reflect on the past school year as well as prepare for the new year to... read more
The Linguistic Pathway through Poetry
A fortuitous turn of events happened, once upon a time many years ago, at an otherwise ordinary homeschool convention that I attended. It happened so long ago that the details are somewhat fuzzy... read more
While Andrew’s Away—An Opportunity to Meet Beth O’Connor: Podcast Episode 134
The podcast fun continued this past week even though Andrew was still on the road. In Podcast 134, Julie Walker introduces listeners to Beth O’Connor, one of IEW’s Schools Division Educational Consultants. Beth... read more
Conquering Time and the Digital Age
Since starting college in the fall of 2015, I’ve had very little time to read for pleasure. I have deep admiration for those who manage to find the time to read in such... read more
An Interview with Linda Mikkotis, Schools Division Senior Implementation Coach: Podcast Episode 133
Many years ago when the seeds for what would become the Institute for Excellence in Writing were first planted, they were sown in a school classroom. IEW has continued to support teachers through... read more
Beauty, Adventure, and Skunks—Oh My!
Lying in my soft denim sleeping bag in the bed of my parents’ long bed Chevy truck, my sister asleep on... read more
A Father’s Influence
My teacher training began around age eight. After my grandfather died, we moved to be closer to my grandmother, and my... read more
The Special Education Journey: Podcast Episode 143
ADHD, ASD, APD, PDD-NOS, SLD. If you know any of these acronyms, you may be the parent of a child who... read more
Becoming an Imperfectionist
On June 17 in the United States, we celebrate Father’s Day, a day to recognize the special role that fathers hold... read more
No Better Legacy
The month of June marks Father’s Day in the United States. Fathers are vitally important to the raising of healthy, happy... read more
Making Boring Content Fascinating
Even after debating in high school for five years and attending college for over two years, the thought of sitting through... read more
Where Are They Now? Ryan Cardinale, Author and Administrator
Our IEW alumni enter the professional world well equipped with solid communication skills, whether their jobs are in journalism, science, law,... read more
It’s a Hit! One Mom’s Quest to Make Reading Literature Fun
When Danielle’s oldest son went off to college, she reflected on some of her regrets and decided to do something about... read more
A Poem in Honor of Mother’s Day
Sunday, May 13, is Mother’s Day in the United States. To celebrate the date, we found a lovely poem written by... read more
Writing Critiques: Podcast Episodes 139a and 139b
The month of May doesn’t just bring flowers; if you have been keeping up with the suggested IEW unit pacing, it... read more
Thank You, Mrs. Texley!
When I was a junior in high school, I enrolled in my first English class with Mrs. Texley. She taught honors... read more
Writing Blind
Imagine a lightless world, full of sound, touch, and smell, but absent of color, visible texture, and sight. In their reading... read more
Are You a Follower?
At IEW we have a lot happening all of the time. And it’s all good stuff, too! From the writing contests... read more
Do Blank Stares Mean I Have Failed? A Teachable Moment
Moments prior to having eight peering and baffled faces staring at me with astonished eyes, I had proudly declared today’s Latin... read more
Celebrating Poets
April is National Poetry Month. Begun in 1986, it is a time dedicated to celebrating poetry and the poets who create... read more
The Core of Literacy: Podcast Episode 136
Andrew Pudewa was back in Oklahoma last week, and he and Julie Walker met to discuss one of this month’s themes:... read more
Building Literacy One Activity at a Time
The days of spring are here, which for many parents and teachers is a time to think and reflect on the... read more
The Linguistic Pathway through Poetry
A fortuitous turn of events happened, once upon a time many years ago, at an otherwise ordinary homeschool convention that I... read more
While Andrew’s Away—An Opportunity to Meet Beth O’Connor: Podcast Episode 134
The podcast fun continued this past week even though Andrew was still on the road. In Podcast 134, Julie Walker introduces... read more
Conquering Time and the Digital Age
Since starting college in the fall of 2015, I’ve had very little time to read for pleasure. I have deep admiration... read more
An Interview with Linda Mikkotis, Schools Division Senior Implementation Coach: Podcast Episode 133
Many years ago when the seeds for what would become the Institute for Excellence in Writing were first planted, they were... read more
