Search for: five-day-a-week schools

Many Educational Choices: One Writing Method 5-Day Schools
During my thirty-four-year career as an elementary school teacher, I taught at seven schools in four school districts in three states. The districts ranged from rural to suburban to inner city, each with... read more

Hybrid schools: Homeschooling just got a lot easier.
Hybrid schools are popping up across the country at an astounding rate. At these schools, homeschooled students attend classes 2–3 days per week. The school chooses the curriculum, and teachers assign grades and... read more

The Value of a Consistent Writing Process for Schools
A History of Inconsistency Over the course of my thirty-four-year career as an elementary school teacher, I taught at seven schools in three school districts in three different states. The districts ranged from rural... read more

Scheduling Fun in a Full Day
“Wait. You work nearly thirty hours a week and you’re in school?!” While attending school full time, I also work for IEW remotely. As a common small talk question, peers often ask me... read more

A Poem for National Arbor Day
Today is National Arbor Day, a day that recognizes the significance of trees in our world. It is a day to enjoy outside, perhaps by planting a tree. First officially celebrated in Nebraska... read more

A Poem for Your Independence Day
Have you and your students memorized any poetry of late? Perhaps you're working your way through Linguistic Development through Poetry Memorization and looking for the perfect poem for your personal selection at the... read more

IEW Tools for the Journey: Schools Department
As part of IEW’s continued commitment to providing parents and teachers with help for the journey of training students to be confident and competent communicators and thinkers, we are presenting a series of... read more

The Five Canons of Rhetoric, Part 2: Podcast Episode 237
Picking up from where they left off last week, Andrew and Julie continue their discussion about rhetoric. At the end of last week’s podcast, Andrew had delved a bit deeper into the first... read more

The Five Canons of Rhetoric, Part 1: Podcast Episode 236
Unfortunately viewed by some people in the modern world with distaste, rhetoric has deep roots that extend all the way back to the ancients. But at its essence, rhetoric simply means “the art... 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

Many Educational Choices: One Writing Method Hybrid Schools
In 2013 as an IEW Educational Consultant, I conducted the Teaching Writing: Structure and Style® (TWSS) seminar at Legacy Christian Academy, a hybrid school in Bakersfield, California. As the school prepared for the... read more

Learn about IEW’s Hybrid Schools Division: Podcast Episode 276
IEW has long served the home education world. Several years ago the company also established a second division to support traditional schools, whether public or private. Did you know, however, that IEW has... read more

Week 5 of The Great TWSS Adventure: Unit 5
During the Last Facebook Live (June 28) Over the noon hour, Andrew Pudewa and Nathan King continued their discussion about Structure and Style. Beginning with the prior week’s unit, the two addressed questions related... read more

Week 7 of the Great TWSS Adventure: Unit 7
Teachers and teaching parents from across the globe who are participating in the Great Adventure will tackle Unit 7 this week. Many teachers are very excited to reach this unit because it is... read more

Week 6 of the Great TWSS Adventure: Unit 6
Last Week When Andrew Pudewa and Nathan King reconvened for last week’s Facebook Live event, they began by discussing some of the differences between Unit 3 and Unit 5. Andrew explained that Unit 5... read more

Week 4 of The Great TWSS Adventure: Unit 4
Last Week This past Monday, Andrew Pudewa and Nathan King sat down together once again, this time to discuss Unit 3: Retelling Narrative Stories. This unit marks a significant shift from the first two... read more

Week 8 of The Great TWSS Adventure: Unit 8
If you are participating in this year’s Great TWSS Adventure, this week you will be encountering formal essay models. The essay is the goal for formal writing. Units 4 and 6 have provided... read more

Week 9 of The Great TWSS Adventure: Unit 9
This week marks the penultimate week for this year’s Great TWSS Adventure. If you have kept up with the schedule, you will be encountering the final unit, Unit 9. In this section of... read more

Nurturing Success: Serving Schools of Every Kind: Podcast Episode 319
In 1990 Andrew along with other teachers traveled to Alberta, Canada, for a ten-day teacher-training seminar. It was there that Andrew learned Dr. Webster’s Blended Structure and Style in Composition method. In Episode... read more

Week 2 of the Great TWSS Adventure: Introducing Stylistic Techniques
Last Week On Monday of last week, Andrew Pudewa and Nathan King kicked off the 2021 event. Describing why Units 1 and 2 are so important, Andrew emphasized that in order for our... read more

A Poem for the Holiday: “Thanksgiving Day” by Lydia Maria Child
One of the most familiar poems associated with Thanksgiving is this one, “Thanksgiving Day” by Lydia Maria Child. Interestingly, there are two versions of the poem. The shorter version is presented below, but... read more

Week 1 of the Great TWSS Adventure: Units 1 and 2
This week launches a grand adventure. The travelers are from all around the world, but they are united in a single purpose: to journey together through Teaching Writing: Structure and Style. For this first... read more

Make the Arts of Language Podcast a Part of Your Day
Here we are, ready to record another podcast. Yes, IEW has decided to launch into the podcasting world to better support teachers parents hybrid school teachers tutors anyone using IEW materials worldwide ... 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

World Emoji Day ?
It was late in the evening on July 17, and I was mindlessly scrolling through my news feed on my tablet when a small blurb caught my eye. It was World Emoji Day.... read more

On This Day
On October 25, 1854, history was made in a tucked away corner of eastern Europe called Crimea. In that area during that time, the Crimean War, the first conflict covered by modern reporting... read more

Celebrating National Dictionary Day
Do you have a dictionary on your shelf? If so, the odds are solid that it has the name Webster’s emblazoned on its cover. October 16 is National Dictionary Day, a day set... read more

It’s a Marathon, Not a Sprint
American culture appreciates speed. So many people seem to be in a hurry. People fly down the interstate in their cars. Fast food lines move people through quickly so they can get on... read more

Instilling a Love of Reading – A Mentor‘s Task
As National Mentoring Month ends and February, the month of love, begins, I wonder if one of your favorite books holds special significance because a mentor in your life recommended it. While some... 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

It’s a Wrap!
With the final day of IEW’s Twelve Days of Christmas Giving event only recently completed, we wanted to take a moment to reflect on the days and to thank all of you who... read more

A Classic Resource
Which IEW product has been around nearly as long as the Teaching Writing: Structure and Style (TWSS) seminar? The Writing Source Packet is one of the original resources that IEW produced for parents... read more

Are You a Part of a Read-Aloud Family? A Conversation with Sarah Mackenzie
Reading aloud to your students is one of the most important things you can do as an educator. Reading aloud makes language and story come alive. It transports children to different places, times,... read more

A Worthwhile Investment
One of the most frequent questions IEW’s customer service receives is “How much parent involvement does this program require?” This is understandable. Homeschool parents juggle multiple students at multiple levels, run a household,... read more

Making a Way through the Murk: a Homeschool Journey
Eighteen years ago I embarked on a bold, new adventure. Imagining myself as an early seafaring explorer, I researched my intended destination, gathered my tools for the journey, and stepped out in the... read more

A Head Full of Hats: Life of a Homeschool Mom
Like Dr. Seuss’ beloved Bartholomew Cubbins, parents wear many hats. Unlike Bartholomew, who couldn’t seem to take off all his hats, we are able, at times, to lay aside a hat or two.... read more

A Tandem Team for a Successful First Year: SSS and TWSS
Here at the Institute for Excellence in Writing, the Schools Department Educational Consultants have been working diligently for months to help schools make decisions about instructional materials and teacher training. Meanwhile, teachers everywhere... read more

Building a Sound City
What do city streets, a senior retreat, digraph deliveries, and a silent letter library have in common? They can all be found in a Sound City! Building a Sound City bulletin board delightfully... read more

Laying a Firm Foundation
My daughter and I have enjoyed venturing back into ancient history studies this past year. Of the four-year history cycle that we study, it has always been my favorite. And out of ancient... read more

A Buffet of Options
"Which should I choose?" is a common question from parents and teachers exploring IEW's two main options for teaching the Structure and Style® methodology. While some create their own lessons, most prefer ready-made... read more

A Slip of Spring
Spring is never late in her arrival by date, although some of us may be embracing her warmth a little more quickly thanks to our favorable geographical location. Regardless of whether you are... read more

Edit with a Smile
Teaching writing would be my favorite job if it weren’t for grading. When a student hands in a composition and a teacher sees all the mistakes, how does one avoid the inevitable frustration?... read more

A World of Difference
I love spring! It evokes so many memories for me. The trickle of the snow melting off the roof, the poke of a tiny green crocus shoot, and the excitement of the homeschool... read more

A Citation Pathway – A Conversation with Denise Kelley: Podcast Episode 347
When writers gather information from outside sources, it is important to give credit where credit is due and to cite the sources. Although this is important, learning to cite sources in various formats... 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

A Case for Cursive
In today’s western world, children typically first learn to print before they learn cursive—if they even learn cursive at all. However, is teaching a child to print before teaching cursive really the best... read more

A Case for Cursive
In today’s western world, children typically first learn to print before they learn cursive, if they even learn cursive at all. But is teaching a child to print before teaching cursive really the... read more

2017: A Personal Recap
Did you know that, according to Statistic Brain, of all the people who firmly resolve to make some serious changes in their life starting precisely at 00:00:00 on January 1, less than ten... read more

A Conversation Between a Couple of Family Men: Podcast Episode 157
Author, artist, and all around great guy Todd Wilson joined Andrew Pudewa and Julie Walker for some conversation in Podcast 157 recently. Todd is well known for his humorous yet honest glimpse of... read more

How to Make Reading Aloud the Best Part of Your Day
Enjoy this guest post by Sarah Mackenzie, author and creator of the popular blog, Read-Aloud Revival. When you’re done, check out Sarah’s newest book, The Read-Aloud Family, available from IEW later this spring.... read more

Product Spotlight: A Word Write Now: A Thematic Thesaurus for Stylized Writing
Getting students to write using vivid language is easier said than done. Asking them to “show, not tell” when they write or to write in a way that creates a movie in... read more

A Wintry Mix of Words
I’ll be honest. Winter is not something I think of very often. Living in Florida, I typically think of winter as simply a situation those poor, unfortunate “Northerners” face. The closest I really... read more

A Christmas Story for the Senses: Dylan Thomas’ “A Child’s Christmas in Wales”
As time seems to speed up the closer we get to the holidays, many educators are preparing special class sessions to celebrate the season with their students. Some plan a class period playing... read more

A Haiku for the Holidays
Sometimes it’s energizing to take a break from the regular routine to explore something new. One idea I have incorporated in the past with my students is to get them to explore writing... read more

The Story of a Story
My connection with the Lee family began with a phone call. One of IEW’s customer service agents spoke with a woman about her daughters who were interested in becoming accredited IEW instructors—at the... read more

A Poem: “Bed in Summer”
One of the hallmarks of spring for most of the United States is the annual shift to daylight saving time. This time switch also happens to run over the summer, when the daylight... read more

Unit 5: A Winter Scene
Take a look at the image below: ... read more

Unit 5: A Thanksgiving Scene
With the holiday season on the horizon and many students presently writing Unit 5 compositions, now is a perfect time to present a Thanksgiving-themed Unit 5 writing prompt. Students in the United States... read more

A New Box of Crayons
As an adult, I still associate going back to school with a particular scent—the aroma of a freshly opened box of sixty-four crayons. And at the end of the summer, when I’m shopping... read more

Tutoring with IEW—A Win-Win!
IEW is taught across homes and schools all around the world. Often it is a teacher or parent who guides students through the IEW approach to writing, but tutors who meet with students... read more

Homophones: A Part and Apart
According to Dictionary.com, a homophone is defined as a word pronounced the same as another but differing in meaning, whether spelled the same way or not, as in heir and air. Today’s pair... read more

Unit 4: Summarizing a Reference
If you are moving through the IEW units at the pace of about one a month, you are either now in Unit 4, Summarizing a Reference, or are about to be there soon.... read more

A Beloved Poem of Winter
The arrival of 2019 heralds more than the promise of a new beginning. It also harkens back to nearly one hundred years ago in that works published in 1923 have finally entered the... read more

Building a Fortress of Encouragement
"Sometimes we feel like if we can't do it perfectly, we won't have success. The truth is, if it's worth doing, it's worth doing imperfectly. So go ahead and just do your best."... read more

National Dog Day: Celebrating the Special Relationship between People and Their Pooches
It’s been said that the dog is man’s best friend. This aphorism has certainly been born out in classic literature. August 26 marks National Dog Day, a day to celebrate our special relationships... read more

Teacher Training Method Options: Live On-Site Professional Development: Demonstration and Coaching Day
As a classroom teacher, I participated in scores of staff development days, where my colleagues and I were trained in new instructional strategies or introduced to the latest textbook series to be adopted... read more

A Suzuki History: Podcast Episode 155
“Ten thousand times, and then begins understanding.” Japanese saying That proverb reflects a philosophy that sounds foreign to Western minds, but it is reflective of the Suzuki methodology of instruction. In Podcast 155 Andrew... read more

Teaching through a Theme-Based Book
“I hear and I forget; I see and I remember; I write and I understand.” This axiom is often quoted in the world of education. Writing within content areas helps students build understanding.... read more

Support for a Memorable Year Ahead
The year 2020 has certainly been extraordinary. In early spring we were plunged into a worldwide pandemic that we are still trying to navigate. In response to the interruption of schools and the... read more

Lessons Learned from A Christmas Carol
This year, as the leaves depart from their branches and cover our lawns with their warm colors, I look back on one of the most integral parts of my childhood. Christmastime at the... read more

Public Speaking: A Means of Growth
As a customer service representative, I get lots of questions from homeschool moms who want their kids to get the most out of their high school years. I am often stopped during my... read more

Feeling Fallish—A Poem About October
Whether you live in Fort Lauderdale or Fairbanks, fall is upon us. For some of us the leaves are turning colors. For others, the leaves never even drop. Regardless of where you reside,... read more

Delight in Learning: A Contagious Condition
As a dyslexia tutor, one of the ways I connect with other tutors who do the same thing is through social media. I am in a few groups that are made up of... read more

Sharing a Season Filled with Gratitude
As educators, whether of the traditional brick-and-mortar variety, the homeschool variety, or anything in between, we earnestly desire to prepare our students well for the “real world.” Dutifully we spend time constructing our... read more

Getting Started with a Surprise Gift!
It is Day 12, and we are excited to announce the surprise gifts that close out IEW’s Twelve Days of Christmas Giving celebration! This year, IEW is giving you not one but two... read more

A Poem in Honor of Fall
Fall is here! The days of summer, with its hot sun, refreshing dips in the pool, and long days of languid rest, are done. With fall comes school activities, cooler temperatures, and a... read more

Training Method Options, Part 6: Live On-Site Professional Development — Observation and Coaching Day
Making Excellent Writing Teachers through Individual Coaching IEW’s Observation and Coaching Day supports classroom teachers and administrators during implementation of the Structure and Style methodology after initial training (either live or video) has taken... read more

Training Method Options Part 7: Live On-Site Professional Development: Review and Refinement Day
Making Master Teachers by Designing a Customized Professional Development Day for Your School People love to customize things. Whether it’s selecting the best options for a new car or building the perfect burrito at... read more

Motivation: A Breath of Fresh Air
As educators, we all dream of the day that our students are motivated and excited about each assignment. Imagine if instead of having to pester and hound our stubborn students, they cheerfully and... read more

Classic Learning Test – A Better Way
For decades, the standardized testing world has been dominated by two juggernauts: ACT and SAT. However, changes in the way that colleges consider standardized testing, along with the surge of classical education, has... read more

Writing a Paper with Unit 2
IEW teaches students to write with structure and with style. Style includes vocabulary. Structure is the elements found in compositions. Throughout the year students progress through nine structural units. After one, two, or maybe... read more

A Special Needs Child Meets PAL
This past month of October, our focus has been on special needs. We’d like to share again a special post that came out in 2014. It’s an interview in which one mom, Stacia... read more

The Solar Eclipse: A Writing Activity
All across the United States, people today peered up into the skies to participate in a unique heavenly event, a solar eclipse. Were you among the many? Here’s a way to extend the... read more

The Art of Teaching a Skill
Or, The Skill of Teaching an Art In Monday's webinar, What are we really doing here? (Aug. 3, 2015) Andrew Pudewa discussed the differences between learning information, ideas, and skills. Since writing is a skill,... read more

Compose or Comprise? A Dictionary Investigation
Which words correctly fill in the blanks? Fifty states ________________ the Union. (compose, comprise) The Supreme Court typically ______________ nine justices. (composes, comprises) Do you know the answers? If not, you’re in good company. Truth be... read more

A Poem for Fall: “The Fieldmouse”
Now that fall is firmly here at least in most of the United States, we thought we’d share a poem that reminds us of the season. This speaker in the poem, composed by... read more

Blog Post: A Tale of Two Districts
With the continued emphasis on writing proficiency for students in American schools, choosing a writing curriculum has undeniably become a data-driven decision. More than ever before teachers and administrators are searching for a... read more

Sage Advice for a Successful School Year
If you have recently strolled into your local big box store, you likely have seen shelves upon shelves of back to school supplies. The waxy scent of crayons, the colorful array of notebooks... read more

From the Forums: Teachers Making a Difference
“We now must exhort each other; let us continue to train our students in the use of this great weaponry—the skills of written and spoken English, so that when the crises arise, we... read more

Teaching IEW in a Classical Homeschool Cooperative
Frederick East Classical, a relatively new homeschool cooperative, is taking central Maryland by storm. In its inaugural year alone, many families flocked to it, filling it to capacity. Structured using a classical approach,... read more

Dispelling Darkness One Book at a Time
It’s midsummer. By now your kids are tired of the pool, tired of the playground, and tired of having nothing to do. Perhaps you are hearing “I’m bored” come out of their mouths... read more

Pursuing College in a Whole New Way – A Conversation with Dr. Nicholas Ellis: Podcast Episode 331
Recently Dr. Nicholas Ellis paid a visit to IEW’s campus in Bixby, Oklahoma. Dr. Ellis is the founder and CEO of Christian Halls International (CHI), and Andrew and Julie were honored to welcome... read more

Entrepreneurship Step 1: Picking a Business Idea
by Carol Topp, CPA Picking a micro business idea is not difficult if you follow a guided plan. Begin by brainstorming what you already know, making sure your business idea fills an actual need.... 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

I Learned English in a Latin Classroom
It is said that English is one of the hardest languages to learn. It breaks its own rules more than it follows them, and the rules it does follow can be confusing. However,... read more

“If” You Can Offer Just a Little
Sometimes a poem can encapsulate a situation or provide the narration of our life experiences. It can also instruct in virtue, offering important considerations to enhance our strength to carry on in the... read more

The Brain Benefits of a Great Book
Some of my earliest memories center around literature. As a young child, I recall many happy hours spent sitting next to my grandma in her formal parlor, listening to her read short stories,... read more

Why Attend a Homeschool Convention This Year?
Time is precious. Money can be tight. Travel must be prioritized. And, almost all the information you will ever need can be found online. So, is going to a conference really worth it? I... read more

Unboxing PAL: A Peek inside the Packages
With school on the cusp of starting up again, we thought it would be helpful to describe in detail a few of our special packaged curriculums so that you are able to feel... read more

A Conversation about Grammar: Podcast Episode 181
March is National Grammar month, so for this month we have been highlighting the topic in our blog as well as on Facebook. Our podcast is no different, and in Podcast Episode 181,... read more

Confessions of a Homeschooler: Podcast Episode 217
In the latest Arts of Language Podcast, Episode 217, Andrew Pudewa and Julie Walker invited Erica Arndt to speak with them. Erica, who created the blog Confessions of a Homeschooler, is one of... read more

Unit 5: Writing from a Christmas Picture
# # The month of December is a hectic one. You may barely be through the Thanksgiving turkey leftovers, and then suddenly you find yourself in the midst of Christmas decorating, baking, and socializing. Rather... read more

A Strong September Start: Podcast Episode 154
3...2...1...Blastoff! With the launch of the school year, students are springing into IEW’s first two units—Note Making and Outlines and Writing from Notes. In Podcast 154, Andrew Pudewa and Julie Walker converse about... read more

Beyond Surviving: A Story of Thriving with ADHD
In my house I have a son who I’m trying to help grow up into the man he’s meant to be. He is my sweet, precious boy, and I love him very much.... read more

The Journey’s End: Reflections of a Homeschool Mom
This year has been quite a remarkable one for our family. In the midst of the chaos of COVID-19, we have graduated two students: one from high school and the other from college.... read more

How a Hybrid School Found Success with IEW
Louis Lemmon: Hybrid School Administrator Founded in 2005, Lake Pointe Academy is a K–12 University-Model® school of approximately 195 students. Louis Lemmon served for two years as a teacher, and then began serving as head... read more

A Compelling Competition: The IEW Essay Writing Contest
One of my favorite jobs is working at a local academic homeschool co-op. This year I am the high school English teacher. I’m quite proud of my little IEW class. We’ve had a... read more

Starting Strong — Tips for a New School Year
It’s August, and a new school year is fast approaching. IEW’s Customer Service Team and Schools Division Educational Consultants have years of experience as homeschooling parents, IEW Online instructors, tutors, and classroom teachers.... read more

Mother: Creating a Legacy of Love and Learning
In 1988 my parents decided that home education was the best option for our family. We lived in California at the time, and other families in our church also homeschooled. Little did we... read more

A Bookish Discussion, Part 2: Podcast Episode 284
Picking up where they left off last week, Andrew and Julie continue working their way through the list of books that Andrew has coined his “Best Book of the Year.” To catch up... read more

Laughing and Learning: A Match Made in Heaven
James Thurber, a famous American humorist, once said, “Humor is a serious thing. I like to think of it as one of our greatest earliest natural resources, which must be preserved at all... read more

Taking a Peek into Windows to the World
IEW’s pathway features a great progression of coursework to help your students develop their writing skills, but those are not the only courses IEW has. Additionally IEW offers materials that support all components... read more

A Holiday Poem: “Thanksgiving” by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
While the turkey is roasting in the oven, the pies are cooling on the counter, and the rolls are rising, why not take a moment or two to read this poem to your... read more

A Brief Tour through the IEW Writing Units
When you teach writing with IEW®, you are constructing a solid writing foundation for your students. IEW’s writing structure is based upon nine units or structural models. But what are those models? A... read more

A Bookish Discussion, Part 1: Podcast Episode 283
One of the questions Andrew Pudewa frequently receives while he’s at various conferences is, “What are you reading?” In this episode Andrew and Julie begin to talk about exactly that! Over the past... read more

Poetry In the House: A Tribute to Mothers
About a month ago shortly before Mother’s Day, Andrew Pudewa issued a challenge around the IEW office—to write a poem about our mothers. Much reflection ensued, and then began the writing. It is... read more

A Bookish Discussion, Part 3: Podcast Episode 285
With podcast Episode 285 Andrew Pudewa concludes recounting the accumulated twenty-year tally of his “Best Book of the Year List.” To listen to the first two episodes, visit the links here for Episode... read more

A Poem to Mark the End of April
We are about to move out of April, which also marks the end of National Poetry Month. But before we do, we would like to share with you one of our favorite poems.... read more

A Poem to Inspire Written and Spoken Language
Language has always fascinated me. When I speak and write, I am always trying to find ways to paint a vivid picture of my thoughts and ideas to the listener or reader through... read more

A Visit with Sarah Mackenzie: Podcast Episode 337
Listen. Speak. Read. Write. Think! In addition to writing, reading is an important language art. Andrew often speaks about the role that reading aloud plays in building sophisticated language patterns and nurturing competent communicators.... read more

Which Words Work? A Lot, Allot, or Alot?
When I review my students’ papers, the same words tend to be confused and misused. Among the most frequent errors I encounter are the words a lot, allot, and alot. If you have... read more

A Podcast with Heidi St. John: Episode 122
Now that the relaxing Christmas break is over, are you finding yourself suddenly thrust back in the business of life and already feeling overwhelmed and exhausted? You are not alone! Check out this... read more

Looking at Literature: A Peek inside the Packages
Andrew Pudewa’s talk Nurturing Competent Communicators exhorts parents and teachers to do two things: Share the beauty and brilliance of literature with their students by reading it aloud, and teach them to memorize... read more

Becoming a Read-Aloud Family: Podcast Episode 128
# # Recently Andrew Pudewa and Julie Walker had an opportunity to sit down with Sarah Mackenzie, busy homeschool mom, accomplished author, and creator of the podcast Read-Aloud Revival. During their time together, Andrew and... read more

A Conversation with Susan Barton: Podcast Episode 159
Andrew Pudewa and Julie Walker recently welcomed Susan Barton into the studio. Susan is the developer of the Barton Reading and Spelling System. An Orton-Gillingham-based program of instruction, it teaches individuals who are... read more

Back to School: Advice from a College Junior
by Jacob Mauser Do you have a student heading off to college this year for the first time? Share this blog post with him! Jacob Mauser, a former homeschooled student who grew up using... read more

“Winter,” a Poem by Walter de la Mare
Today’s featured poem is composed by Walter de la Mare, the poet who also crafted “Some One,” a poem encountered in Level 2 of IEW’s Linguistic Development through Poetry Memorization. After you finish... read more

A Beginner’s Introduction to the International Phonetic Alphabet
kæn juː riːd ðɪs If you have not heard of the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), then the above characters likely look extremely odd. If you don’t know what they say, you can find out... read more

A Conversation with Dr. David Wilkes: Podcast Episode184†
On Podcast Episode 184, Andrew and Julie welcome into the studio Dr. David Wilkes, an English professor at Mount Vernon Nazarene University in Ohio. Working twenty-two years as a professor of English, Dr.... read more

“An Adieu”: A Poem by Florence Earle Coates
The month of April marks National Poetry Month. As the school year is beginning to wind down and summer nears, it is enjoyable for teachers and students alike to read, memorize, and enjoy... read more

Passing the Baton: Living a Life of Mentorship
Who are the mentors in your life? Hopefully all of us have experienced the blessing of having a mentor to help guide us on our paths. These are the precious people who carve... read more

Less or Fewer? A Baker’s Experiment in Grammar
These days, it seems that I am perpetually in my home. I suspect many of us are. Being in my home more, I find I am eating more meals in my home as... read more

Teacher Training Method Options: Video Training as a Group
Part one of this series on teacher training method options described Video Training through Individual Streaming. A more affordable option is to provide professional development for your whole staff or small groups using... read more

One Step at a Time: Balancing Health and School
Parents decide to homeschool their children for different reasons. Many choose homeschooling because they enjoy selecting what curriculum they use and in what manner they teach their children. For others, however, the decision... read more

Taking a Look at IEW’s 2022 Online Class Offerings
With the arrival of June, many parents are beginning to plan in earnest for the upcoming school year. If you have thought about having your students participate in an online class, we would... read more

Oh, What You Can Do … in a Line! (Part 1)
Seven Things You Can Do with Your Students to Make Their Time Standing in Line Productive How will I get it all done? This is the eternal question for teachers. Think about it. If... read more

The Edifying Flame of Candlelight: A Unit 4 Opportunity
Have you ever tuned in to hear Andrew Pudewa speak at a Classical Consortium event? If so, you've probably also enjoyed hearing Professor Carol. Each year she offers a free online Advent calendar.... read more

Building a Strong Foundation with Units 1 and 2
IEW teaches students to write with structure and with style. Style includes vocabulary. Structure is the elements found in compositions. Throughout the year, students progress through nine structural units. Each year they begin with Units... read more

Hate of Learning: One Cause and a Possible Remedy
If you've ever had a child who resisted learning, grumping and dragging her feet over every assignment, you'll sympathize with Andrew's experience with one of his daughters. And you will be encouraged and... read more

A Sonnet in Honor of the Student Resource Packet
Our Student Resource Packet is a pretty nifty item. Broken down by the nine IEW units and including sections dedicated to writing about literature, dress-ups and word lists, sentence openers and transitions, decorations,... read more

The Power of Imitation: Crafting a Key Word Outline
Imitation. It’s one of the earliest and most impactful ways that humans learn. A very young baby learns to smile at her parents by watching them smiling back at her. Later, as an... read more

“A Remarkable Leap Forward”: Tutor Testimonial from Sherry Grubbs
It has been a tremendous blessing to have discovered IEW early on in my homeschooling journey. With over twenty-one years in the trenches so far, I am still homeschooling... read more

My IEW Journey: Becoming a Successful IEW Classroom Writing Teacher
As a child, I wanted to become a second-grade teacher. In college, though, my parents pushed me to study business instead. Poor grades followed, and a degree change became imperative. I switched paths... read more

Customer Service Answers: A Little Help along the Way
At IEW we want the courses we provide to be ones that will excite and engage both you and your student. In order to help support you as you teach your children, we... read more

Becoming a Book Eater: On the Value of Annotation
One of my most favorite high school classes to teach is literary analysis. Partly the reason is because I hold an English degree and focused most of my own studies in literary analysis.... read more

A Visit with Dr. Carol Swain: Podcast Episode 282 †
For podcast Episode 282, Andrew and Julie invited Dr. Carol Swain to join them. Both Dr. Swain and Andrew Pudewa will appear in the soon-to-be-released movie Schoolhouse Rocked. Incredibly motivational, Dr. Swain shares... read more

Writing Rewarded: A Conversation with Nataly and Breesa Pierce
Meet Nataly and Breesa Pierce, IEW students ages 8 and 11. Each of them competed in her first writing contest this past summer. Nataly won first place, and Breesa took third in separate... read more

“A Real Gold Mine”: Tutor Testimonial from Christine Gurzler
As we continue to mark Dyslexia Awareness Month and National Learning Disabilities Month, in today’s blog post we would like to feature a testimonial written by Christine Gurzler. Christine has a private tutoring... read more

Homeschool Help: A New Facebook Group for All Homeschoolers
Many of the longtime readers of this blog are veteran homeschoolers. If you are one, you’ve already wrestled with the balance of work, academics, and social life. You’ve done your due diligence deciding... read more

Oh, What You Can Do … in a Line! (Part 2)
Maybe you have been able to try out a few of the ideas from my previous post. When you establish the practice of asking questions when the students are in line, it is... read more

Many Educational Choices: One Writing Method 5-Day Schools
During my thirty-four-year career as an elementary school teacher, I taught at seven schools in four school districts in three states.... read more

Hybrid schools: Homeschooling just got a lot easier.
Hybrid schools are popping up across the country at an astounding rate. At these schools, homeschooled students attend classes 2–3 days... read more

The Value of a Consistent Writing Process for Schools
A History of Inconsistency Over the course of my thirty-four-year career as an elementary school teacher, I taught at seven schools in... read more

Scheduling Fun in a Full Day
“Wait. You work nearly thirty hours a week and you’re in school?!” While attending school full time, I also work for... read more

A Poem for National Arbor Day
Today is National Arbor Day, a day that recognizes the significance of trees in our world. It is a day to... read more

A Poem for Your Independence Day
Have you and your students memorized any poetry of late? Perhaps you're working your way through Linguistic Development through Poetry Memorization... read more

IEW Tools for the Journey: Schools Department
As part of IEW’s continued commitment to providing parents and teachers with help for the journey of training students to be... read more

The Five Canons of Rhetoric, Part 2: Podcast Episode 237
Picking up from where they left off last week, Andrew and Julie continue their discussion about rhetoric. At the end of... read more

The Five Canons of Rhetoric, Part 1: Podcast Episode 236
Unfortunately viewed by some people in the modern world with distaste, rhetoric has deep roots that extend all the way back... 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

Many Educational Choices: One Writing Method Hybrid Schools
In 2013 as an IEW Educational Consultant, I conducted the Teaching Writing: Structure and Style® (TWSS) seminar at Legacy Christian Academy,... read more

Learn about IEW’s Hybrid Schools Division: Podcast Episode 276
IEW has long served the home education world. Several years ago the company also established a second division to support traditional... read more

Week 5 of The Great TWSS Adventure: Unit 5
During the Last Facebook Live (June 28) Over the noon hour, Andrew Pudewa and Nathan King continued their discussion about Structure and... read more

Week 7 of the Great TWSS Adventure: Unit 7
Teachers and teaching parents from across the globe who are participating in the Great Adventure will tackle Unit 7 this week.... read more

Week 6 of the Great TWSS Adventure: Unit 6
Last Week When Andrew Pudewa and Nathan King reconvened for last week’s Facebook Live event, they began by discussing some of the... read more

Week 4 of The Great TWSS Adventure: Unit 4
Last Week This past Monday, Andrew Pudewa and Nathan King sat down together once again, this time to discuss Unit 3: Retelling... read more

Week 8 of The Great TWSS Adventure: Unit 8
If you are participating in this year’s Great TWSS Adventure, this week you will be encountering formal essay models. The essay... read more

Week 9 of The Great TWSS Adventure: Unit 9
This week marks the penultimate week for this year’s Great TWSS Adventure. If you have kept up with the schedule, you... read more

Nurturing Success: Serving Schools of Every Kind: Podcast Episode 319
In 1990 Andrew along with other teachers traveled to Alberta, Canada, for a ten-day teacher-training seminar. It was there that Andrew... read more

Week 2 of the Great TWSS Adventure: Introducing Stylistic Techniques
Last Week On Monday of last week, Andrew Pudewa and Nathan King kicked off the 2021 event. Describing why Units 1... read more

A Poem for the Holiday: “Thanksgiving Day” by Lydia Maria Child
One of the most familiar poems associated with Thanksgiving is this one, “Thanksgiving Day” by Lydia Maria Child. Interestingly, there are... read more

Week 1 of the Great TWSS Adventure: Units 1 and 2
This week launches a grand adventure. The travelers are from all around the world, but they are united in a single purpose:... read more

Make the Arts of Language Podcast a Part of Your Day
Here we are, ready to record another podcast. Yes, IEW has decided to launch into the podcasting world to better support teachers parents hybrid... 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

World Emoji Day ?
It was late in the evening on July 17, and I was mindlessly scrolling through my news feed on my tablet... read more

On This Day
On October 25, 1854, history was made in a tucked away corner of eastern Europe called Crimea. In that area during... read more

Celebrating National Dictionary Day
Do you have a dictionary on your shelf? If so, the odds are solid that it has the name Webster’s emblazoned... read more

It’s a Marathon, Not a Sprint
American culture appreciates speed. So many people seem to be in a hurry. People fly down the interstate in their cars.... read more

Instilling a Love of Reading – A Mentor‘s Task
As National Mentoring Month ends and February, the month of love, begins, I wonder if one of your favorite books holds... 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

It’s a Wrap!
With the final day of IEW’s Twelve Days of Christmas Giving event only recently completed, we wanted to take a moment... read more

A Classic Resource
Which IEW product has been around nearly as long as the Teaching Writing: Structure and Style (TWSS) seminar? The Writing Source... read more

Are You a Part of a Read-Aloud Family? A Conversation with Sarah Mackenzie
Reading aloud to your students is one of the most important things you can do as an educator. Reading aloud makes... read more

A Worthwhile Investment
One of the most frequent questions IEW’s customer service receives is “How much parent involvement does this program require?” This is... read more

Making a Way through the Murk: a Homeschool Journey
Eighteen years ago I embarked on a bold, new adventure. Imagining myself as an early seafaring explorer, I researched my intended... read more

A Head Full of Hats: Life of a Homeschool Mom
Like Dr. Seuss’ beloved Bartholomew Cubbins, parents wear many hats. Unlike Bartholomew, who couldn’t seem to take off all his hats,... read more

A Tandem Team for a Successful First Year: SSS and TWSS
Here at the Institute for Excellence in Writing, the Schools Department Educational Consultants have been working diligently for months to help... read more

Building a Sound City
What do city streets, a senior retreat, digraph deliveries, and a silent letter library have in common? They can all be... read more

Laying a Firm Foundation
My daughter and I have enjoyed venturing back into ancient history studies this past year. Of the four-year history cycle that... read more

A Buffet of Options
"Which should I choose?" is a common question from parents and teachers exploring IEW's two main options for teaching the Structure... read more

A Slip of Spring
Spring is never late in her arrival by date, although some of us may be embracing her warmth a little more... read more

Edit with a Smile
Teaching writing would be my favorite job if it weren’t for grading. When a student hands in a composition and a... read more

A World of Difference
I love spring! It evokes so many memories for me. The trickle of the snow melting off the roof, the poke... read more

A Citation Pathway – A Conversation with Denise Kelley: Podcast Episode 347
When writers gather information from outside sources, it is important to give credit where credit is due and to cite the... 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

A Case for Cursive
In today’s western world, children typically first learn to print before they learn cursive—if they even learn cursive at all. However,... read more

A Case for Cursive
In today’s western world, children typically first learn to print before they learn cursive, if they even learn cursive at all.... read more

2017: A Personal Recap
Did you know that, according to Statistic Brain, of all the people who firmly resolve to make some serious changes in... read more

A Conversation Between a Couple of Family Men: Podcast Episode 157
Author, artist, and all around great guy Todd Wilson joined Andrew Pudewa and Julie Walker for some conversation in Podcast 157... read more

How to Make Reading Aloud the Best Part of Your Day
Enjoy this guest post by Sarah Mackenzie, author and creator of the popular blog, Read-Aloud Revival. When you’re done, check out... read more

Product Spotlight: A Word Write Now: A Thematic Thesaurus for Stylized Writing
Getting students to write using vivid language is easier said than done. Asking them to “show, not tell” when they... read more

A Wintry Mix of Words
I’ll be honest. Winter is not something I think of very often. Living in Florida, I typically think of winter as... read more

A Christmas Story for the Senses: Dylan Thomas’ “A Child’s Christmas in Wales”
As time seems to speed up the closer we get to the holidays, many educators are preparing special class sessions to... read more

A Haiku for the Holidays
Sometimes it’s energizing to take a break from the regular routine to explore something new. One idea I have incorporated in... read more

The Story of a Story
My connection with the Lee family began with a phone call. One of IEW’s customer service agents spoke with a woman... read more

A Poem: “Bed in Summer”
One of the hallmarks of spring for most of the United States is the annual shift to daylight saving time. This... read more

Unit 5: A Winter Scene
Take a look at the image below: ... read more

Unit 5: A Thanksgiving Scene
With the holiday season on the horizon and many students presently writing Unit 5 compositions, now is a perfect time to... read more

A New Box of Crayons
As an adult, I still associate going back to school with a particular scent—the aroma of a freshly opened box of... read more

Tutoring with IEW—A Win-Win!
IEW is taught across homes and schools all around the world. Often it is a teacher or parent who guides students... read more

Homophones: A Part and Apart
According to Dictionary.com, a homophone is defined as a word pronounced the same as another but differing in meaning, whether spelled... read more

Unit 4: Summarizing a Reference
If you are moving through the IEW units at the pace of about one a month, you are either now in... read more

A Beloved Poem of Winter
The arrival of 2019 heralds more than the promise of a new beginning. It also harkens back to nearly one hundred... read more

Building a Fortress of Encouragement
"Sometimes we feel like if we can't do it perfectly, we won't have success. The truth is, if it's worth doing,... read more

National Dog Day: Celebrating the Special Relationship between People and Their Pooches
It’s been said that the dog is man’s best friend. This aphorism has certainly been born out in classic literature. August... read more

Teacher Training Method Options: Live On-Site Professional Development: Demonstration and Coaching Day
As a classroom teacher, I participated in scores of staff development days, where my colleagues and I were trained in new... read more

A Suzuki History: Podcast Episode 155
“Ten thousand times, and then begins understanding.” Japanese saying That proverb reflects a philosophy that sounds foreign to Western minds, but it... read more

Teaching through a Theme-Based Book
“I hear and I forget; I see and I remember; I write and I understand.” This axiom is often quoted in... read more

Support for a Memorable Year Ahead
The year 2020 has certainly been extraordinary. In early spring we were plunged into a worldwide pandemic that we are still... read more

Lessons Learned from A Christmas Carol
This year, as the leaves depart from their branches and cover our lawns with their warm colors, I look back on... read more

Public Speaking: A Means of Growth
As a customer service representative, I get lots of questions from homeschool moms who want their kids to get the most... read more

Feeling Fallish—A Poem About October
Whether you live in Fort Lauderdale or Fairbanks, fall is upon us. For some of us the leaves are turning colors.... read more

Delight in Learning: A Contagious Condition
As a dyslexia tutor, one of the ways I connect with other tutors who do the same thing is through social... read more

Sharing a Season Filled with Gratitude
As educators, whether of the traditional brick-and-mortar variety, the homeschool variety, or anything in between, we earnestly desire to prepare our... read more

Getting Started with a Surprise Gift!
It is Day 12, and we are excited to announce the surprise gifts that close out IEW’s Twelve Days of Christmas... read more

A Poem in Honor of Fall
Fall is here! The days of summer, with its hot sun, refreshing dips in the pool, and long days of languid... read more

Training Method Options, Part 6: Live On-Site Professional Development — Observation and Coaching Day
Making Excellent Writing Teachers through Individual Coaching IEW’s Observation and Coaching Day supports classroom teachers and administrators during implementation of the Structure... read more

Training Method Options Part 7: Live On-Site Professional Development: Review and Refinement Day
Making Master Teachers by Designing a Customized Professional Development Day for Your School People love to customize things. Whether it’s selecting the... read more

Motivation: A Breath of Fresh Air
As educators, we all dream of the day that our students are motivated and excited about each assignment. Imagine if instead... read more

Classic Learning Test – A Better Way
For decades, the standardized testing world has been dominated by two juggernauts: ACT and SAT. However, changes in the way that... read more

Writing a Paper with Unit 2
IEW teaches students to write with structure and with style. Style includes vocabulary. Structure is the elements found in compositions. Throughout... read more

A Special Needs Child Meets PAL
This past month of October, our focus has been on special needs. We’d like to share again a special post that... read more

The Solar Eclipse: A Writing Activity
All across the United States, people today peered up into the skies to participate in a unique heavenly event, a solar... read more

The Art of Teaching a Skill
Or, The Skill of Teaching an Art In Monday's webinar, What are we really doing here? (Aug. 3, 2015) Andrew Pudewa discussed the... read more

Compose or Comprise? A Dictionary Investigation
Which words correctly fill in the blanks? Fifty states ________________ the Union. (compose, comprise) The Supreme Court typically ______________ nine justices. (composes, comprises) Do... read more

A Poem for Fall: “The Fieldmouse”
Now that fall is firmly here at least in most of the United States, we thought we’d share a poem that... read more

Blog Post: A Tale of Two Districts
With the continued emphasis on writing proficiency for students in American schools, choosing a writing curriculum has undeniably become a data-driven... read more

Sage Advice for a Successful School Year
If you have recently strolled into your local big box store, you likely have seen shelves upon shelves of back to... read more

From the Forums: Teachers Making a Difference
“We now must exhort each other; let us continue to train our students in the use of this great weaponry—the skills... read more

Teaching IEW in a Classical Homeschool Cooperative
Frederick East Classical, a relatively new homeschool cooperative, is taking central Maryland by storm. In its inaugural year alone, many families... read more

Dispelling Darkness One Book at a Time
It’s midsummer. By now your kids are tired of the pool, tired of the playground, and tired of having nothing to... read more

Pursuing College in a Whole New Way – A Conversation with Dr. Nicholas Ellis: Podcast Episode 331
Recently Dr. Nicholas Ellis paid a visit to IEW’s campus in Bixby, Oklahoma. Dr. Ellis is the founder and CEO of... read more

Entrepreneurship Step 1: Picking a Business Idea
by Carol Topp, CPA Picking a micro business idea is not difficult if you follow a guided plan. Begin by brainstorming what... 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

I Learned English in a Latin Classroom
It is said that English is one of the hardest languages to learn. It breaks its own rules more than it... read more

“If” You Can Offer Just a Little
Sometimes a poem can encapsulate a situation or provide the narration of our life experiences. It can also instruct in virtue,... read more

The Brain Benefits of a Great Book
Some of my earliest memories center around literature. As a young child, I recall many happy hours spent sitting next to... read more

Why Attend a Homeschool Convention This Year?
Time is precious. Money can be tight. Travel must be prioritized. And, almost all the information you will ever need can... read more

Unboxing PAL: A Peek inside the Packages
With school on the cusp of starting up again, we thought it would be helpful to describe in detail a few... read more

A Conversation about Grammar: Podcast Episode 181
March is National Grammar month, so for this month we have been highlighting the topic in our blog as well as... read more

Confessions of a Homeschooler: Podcast Episode 217
In the latest Arts of Language Podcast, Episode 217, Andrew Pudewa and Julie Walker invited Erica Arndt to speak with them.... read more

Unit 5: Writing from a Christmas Picture
# # The month of December is a hectic one. You may barely be through the Thanksgiving turkey leftovers, and then suddenly you... read more

A Strong September Start: Podcast Episode 154
3...2...1...Blastoff! With the launch of the school year, students are springing into IEW’s first two units—Note Making and Outlines and Writing... read more

Beyond Surviving: A Story of Thriving with ADHD
In my house I have a son who I’m trying to help grow up into the man he’s meant to be.... read more

The Journey’s End: Reflections of a Homeschool Mom
This year has been quite a remarkable one for our family. In the midst of the chaos of COVID-19, we have... read more

How a Hybrid School Found Success with IEW
Louis Lemmon: Hybrid School Administrator Founded in 2005, Lake Pointe Academy is a K–12 University-Model® school of approximately 195 students. Louis Lemmon served... read more

A Compelling Competition: The IEW Essay Writing Contest
One of my favorite jobs is working at a local academic homeschool co-op. This year I am the high school English... read more

Starting Strong — Tips for a New School Year
It’s August, and a new school year is fast approaching. IEW’s Customer Service Team and Schools Division Educational Consultants have years... read more

Mother: Creating a Legacy of Love and Learning
In 1988 my parents decided that home education was the best option for our family. We lived in California at the... read more

A Bookish Discussion, Part 2: Podcast Episode 284
Picking up where they left off last week, Andrew and Julie continue working their way through the list of books that... read more

Laughing and Learning: A Match Made in Heaven
James Thurber, a famous American humorist, once said, “Humor is a serious thing. I like to think of it as one... read more

Taking a Peek into Windows to the World
IEW’s pathway features a great progression of coursework to help your students develop their writing skills, but those are not the... read more

A Holiday Poem: “Thanksgiving” by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
While the turkey is roasting in the oven, the pies are cooling on the counter, and the rolls are rising, why... read more

A Brief Tour through the IEW Writing Units
When you teach writing with IEW®, you are constructing a solid writing foundation for your students. IEW’s writing structure is based... read more

A Bookish Discussion, Part 1: Podcast Episode 283
One of the questions Andrew Pudewa frequently receives while he’s at various conferences is, “What are you reading?” In this episode... read more

Poetry In the House: A Tribute to Mothers
About a month ago shortly before Mother’s Day, Andrew Pudewa issued a challenge around the IEW office—to write a poem about... read more

A Bookish Discussion, Part 3: Podcast Episode 285
With podcast Episode 285 Andrew Pudewa concludes recounting the accumulated twenty-year tally of his “Best Book of the Year List.” To... read more

A Poem to Mark the End of April
We are about to move out of April, which also marks the end of National Poetry Month. But before we do,... read more

A Poem to Inspire Written and Spoken Language
Language has always fascinated me. When I speak and write, I am always trying to find ways to paint a vivid... read more

A Visit with Sarah Mackenzie: Podcast Episode 337
Listen. Speak. Read. Write. Think! In addition to writing, reading is an important language art. Andrew often speaks about the role that... read more

Which Words Work? A Lot, Allot, or Alot?
When I review my students’ papers, the same words tend to be confused and misused. Among the most frequent errors I... read more

A Podcast with Heidi St. John: Episode 122
Now that the relaxing Christmas break is over, are you finding yourself suddenly thrust back in the business of life and... read more

Looking at Literature: A Peek inside the Packages
Andrew Pudewa’s talk Nurturing Competent Communicators exhorts parents and teachers to do two things: Share the beauty and brilliance of literature... read more

Becoming a Read-Aloud Family: Podcast Episode 128
# # Recently Andrew Pudewa and Julie Walker had an opportunity to sit down with Sarah Mackenzie, busy homeschool mom, accomplished author, and... read more

A Conversation with Susan Barton: Podcast Episode 159
Andrew Pudewa and Julie Walker recently welcomed Susan Barton into the studio. Susan is the developer of the Barton Reading and... read more

Back to School: Advice from a College Junior
by Jacob Mauser Do you have a student heading off to college this year for the first time? Share this blog post... read more

“Winter,” a Poem by Walter de la Mare
Today’s featured poem is composed by Walter de la Mare, the poet who also crafted “Some One,” a poem encountered in... read more

A Beginner’s Introduction to the International Phonetic Alphabet
kæn juː riːd ðɪs If you have not heard of the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), then the above characters likely look extremely... read more

A Conversation with Dr. David Wilkes: Podcast Episode184†
On Podcast Episode 184, Andrew and Julie welcome into the studio Dr. David Wilkes, an English professor at Mount Vernon Nazarene... read more

“An Adieu”: A Poem by Florence Earle Coates
The month of April marks National Poetry Month. As the school year is beginning to wind down and summer nears, it... read more

Passing the Baton: Living a Life of Mentorship
Who are the mentors in your life? Hopefully all of us have experienced the blessing of having a mentor to help... read more

Less or Fewer? A Baker’s Experiment in Grammar
These days, it seems that I am perpetually in my home. I suspect many of us are. Being in my home... read more

Teacher Training Method Options: Video Training as a Group
Part one of this series on teacher training method options described Video Training through Individual Streaming. A more affordable option is... read more

One Step at a Time: Balancing Health and School
Parents decide to homeschool their children for different reasons. Many choose homeschooling because they enjoy selecting what curriculum they use and... read more

Taking a Look at IEW’s 2022 Online Class Offerings
With the arrival of June, many parents are beginning to plan in earnest for the upcoming school year. If you have... read more

Oh, What You Can Do … in a Line! (Part 1)
Seven Things You Can Do with Your Students to Make Their Time Standing in Line Productive How will I get it all... read more

The Edifying Flame of Candlelight: A Unit 4 Opportunity
Have you ever tuned in to hear Andrew Pudewa speak at a Classical Consortium event? If so, you've probably also enjoyed... read more

Building a Strong Foundation with Units 1 and 2
IEW teaches students to write with structure and with style. Style includes vocabulary. Structure is the elements found in compositions. Throughout... read more

Hate of Learning: One Cause and a Possible Remedy
If you've ever had a child who resisted learning, grumping and dragging her feet over every assignment, you'll sympathize with Andrew's... read more

A Sonnet in Honor of the Student Resource Packet
Our Student Resource Packet is a pretty nifty item. Broken down by the nine IEW units and including sections dedicated to... read more

The Power of Imitation: Crafting a Key Word Outline
Imitation. It’s one of the earliest and most impactful ways that humans learn. A very young baby learns to smile at... read more

“A Remarkable Leap Forward”: Tutor Testimonial from Sherry Grubbs
It has been a tremendous blessing to have discovered IEW early on in my homeschooling journey. With... read more

My IEW Journey: Becoming a Successful IEW Classroom Writing Teacher
As a child, I wanted to become a second-grade teacher. In college, though, my parents pushed me to study business instead.... read more

Customer Service Answers: A Little Help along the Way
At IEW we want the courses we provide to be ones that will excite and engage both you and your student.... read more

Becoming a Book Eater: On the Value of Annotation
One of my most favorite high school classes to teach is literary analysis. Partly the reason is because I hold an... read more

A Visit with Dr. Carol Swain: Podcast Episode 282 †
For podcast Episode 282, Andrew and Julie invited Dr. Carol Swain to join them. Both Dr. Swain and Andrew Pudewa will... read more

Writing Rewarded: A Conversation with Nataly and Breesa Pierce
Meet Nataly and Breesa Pierce, IEW students ages 8 and 11. Each of them competed in her first writing contest this... read more

“A Real Gold Mine”: Tutor Testimonial from Christine Gurzler
As we continue to mark Dyslexia Awareness Month and National Learning Disabilities Month, in today’s blog post we would like to... read more

Homeschool Help: A New Facebook Group for All Homeschoolers
Many of the longtime readers of this blog are veteran homeschoolers. If you are one, you’ve already wrestled with the balance... read more

Oh, What You Can Do … in a Line! (Part 2)
Maybe you have been able to try out a few of the ideas from my previous post. When you establish the... read more
Cannon or canon? While Andrew would probably love to talk about cannonballs, he and Julie turn their attention to the five canons of rhetoric. Enjoy part one of this series as the duo takes on these classic elements of persuasive writing and speaking: invention, arrangement, elocution, memory, and delivery.
Go to Part 2
REFERENCED MATERIALS:
- "The Five Canons of Rhetoric"
- Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
- Structure and Style® for Students
- The National Christian Forensics and Communications Association
- Teaching Writing: Structure and Style
- High School Essay Intensive (Discontinued)
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com
The leading area of growth in IEW is the Schools Division. New Educational Consultants have been added to keep up with the growing number of schools that are excited to implement Structure and Style in their classrooms. Join Andrew Pudewa and Julie Walker in this week’s podcast as they converse with Sharyn Staggers, IEW Schools Division Director. Sharyn shares how she became involved with IEW and explains how schools can connect with an Educational Consultant.
Referenced Materials
- Sharyn Staggers
- Teaching Writing: Structure and Style
- Structure and Style for Students
- Theme-Based Writing Lessons
- Learning Differences? IEW can help!
- IEW Research
- Episode 384: Back to the Beginning with Units 1 and 2
- IEW's Professional Development Options
- View and Request School Samples
- Schools Magalog
- Transcript of Podcast Episode 387
If you have questions for Andrew, send them to Podcast@IEW.com
Perhaps your question will be answered at the next Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have questions about IEW products or classes, contact customer service at 800.856.5815 or info@IEW.com
Andrew and Julie welcome our Lead Educational Consultant, Sharyn Staggers, to the mic this week. Learn how Sharyn came to know IEW, appreciate her role in aiding teachers and schools, and be inspired by her message about the power of the teacher training.
REFERENCED MATERIALS:
- Sharyn Staggers
- IEW Schools Division
- Teaching Writing: Structure and Style
- Theme-Based Writing Lessons
- Classroom Supplement and Lesson Plans
- Berwyn School District Study
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com
Finish up the conversation with Andrew and Julie as they talk more deeply about each of the five canons of rhetoric. From how to arrange your ideas to how to deliver them in an appealing manner, Andrew provides suggestions for mastering these elements of rhetoric.
REFERENCED MATERIALS:
- "The Five Canons of Rhetoric"
- "Convert...to Pens!" by Andrew Pudewa
- "I Have a Dream" by Martin Luther King
- "Nurturing Competent Communicators"
- "4 Deadly Errors of Teaching Writing"
- Linguistic Development through Poetry Memorization
- Memorize the Faith! by Kevin Vost
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com
Is IEW for homeschoolers? Or is it for full-time classroom teachers? Does it work well in a hybrid-school model? The short answer is yes! This week, Andrew and Julie unpack how IEW's Structure and Style methodology came to be and discuss how the method of teaching writing is successful in any educational setting.
Referenced Materials:
- Learn to Write and THINK with IEW
- Blended Structure and Style in Composition by Dr. James B. Wesbter
- Dr. James B. Webster
- The Blended Sound-Sight Program of Learning by Anna Ingham
- Anna Ingham
- Teaching Writing: Structure and Style
- The Great TWSS Adventure
- IEW's Schools Division
- Evan Smith
- Theme-Based Writing Lessons
- Magalog
- "Special needs? IEW can help!"
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com.
Over recent years, more and more parents are enrolling their students in a hybrid school. Because of this, Andrew and Julie welcome hybrid schools manager Laura House. Tune in to hear how the dynamic of hybrid programs might flow, and learn how Laura and her team assess the needs of different schools.
REFERENCED MATERIALS:
- "Learn about IEW’s Hybrid Schools Division"
- Laura House
- Debbi Hall
- Teaching Writing: Structure and Style
- Structure and Style Overview DVD
- Structure and Style for Students
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com
With Father's Day approaching, Julie asks Andrew to reflect on his childhood with his father. Join us in this retrospective episode as Andrew shares fond memories about his father, like frequent sailboat trips and humorous poetry reads.
REFERENCED MATERIALS:
- "Remembering Andrew's Father"
- "Things My Mother Did Right"
- Nature Deficit Disorder
- Bud & Me by Alta Abernathy
- Free Range Kids
- "The Waste Land" by T.S. Eliot
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com
In this episode, Andrew Pudewa and Julie Walker talk about one of Andrew’s favorite subjects—healthy living. He shares the changes he has made recently and the resources he has used. Finally, they offer easy ways homeschoolers in particular can incorporate a healthier lifestyle.
Referenced Materials
- "Richard Branson: Finding the Right Balance in Business"
- Eat to Beat Disease by William W. Li
- Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker
- Episode 364: Health and Wellness with Katie Wells
- The Complete Guide to Fasting by Jason Fung
- Episode 348: Nature Deficit Disorder
- Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv
- 1000 Hours Outside™
- Until the Streetlights Come On by Ginny Yurich
- Transcript of Podcast Episode 444
If you have questions for Andrew, send them to podcast@IEW.com
Perhaps your question will be answered at the next Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have questions about IEW products or classes, contact customer service at 800.856.5815 or info@IEW.com
Join us as Andrew discusses his research and cites studies that emphasize the learning differences between boys and girls. Learn how to motivate boys and other active learners by creating relevancy and respecting each child's individual needs.
REFERENCED MATERIALS:
- Podcast with Jill Pike
- Motivation
- Article
- Audio talk
- Podcast Series: Part 1 |Part 2
- Why Gender Matters by Leonard Sax, Ph.D (Amazon Affiliate)
- Boys Adrift by Leonard Sax, Ph.D (Amazon Affiliate)
- Girls on the Edge by Leonard Sax, Ph.D (Amazon Affiliate)
- The Collapse of Parenting by Leonard Sax, Ph.D (Amazon Affiliate)
- Writing Well by Donald Hall (Amazon Affiliate)
- Writing to Learn by William Zinsser (Amazon Affiliate)
- The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White (Amazon Affiliate)
- Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst (Amazon Affiliate)
- Fix It! Grammar
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com
Since Andrew is out traveling, Julie welcomes Beth O’Connor to chat with her. Learn about Beth’s role as an Educational Consultant and receive encouragement from Beth as she shares a special message to those beginning IEW.
REFERENCED MATERIALS:
- Beth O'Connor
- IEW Schools Division
- Linda Mikottis
- Teaching Writing: Structure and Style
- Click here [Contest Ended] to enter the Following Narnia Volume 1: The Lion's Song giveaway.
- Click here [Contest Ended] to enter the IEW® Handbook for Administrators and School Leaders giveaway.
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com
The summer season is a great time to review and strengthen knowledge that you might not have time for throughout the school year. This week, Andrew and Julie offer suggestions for teaching parents and teachers to stay sharp over the long break. Listen to the podcast to find ways to feel prepared before the new school year, like watching the Teaching Writing: Structure and Style or following along with the The Great TWSS Adventure!
Referenced Materials:
- Teaching Writing: Structure and Style®
- Teaching Writing: Structure and Style [Premium Membership]
- Henckels Self-Sharpening Knife Block Set
- The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
- The Great TWSS Adventure
- Instructor Accreditation Program
- Linda Mikottis
- IEW's Structure and Style Writing Workshops in 2022
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com.
When writers gather information from outside sources, it is important to give credit where credit is due and to cite the sources. Although this is important, learning to cite sources in various formats can be overwhelming, especially for younger students. This week, Andrew Pudewa and Julie Walker welcome IEW's Senior Product Manager, Denise Kelley, to speak about documentation. In this episode Denise discusses how IEW's products utilize the EZ+1 method to teach documentation by gradually teaching students how to cite sources in a step-by-step process.
Referenced Materials
- Denise Kelley
- Live Online Writing Classes from IEW
- EasyBib®
- Citation Machine®
- Dr. James B. Webster
- Purdue OWL®
- Theme-Based Writing Lessons
- Transcript of Podcast Episode 347
If you have questions for Andrew, send them to podcast@IEW.com
Perhaps your question will be answered at the next Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have questions about IEW products or classes, contact customer service at 800.856.5815 or info@IEW.com
As Father's Day approaches and graduates move on to the next chapter of their life, Andrew and Julie open the conversation discussing the tools or "ingredients" grads can pack away in their suitcase. Join us for this insightful episode where Andrew reflects on the environment he tried to create for his children to aid them as they began building a life of their own.
Referenced Materials:
- Teaching Writing: Structure and Style
- High School Essay Intensive (Discontinued)
- "Humor in Teaching and Speaking" by Andrew Pudewa
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or info@IEW.com
Once Andrew finished the book, he immediately went back to page one and read it again. Which book was it? Tune in to this episode to find out! Starting from 2007, Andrew and Julie continue down the list of Andrew's top book of the year. Andrew will discuss books that helped shape some of his best known talks, and he will also discuss fictional books, emphasizing the value of the genre and the importance of children's literature.
REFERENCED MATERIALS
- "A Bookish Discussion, Part 2"
- Boys Adrift by Dr. Leonard Sax
- Teaching Boys & Other Children Who Would Rather Make Forts All Day by Andrew Pudewa
- More of Dr. Sax's Work:
- Podcast Episode with Dr. Sax
- Mysteries of Life in Children's Literature by Dr. Mitchell Kalpakgian
- "Nurturing Competent Communicators" audio talk by Andrew Pudewa
- A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket
- Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
- Chance or the Dance by Thomas Howard
- Why Johnny Can't Write by Myra J. Linden and Arthur Whimbey
- The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
- Teaching Writing: Structure and Style
- Dr. James B. Webster
- The Book of the Dun Cow by Walter Wangerin Jr.
- Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
- Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com
In this two-part podcast, Andrew reviews the methodology behind and procedure for successfully teaching Unit 3: Retelling Narrative Stories. After a brief overview of the unit, Andrew will walk step-by-step through an assignment, demonstrating Unit 3 methods and concepts for both the teacher/parent and student.
Referenced Materials:
- Click here to download the slides that accompanied the original Structure and Style Units 3 webinar.
- Teaching Writing: Structure and Style Upgrade
- Premium Subscription
- Free Aesop Fables Online
- Anna Ingham
- Dr. James B. Webster
- Blended Structure and Style in Composition by Dr. James B. Webster, Ph.D
- Mini Posters
- Classroom Posters
- Theme-Based Writing Lessons
- Medieval History-Based Writing Lessons by Lori Verstegen
- Writing Source Packet
- Magnum Opus Magazine
- IEW Families Forum
- IEW Teachers Forum
- Monthly e-Newsletter
- Blog
QUESTIONS ASKED:
- 24:04 - Liz asks, "What are your recommendations for supporting a parent whose first language is not English?"
- 25:09 - Amy asks, "as the students use computers more and more, I'm finding that the rough draft is being typed on the computer, edited on the computer, and then printed as a final draft. Should I require my students to print the rough draft, mark it up, correct it, and then re-print it?"
- 27:12 - Tracy asks, "I have a fourth grader doing IEW along with two middle school students, still now working on the who/which and adding -ly next week. The two older are doing -ly, who/which, strong verb, and because clause. How do I catch him up and not make him feel we are going too fast?"
- 28:59 - Savina asks, "Regarding the source can you use a child's own story as a starting point?"
- 30:41 - Michelle asks, "When asking questions and you have more than 3 words to answer, can you add the additional info into a new number?"
- 31:26 - Christina asks, "I'm having a hard time getting my child to re-tell the story. He is eight."
- 32:39 - Janet asks, "Do you need to write a line in the outline for each sentence?"
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com
Structure and Style is a registered trademark of the Institute for Excellence in Writing, L.L.C.
Since Andrew is unable to make it to the mic, Julie sits down with Laura House, IEW's Marketing Manager, and asks Laura questions about her experience with the company. Laura shares how she came to know IEW and encourages parents and teachers to take that first step and give IEW a try.
Referenced Materials:
- Laura House
- Student Writing Intensive
- Student Writing Intensive Continuation Course
- IEW's Blog
- Webinar Archive
- IEW Schools Division
- IEW's Online Classes
- Magnum Opus Magazine
- Megan Horst
- IEW Families Forum
- IEW Teachers Forum
- Monthly e-Newsletter
- Teaching Writing: Structure and Style
- Click here to enter the Student Writing Continuation Course Level B giveaway
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com
Email, snail mail, mail bag! Once again Andrew and Julie open and read mail sent from students, teachers, and parents. In this delightful episode students share how confident they are since learning IEW's writing method, and teachers and parents express gratitude for the transformation they've witnessed in their students' writing ability. By the way, many of the students wrote their letters using the five-paragraph model!
REFERENCED MATERIALS:
- Structure and Style for Students
- Teaching Writing: Structure and Style
- IEW's 2021 Writing Conference
- IEW's School Site
- Fix It! Grammar
- Episode 280: Ask Andrew Anything
- Beth O'Connor
- The Phonetic Zoo
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com
With memory losing its value in the modern age, Andrew and Julie turn their attention to the goodness of the art. Beginning with the origin, Andrew shares the history of memory and how important it was in the ancient world. Join us this week as the duo discusses how memorization furnishes the mind, and be inspired as Andrew explains how memory is the mother of artistic invention.
REFERENCED MATERIALS:
- "The Goodness of Memory, Part 1"
- "Nurturing Competent Communicators"
- Linguistic Development through Poetry Memorization
- "The Five Canons of Rhetoric"
- Mnemosnye
- The Iliad by Homer
- "The Art and Science of Motivation"
- The Blended Sound-Sight Program of Learning by Anna Ingham
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com
Since Andrew can't make it to the mic, IEW's Customer Service Manager Jessica Walker steps up and answers a few of Julie's questions. Learn about Jessica's experience with IEW and listen to Jessica's message on the importance of enjoying this journey of education. Listen until the end to hear what product Jessica will be giving away!
REFERENCED MATERIALS:
- Jessica Walker
- Demonstration Lesson - Primary
- Click here to enter the Primary Arts of Language: Reading-Writing Complete Package giveaway.
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com
This is the nineteenth episode of twenty-four in the podcast series Reviewing Our Greatest Hits. This show was initially launched on January 3, 2018, as Episode 122.
Share the fun and gain some insights as Julie chats with homeschool mom and author Heidi St. John. After homeschooling for many years, Heidi pulled together her experience and wrote The Busy Homeschool Mom's Guide to Romance. Join us as Heidi shares her goal of strengthening families and offers her advice to busy moms who feel overwhelmed with the tasks at hand.
Referenced Materials:
- Heidi St. John: The Busy Mom
- Podcast with Kristin Boutross
- Podcast with Laura House
- "But, but, but ... What about Grammar?" audio talk by Andrew Pudewa
- Structure and Style® for Students
- IEW Schools
- Janet Spitler
- The Busy Mom's Guide to Romance by Heidi St. John
- Books by Heidi St. John
- The Firmly Planted Resource Center
- Heidi's Instagram
- Heidi's Facebook Page
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com
While Andrew is away, Julie chats with homeschool mom and author Heidi St. John. After homeschooling for many years, Heidi pulled together her experience and wrote The Busy Homeschool Mom's Guide to Romance. Join us as Heidi shares her goal of strengthening families and offers her advice to busy moms who feel overwhelmed with the tasks at hand.
Referenced Materials:
- Heidi St. John's Website
- Podcast with Kristin Boutross
- Podcast with Laura House
- But, but, but ... What about Grammar? audio talk by Andrew Pudewa
- Student Writing Intensive
- IEW Schools
- Janet Spitler
- The Busy Homeschool Mom's Guide to Romance by Heidi St. John
- Books by Heidi St. John
- The Firmly Planted Resource Center
- Heidi's Instagram
- Heidi's Facebook Page
- Click here to enter the Student Writing Intensive giveaway (ends January 30, 2018)
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com
For this Homeschool 101 episode, Andrew and Julie welcome Brandy Ferrell to the mic. Brandy is a homeschool mom of four, an IEW affiliate, and the founder of Half-a-Hundred Acre Wood. In the episode Brandy shares her story of homeschooling, talks about her experience with IEW materials, and speaks on the curriculum and resources she offers to other homeschoolers.
Referenced Materials:
- IEW’s 2022 Summer Conference [Live and Online]
- The Joys of Boys
- Teaching Boys & Other Children Who Would Rather Make Forts All Day audio talk
- Teaching Writing: Structure and Style®
- Script-n-Scribe Handwriting
- Through Gates of Splendor by Elisabeth Elliot
- A Chance to Die: The Life and Legacy of Amy Carmichael by Elisabeth Elliot
- God's Smuggler by Brother Andrew, John Sherrill, and Elizabeth Sherrill
- Gladys Aylward: The Adventure of a Lifetime by Janet Benge
- Richard Wurmbrand: Love Your Enemies by Janet and Geoff Benge
- Sabina Movie
- Tortured for Christ Movie
- Eric Liddell: Something Greater than Gold by Janet and Geoff Benge
- Theme-Based Writing Lessons
- Windows to the World by Lesha Myers
- Mission: Faith Forgers Homeschool Curriculum
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com.
† Contains distinctly Christian content
In today’s episode Andrew Pudewa and Julie Walker interview Dr. Robert Jackson. Dr. Jackson is the Executive Director of Great Hearts Institute. Founded in Phoenix twenty years ago, Great Hearts now boasts forty academies spread across Arizona and Texas. In the near future, the organization will be expanding into Louisiana as well as Florida. Listen to the podcast to learn how the Great Hearts Academies function as free charter schools and about their upcoming National Symposium for Classical Education, where Andrew will be presenting.
Referenced Materials
- Is IEW Classical?
- Great Hearts Academies
- National Symposium for Classical Education
- Registration link for the National Symposium for Classical Education
- Transcript of Podcast Episode 351
If you have questions for Andrew, send them to podcast@IEW.com
Perhaps your question will be answered at the next Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have questions about IEW products or classes, contact customer service at 800.856.5815 or info@IEW.com
The Arts of Language Podcast is honored to welcome Dr. Nicholas Ellis this week. Dr. Ellis is the founder and CEO of Christian Halls International (CHI), an organization that organizes and nurtures local communities for students in higher education programs. In the episode you'll learn about the inspiring work Dr. Ellis and his organization are doing and IEW's exciting partnership with CHI, in which students can receive college credit for completing Structure and Style for Students Year 1C paired with Fix It! Grammar.
Referenced Materials:
- Christian Halls: Leadership Team
- Christian Halls International and the Institute for Excellence in Writing
- EDiGlobal
- Structure and Style for Students
- Transcript of Podcast Episode 331
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com.
Are you teaching through Unit 4 and interested to know the ins and outs of the unit? Join Andrew in this two-part webinar recording, as he discusses Unit 4, the lynchpin unit, explaining both the process and purpose of the unit as well as the topic/clincher rule and how it is to be used.
GO TO PART 2
Referenced Materials:
- Click here to download the slides that accompanied the original Structure and Style Units 4 webinar.
- Webinar Archive
- Teaching Writing: Structure and Style Upgrade
- Student Writing Intensive by Andrew Pudewa and Jill Pike
- Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
- Magnus Opus Magazine
- Writing Source Packet
- Premium Subscription
- U.S History-Based Writing Lessons by Lori Verstegen
- Free Aesop Fables Online
- Mini Posters
- Classroom Posters
- Anna Ingham
- Dr. James B. Webster
- Blended Structure and Style in Composition by Dr. James B. Webster
- IEW Families Forum
- IEW Teachers Forum
- Monthly e-Newsletter
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com
On Friday, October 14, IEW will host an online Fall Conference. The conference is an opportunity for parents and teachers around the globe to gather and watch Andrew deliver several of his popular and insightful talks. In Episode 341, Andrew and Julie give a sneak peek of what the day entails and share a snippet of each of the talks Andrew will present.
REFERENCED MATERIALS:
- IEW's 2022 Fall Conference [Online]
- IEW's 2022 Summer Conference
- Structure and Style for Students
- Teaching Writing: Structure and Style
- "Nurturing Competent Communicators"
- "By Heart - The Goodness of Memory" audio talk by Andrew Pudewa
- "Fairy Tales and the Moral Imagination" audio talk by Andrew Pudewa
- Transcript of Podcast Episode 341
Remember to send your questions to podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or info@IEW.com.
Are you teaching through Unit 4 and interested to know the ins and outs of the unit? Join Andrew in this two-part webinar recording, as he discusses Unit 4, the lynchpin unit, explaining both the process and purpose of the unit as well as the topic/clincher rule and how it is to be used.
GO TO PART 1
Referenced Materials:
- Click here to download the slides that accompanied the original Structure and Style Units 4 webinar.
- Webinar Archive
- Teaching Writing: Structure and Style Upgrade
- Rockets, Radar, and Robotics by Danielle Olander and Nathaniel Olander
- Magnus Opus Magazine
- Writing Source Packet
- Premium Subscription
- Medieval History-Based Writing Lessons by Lori Verstegen
- U.S History-Based Writing Lessons by Lori Verstegen
- Student Writing Intensive by Andrew Pudewa and Jill Pike
- Free Aesop Fables Online
- Mini Posters
- Classroom Posters
- Anna Ingham
- Dr. James B. Webster
- Blended Structure and Style in Composition by Dr. James B. Webster
- IEW Families Forum
- IEW Teachers Forum
- Monthly e-Newsletter
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com
Eleven years ago, Ginny Yurich, an overwhelmed and exhausted mom of three under three, accepted a challenge from a friend to spend time with her little ones outdoors. In this Arts of Language episode, Andrew Pudewa and Julie Walker welcome Ginny Yurich, author, speaker, homeschooling mom of five, and founder of the global movement 1000 Hours Outside. Listen in as she passionately shares her family’s journey to get outside that led to “a movement for those who want a slower childhood and a fuller life.”
Referenced Materials
- 1000 Hours Outside™
- 1000 Hours Outside: Activities to Match Screen Time with Green Time by Ginny Yurich
- 1000 Hours Outside Activity Book by Ginny Yurich
- 2022 Kick-Off Pack
- Nature Deficit Disorder audio talk by Andrew Pudewa
- Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv
- Mothers of Preschoolers
- Smart Moves by Dr. Carla Hannaford
- Free-Range Kids by Lenore Skenazy
- Let Grow
- Free to Learn by Peter Gray
- Bud & Me by Alta Abernathy
- Cosmo Together
- Playborhood by Mike Lanza
- Balanced and Barefoot by Angela J. Hanscom
- Simplicity Parenting by Kim John Payne and Lisa M. Ross
- Episode 364: Health and Wellness with Katie Wells
- Transcript of Podcast Episode 367
If you have questions for Andrew, send them to podcast@IEW.com
Perhaps your question will be answered at the next Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have questions about IEW products or classes, contact customer service at 800.856.5815 or info@IEW.com
In honor of Father's Day, Andrew reflects on what he did as a homeschool dad that helped cultivate a good family and home culture. Based on his new convention talk, "The Three, Maybe Four, Best Things I Did as a Homeschool Dad," Andrew shares the first two on his list: reading aloud to the family and family meetings. Tune in to hear Andrew's insight and stories on how these changed the family dynamic for the better!
Referenced Materials:
- Andrew's Engagements
- Read-Aloud Revival
- "Nurturing Competent Communicators" audio talk by Andrew Pudewa
- The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
- Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne
- Structure and Style® for Students
- Laddie by Gene Stratton-Porter
- Death by Meeting by Patrick Lencioni
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com.
With summer just around the corner, it's a great time for young people to look for entrepreneurial opportunities. Join us this week as Andrew and Julie welcome entrepreneur and co-founder of Christian Homeschool Entrepreneurship, Mark Baker, to the mic. Join us in this insightful episode as Mark shares the value of entrepreneurship from character development to a creative outlet.
REFERENCED MATERIALS:
- Christian Homeschool Entrepreneurship
- Christian Homeschool Entrepreneurship Course
- Lemonade to Leadership
- The Underground History of American Education by John Taylor Gatto
- "Cultivating an Entrepreneurial Spirit in Kids"
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com
Because Andrew is traveling this week, Julie pulls in one of IEW's summer interns: NCFCA speech champion Kaitlyn Butts. Enjoy as Kaitlyn discusses her internship, and be inspired by Kaitlyn's message on the importance of public speaking.
REFERENCED MATERIALS:
- Podcast with Kaitlyn Butts
- Kaitlyn's Website
- National Christian Forensics and Communications Association
- Teaching Writing: Structure and Style
- Click here to enter The NCFCA Comprehensive Guide to Speech giveaway.
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com
This is the fifth episode of twenty-four in the podcast series Reviewing Our Greatest Hits. This show was initially launched on February 14, 2018, as Episode 128.
With all the distractions and busy schedules, it can be challenging to sit down and read some of your favorite books to your kids. In this podcast Andrew and Julie welcome author and podcaster Sarah Mackenzie to discuss reading aloud. Get a sneak peak of Sarah's new book, The Read Aloud Family, and learn the importance of prioritizing reading to your children.
REFERENCED MATERIALS:
- Episode 199: A Special Announcement
- Read-Aloud Revival
- Read-Aloud Revival Podcast
- The Read-Aloud Family by Sarah Mackenzie
- Sarah's Podcast with Andrew Pudewa
- Nurturing Competent Communicators audio talk by Andrew Pudewa
- Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
- Sarah's Podcast with Katherine Paterson
- Number the Stars by Lois Lowry (Amazon Affiliate)
- The Giver by Lois Lowry (Amazon Affiliate)
- The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo (Amazon Affiliate)
- Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo (Amazon Affiliate)
- Mercy Watson by Kate DiCamillo (Amazon Affiliate)
- Purgatorio by Dante (Amazon Affiliate)
- Book of Virtues by William J. Bennett (Amazon Affiliate)
- The Fable of George Washington and the Cherry Tree
- The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis (Amazon Affiliate)
- The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place by Maryrose Wood (Amazon Affiliate)
- Matilda by Roald Dahl (Amazon Affiliate)
- Sarah's Podcast with Jonathan Rogers
- The Way of the Wilderking by Jonathan Rogers (Amazon Affiliate)
- The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson (Amazon Affiliate)
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com
Amidst the closing of schools nationwide, many parents are now taking on the task of educating their children at home. In this webinar recording, Andrew and Julie provide suggestions on cultivating a learning environment at home, share insights on the benefits of reading aloud, and explain the free language arts lessons IEW is offering to help families finish out the year.
REFERENCED MATERIALS:
- Click here to download the slides that accompanied the original webinar recording.
- Humor in Teaching and Speaking by Andrew Pudewa
- Homeschool Help Facebook Group
- Why We Sleep by Dr. Matthew Walker
- Mastery Learning, Ability Development, and Individualized Education by Andrew Pudewa
- Khan Academy
- Nature Deficit Disorder by Andrew Pudewa
- Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder by Richard Louv (Amazon Affiliate Link)
- "The Four Language Arts"
- Anna Ingham
- Linguistic Development through Poetry Memorization
- Read-Aloud Revival
- "Surprised by Homeschooling" by Jennifer Mauser
- Free Language Arts Lessons from IEW
- "The Vulture" by Hilaire Belloc
- "Jabberwocky" by Lewis Carroll
- Marco Polo
- Trashy Town by Andrea Zimmerman
- Structure and Style® for Students
- Toy Story
- The Jungle Book
- Beauty and the Beast
- Swiss Family Robinson
- Akeelah and the Bee
- Dead Poets Society
- The Scarlet and the Black
- The Sound of Music
- The Greatest Showman
- The Princess Bride
- The Scarlet Pimpernel
- Secondhand Lions
- Little Women
- The Indian in the Cupboard
- National Velvet
- Sergeant York
- Joe Versus the Volcano
- CenterForLit
- Homeschool Basics: How to Get Started, Keep Motivated, and Bring Out the Best in Your Kids by Tricia Goyer and Kristi Clover
- Enter drawing here
- Classical Conferences
- IEW Magalog
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com
With all the distractions and busy schedules, it can be challenging to sit down and read some of your favorite books to your kids. In this podcast Andrew and Julie welcome author and podcaster Sarah Mackenzie to discuss reading aloud. Get a sneak peak of Sarah's new book, The Read Aloud Family, and learn the importance of prioritizing reading to your children.
Referenced Materials:
- Read-Aloud Revival
- Read-Aloud Revival Podcast
- The Read-Aloud Family by Sarah Mackenzie
- Sarah's Podcast with Andrew Pudewa
- Nurturing Competent Communicators audio talk by Andrew Pudewa
- Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
- Sarah's Podcast with Katherine Paterson
- Number the Stars by Lois Lowry (Amazon Affiliate)
- The Giver by Lois Lowry (Amazon Affiliate)
- The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo (Amazon Affiliate)
- Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo (Amazon Affiliate)
- Mercy Watson by Kate DiCamillo (Amazon Affiliate)
- Purgatorio by Dante (Amazon Affiliate)
- Book of Virtues by William J. Bennett (Amazon Affiliate)
- The Fable of George Washington and the Cherry Tree
- The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S Lewis (Amazon Affiliate)
- The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place by Maryrose Wood (Amazon Affiliate)
- Matilda by Roald Dahl (Amazon Affiliate)
- Sarah's Podcast with Jonathan Rogers
- The Way of the Wilderking by Jonathan Rogers (Amazon Affiliate)
- The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson (Amazon Affiliate)
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com
With November being National Novel Writing Month, Andrew and Julie discuss Unit 3: Retelling Narrative Stories. Because of his love for storytelling, Nathan King also joins the conversation and discusses the power of writing a story that creates imagery in the audience's mind through the use of vocabulary. Join us this week as the trio walks through Unit 3 and discusses how it has been used for novel writing.
REFERENCED MATERIALS:
- "Considering the Possibilities of Unit 3"
- NaNoWriMo
- Dr. James B. Webster
- Anna Ingham
- Aesop's Fables
- The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
- Nathan King
- Bible Quest™
- The Princess Bride
- Structure and Style® for Students
- Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
- A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
- Moby-Dick by Herman Melville
- Magnum Opus Magazine
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com
This week, Andrew and Julie welcome the CEO of Classical Conversations, Robert Bortins. Tune in as Robert announces a great opportunity for homeschooling parents associated with Classical Conversations: a Master of Arts in Classical Studies!
REFERENCED MATERIALS:
- "The Four Deadly Errors of Teaching Writing"
- Robert Bortins
- Classical Conversations
- Classical Conversations — COVID
- Classical Conversations — MA Program
- CC Plus Program
- Teaching Writing: Structure and Style
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com
Join us in this enjoyable episode as Andrew and Julie welcome homeschool mom, blogger, and our top affiliate, Erica Arndt. In today's episode Erica describes her life as a homeschooling mom, tells the story of how her blog grew, and provides insight on how to juggle the many responsibilities of teaching your students at home.
REFERENCED MATERIALS:
- IEW Affiliate Program
- Confessions of a Homeschooler
- Erica's YouTube Channel
- Heidi St. John
- Fix It! Grammar
- Structure and Style® for Students
- Theme-Based Writing Lessons
- High School Essay Intensive
- The Elegant Essay
- Erica's Instagram
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com
In this two-part podcast, Andrew reviews the methodology behind and procedure for successfully teaching Unit 3: Retelling Narrative Stories. After a brief overview of the unit, Andrew will walk step-by-step through an assignment, demonstrating Unit 3 methods and concepts for both the teacher/parent and student.
GO TO PART 1
Referenced Materials:
- Click here to download the slides that accompanied the original Structure and Style Units 3 webinar.
- Teaching Writing: Structure and Style Upgrade
- Premium Subscription
- Free Aesop Fables Online
- Mini Posters
- Classroom Posters
- The Arts of Language:
- Four Deadly Errors of Teaching Writing
- Writing Source Packet
- Teaching the Classics by Adam and Missy Andrews
- Fables, Myths, and Fairy Tales Writing Lessons by Maria Gerber
- Theme-Based Writing Lessons
- The Boy Who Cried Alien by Marilyn Singer
- How to Write a Story by Lee Roddy
- A Guide to Writing Your Novel by Lee Roddy
- Magnum Opus Magazine
- IEW Families Forum
- IEW Teachers Forum
- Monthly e-Newsletter
- Blog
QUESTIONS ASKED:
- 1:35 - Diane asks, "How long should each lesson take and how often should the lesson be taught?"
- 2:26 - Lynn asks, "How long till a ten-year-old boy can write on his own without parent help?"
- 4:19 - Judy asks, "First-year students are struggling with first drafts, dress -ups, and complete sentences all at the same time."
- 20:14 - Danielle asks, "How many sentences do you have in the key-word outline?
- 22:06 - Angela asks, "I have a very hesitant writer. Can we do a lot of this orally or should he write it out?"
- 24:11 - Jennifer asks, "For high school students, is a chapter of the hobbit too long of a source text?"
- 25:54 - Judy asks, "Students are also overwhelmed with the story sequence, sentence order, sequence, and making sense with their sentences."
- 27:06 - Lynette asks, "My daughter likes to have dialogue in her stories. As each character speaks she starts a new paragraph. What are your recommendations?"
- 28:16 -Deborah asks, "My kids are feeling overwhelmed with the dress ups but are doing well with the sentence openers. Can I back off on the other dress ups and focus on the sentence openers until they are easy?"
- 30:30 -Amery asks, "IEW seems to be teacher driven, which is fine, yet the school world seem to emphasize on independence for middle schoolers. So helping the students with IEW lessons was different but I'm glad I understand that I am to assist. I just assumed the child was to be more independent because of their age and grade level."
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com
Structure and Style is a trademark of the Institute for Excellence in Writing, L.L.C.
Andrew once again answers just about anything our podcast listeners ask. Tune in to hear Andrew's response to questions on topics like memorization, grammar, and mind mapping.
Referenced Materials:
- Podcast with Monica Swanson
- Mastery Learning, Ability Development, and Individualized Education audio talk by Andrew Pudewa
- Teaching Writing: Structure and Style
- Podcast with Susan Barton
- Cursive Knowledge
- Anna Ingham
- Fix-It! Grammar
QUESTIONS ASKED:
1:52 - Ann asks, “I heard Andrew say many times to always spell any word a child asks you to spell. Does he feel the same about math facts? I so commonly hear, ‘Mom, what is six times seven?’ My kids, ages eleven and fourteen, have a difficult time memorizing math facts. They are continuing to improve, but it is quite a process. They have a times table chart to refer to during math and drill math facts. I want them to continue learning new concepts, so often I give them the answer to not muddy the water. I am curious to hear your take on this situation.
7:11 - Jennifer asks, “Teaching class today regarding who/which clauses, I had a parent ask about ‘whose’ and where that fits in the IEW curriculum. For instance: ‘The bicycle whose chain is broken is mine.’”
8:40 - Emily asks, “I have been listening to the podcast and getting prepared all summer. I am telling everyone IEW is my ‘curriculum crush’ of the year! Andrew mentions using this with his dyslexic son. As I recall, he got 20 minutes to copy 100 words and got 1 point per word, but there were also various ways to lose points. Can you explain that?”
16:13 - Anonymous asks, “I have a sixth grader and was wanting to get Linguistic Development through Poetry Memorization, but wasn’t sure whether we should start with Level 1. Will it be as effective as a first grader starting? Is it worth it?”
19:58 - Anonymous asks, “I have a seven-year-old who writes his numbers backwards. He used to write his letters backwards, but that has since been corrected with making them out of clay per the Gift of Dyslexia method. He has made the numbers in clay models too, but the method didn't take with those. Any suggestions for how to help writing with numbers?”
24:27 - Amber asks, “I love the podcast. I am a homeschool mom and have a six-year-old gifted child. She is on the last few lessons of the first Fix It!. We have modified it by having her write the sentence the next day for copywork versus writing the whole paragraph in one day. She completed the PAL writing program at the age of five and writes amazingly well on her own. Should I move her into the second Fix It! right away or switch to traditional copywork?”
27:13 - Janet asks, “What does Andrew say about mind-mapping?”
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or info@IEW.com
Applying for colleges can be overwhelming, especially for homeschoolers. Tune in this week as Andrew and Julie welcome the author of Homeschooled & Headed for College, Denise Boiko. In this episode Denise shares her best pieces of advice for applying to colleges, emphasizes the important role of good writing in college, and inspires students to keep their love of learning.
REFERENCED MATERIALS:
- "Top Ten Tips for Homeschooling the College Bound Student"
- Denise Boiko
- Homeschooled & Headed for College by Denise Boiko
- The HomeScholar
- "Emergency Transcript Pack" by Lee Binz
- High School Essay Intensive
- Instant Improvement in Writing audio talk by Andrew Pudewa
- Fastweb
- "Top Ten Tips for Homeschooling the College Bound Student"
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com
Join us in episode 199 as Andrew and Julie deliver a special announcement regarding The Arts of Language Podcast.
Referenced Materials:
- Teaching Writing: Structure and Style
- The Four Language Arts
- Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4
- Episode 1: Introduction to IEW's Mission and Founder
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or info@IEW.com
With another tenth episode comes another Ask Andrew Anything! This week Andrew responds to questions submitted by our podcast listeners. From inquiries on audiobooks to questions on student engagement, Andrew answers with experience and insight.
Referenced Materials:
- "Nurturing Competent Communicators" audio talk by Andrew Pudewa
- A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
- However Imperfectly by Andrew Pudewa
- Leadership Education by Oliver DeMille
- The One-Life Solution by Dr. Henry Cloud
- IEW's Schools Division
- Taming the Techno-Beast by Todd Wilson
- "Copywork, Narration, and Dictation"
- Structure and Style® for Students
- "Nurturing Success: Serving Schools of Every Kind"
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com.
With Julie being away this week, Andrew asked Evan Smith to join him for the podcast. Evan is one of our educational consultants and a member of the accreditation team. By tuning in you'll learn about Evan's experience with IEW, be introduced to the process of becoming an accredited instructor, and gain insight on the benefits of working through the Teaching Writing: Structure and Style teacher-training course.
Referenced Materials:
- Evan Smith
- Structure and Style for Students
- IEW's Support Team
- Educational Consultant Team
- Instructor Accreditation Program
- Teaching Writing: Structure and Style
- Dr. James B. Webster
- The Great TWSS Adventure
- Implementation Coaches
- Premium Membership
- IEW's Structure and Style Writing Workshops in 2022
- Nurturing Success: Serving Schools of Every Kind
- Transcript of Podcast Episode 332
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com.
What skills do students need to succeed in collegiate writing? Listen to Andrew Pudewa and Julie Walker discuss this brand new video course that will prepare your high school and college students for college writing. Hear why Andrew would have called this “How to spy on your professor and figure out his or her writing style and imitate it so you can get a better grade on every paper you turn in”!
Referenced Materials
- University-Ready Writing
- Episode 354: Paper and Pen — What the Research Says
- TRIAC
- Episode 236: The Five Canons of Rhetoric
- APA Style
- MLA Style
- Episode 347: A Citation Pathway
- “Teaching Documentation with Confidence”
- Transcript of Podcast Episode 407
If you have questions for Andrew, send them to podcast@IEW.com
Perhaps your question will be answered at the next Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have questions about IEW products or classes, contact customer service at 800.856.5815 or info@IEW.com
Andrew Pudewa and Julie Walker are excited to welcome Jonathan Brush with Unbound, an organization that offers unique options for high school and college students. Unbound is a project-based higher education program that equips young adults to take ownership of their education and prepares them for life.
Referenced Materials
- Unbound
- Accelerated Distance Learning by Brad Voeller
- The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni
- Be Unbound YouTube Channel
- Transcript of Podcast Episode 366
If you have questions for Andrew, send them to podcast@IEW.com
Perhaps your question will be answered at the next Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have questions about IEW products or classes, contact customer service at 800.856.5815 or info@IEW.com
† Contains distinctly Christian content
This week, Andrew and Julie welcome acknowledged experts on dyslexia, Drs. Brock and Fernette Eide, authors of The Dyslexic Advantage. Bringing in their expertise and research, the Eides share how they got into the field, describe what dyslexia is, and provide incredible insight about capitalizing on dyslexic students' strengths.
GO TO PART 2
REFERENCED MATERIALS:
- "An Interview with Doctors Brock and Fernette Eide, Part 1"
- Brock and Fernette Eide, M.D.
- The Dyslexic Advantage
- NeuroLearning
- Living with Dyslexia—An Interview with Chris Pudewa
- Karina Eide Young Writers Awards
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com
Over the years, IEW has grown tremendously as its writing method is taught in various educational settings. The company offers an abundance of resources, from encouraging blog posts to effective curriculum. How did IEW get to where it is now? This week, Andrew and Julie go back to where it all began and unpack the story of how Andrew discovered the Structure and Style method of teaching writing. Give this episode a listen to learn about the success of the writing method and to understand our mission of equipping teachers and teaching parents.
Referenced Materials:
- Teaching Writing: Structure and Style
- The Blended Sound-Sight Program of Learning by Anna Ingham
- Blended Structure and Style in Composition by Dr. James B. Webster
- Structure and Style for Students
- Theme-Based Writing Lessons
- Classical Conversations
- University Model-Schools International
- Lead to Win Podcast
- Berwyn School District Study
- Rocklin School District Study
- Transcript of Podcast Episode 329
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com.
Join us this week as Drs. Brock and Fernette Eide continue to share their expertise on dyslexia. With insight and clarity, the Eides discuss how IEW helps break down the task of writing for dyslexic students, emphasize the importance of not withholding help, and offer words of wisdom on keeping your students encouraged and confident in their strengths.
GO TO PART 1
REFERENCED MATERIALS:
- "An Interview with Doctors Brock and Fernette Eide, Part 2"
- Brock and Fernette Eide, M.D.
- The Mislabeled Child by Dr. Brock Eide
- The Dyslexic Advantage
- NeuroLearning
- Homeschooling for Dyslexia Online Course
- Dyslexia for Teachers Online Course
- Karina Eide Memorial College Scholarships
- Ingenuity STEM Steam Awards
- Dyslexic Advantage Newsletter
- Donate to Dyslexic Advantage
- Living with Dyslexia—An Interview with Chris Pudewa
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com
In this podcast, Andrew Pudewa and Julie Walker discuss how IEW teaches thinking using some aspects of the classical model and the Canons of Rhetoric. They specifically address the first canon, invention, and how students learn division of subjects, one of the key skills in inventive writing. Listen to this episode to learn how to help your students come up with content and present it in a winsome and well-ordered way.
Referenced Materials
- University-Ready Writing
- “Is IEW ‘Classical’?”
- “Filling the Blank Page with Unit 7”
- University-Ready Writing free lessons
- Introduction to Public Speaking
- Episode 236: The Five Canons of Rhetoric, Part 1
- Video Interview with Dr. Chesley reviewing University-Ready Writing
- Transcript of Podcast Episode 464
If you have questions for Andrew, send them to podcast@IEW.com
Perhaps your question will be answered at the next Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have questions about IEW products or classes, contact customer service at 800.856.5815 or info@IEW.com
In a world where everyone has an opinion, it is important to be able to think, listen, analyze, and communicate effectively. This week Andrew and Julie welcome the Director of Education for the National Christian Forensics and Communications Association (NCFCA), Amy Joy Tofte. Join us as Amy Joy discusses the mission of NCFCA, offers insight on the incredible value of speech and debate as it challenges young people to communicate well and pursue truth, and gives us a sneak peek at NCFCA's online events coming up this summer!
REFERENCED MATERIALS:
- "Effective Communication: The Counterweight to All the Yelling" by Kim Cromer
- Episode 219: Entrepreneurship
- The National Christian Forensics and Communications Association
- Amy Joy Tofte
- Christy Shipe
- Kim Cromer
- NCFCA: Find a Club Near Me
- NCFCA 2021 Debate Resolutions
- NCFCA Online Summit
- NCFCA Online Intensive
- Support NCFCA.
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com
As reading is an important language art, Andrew and Julie are thrilled to welcome a fellow lover of reading Sarah Mackenzie. Sarah is a homeschool mom, author, and the founder of Read-Aloud Revival, which announced the launch of its own boutique publishing imprint: Waxwing Books. In this episode Sarah talks about the publisher's first book, A Little More Beautiful: The Story of a Garden. As the author of this children's book, Sarah shares her insight on what makes a classic children's book and provides background on her experience writing the book.
Referenced Materials:
- Sarah Mackenzie
- Read-Aloud Revival
- Waxwing Books
- A Little More Beautiful: the Story of a Garden by Sarah Mackenzie
- Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey
- Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney
- Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey
- The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
- The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
- Hubert's Hair-Raising Adventure by Bill Peet
- Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson
- The Seven Silly Eaters by Mary Ann Hoberman
- Tomie dePaola
- A Child's Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson
- Kate DiCamillo
- Sarah's First Podcast with Andrew Pudewa
- Sarah's Newest Podcast with Andrew Pudewa
- "Nurturing Competent Communicators" audio talk by Andrew Pudewa
- Little Bear by Else Holmelund Minarik
- Transcript of Podcast Episode 337
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com.
Andrew has been going through his top read of each year. But does he have a top read of the decade? He just might! With insight and context Andrew and Julie continue down the list of Andrew's top reads from the years 2013 through 2020. Since Andrew hasn't picked his top read of 2021, he instead talks about books that have helped shape his health and well-being during this year.
Go to PART 1 | Part 2
REFERENCED MATERIALS:
- The War Against Grammar by David Mulroy
- Fix It! Grammar
- Ten Ways to Destroy the Imagination of Your Child by Anthony Esolen
- The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri
- The World of Dante
- The Republic by Plato
- The Awakening of Miss Prim by Natalia Fenollera
- Out of the Ashes: Rebuilding American Culture by Anthony Esolen
- Cultural Literacy by E.D. Hirsch
- Seven Myths About Education by Daisy Christodoulou
- Live Not by Lies by Rod Dreher
- The Benedict Option by Rod Dreher
- Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker
- Eat to Beat Disease by William Li, M.D.
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com
With reading being one of the language arts, it is an important topic of discussion to Andrew and Julie. Have you ever wondered what books Andrew has read over the past two decades? Tune in to part one of this three-part series as Andrew and Julie talk about the value of reading, and then go through Andrew's top book of the year from the years 2000 to 2006. You'll also get to hear the context and time in which these books were read and how they impacted Andrew's life.
REFERENCED MATERIALS
- "A Bookish Discussion, Part 1"
- The Restoration of Christian Culture by John Senior
- "Nurturing Competent Communicators" audio talk by Andrew Pudewa
- The Underground History of American Education by John Taylor Gatto
- Dumbing us Down by John Taylor Gatto
- A Thomas Jefferson Education by Oliver DeMille
- The Flickering Mind by Todd Oppenheimer
- Raising Them Right by Theophan the Recluse Govorov
- Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv
- Nature Deficit Disorder audio talk by Andrew Pudewa
- 1000 Hours Outside™
- Poetic Knowledge by James S. Taylor
- Fairy Tales and the Moral Imagination audio talk by Andrew Pudewa
- Boys Adrift by Dr. Leonard Sax
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com
Keeping up with tradition, Andrew responds to inquiries submitted by our podcast listeners in another "Ask Andrew Anything." This week, Andrew addresses questions about the checklist, grading, teaching in a classroom, and much more! Whether you're a parent, a co-op tutor, or a full-time school teacher, you'll glean much from Andrew's insightful answers. Also, Andrew reads a sweet letter he received in the mail from an IEW student!
Referenced Materials:
- Structure and Style for Students
- #IEWFlatAndrew
- Preventing Evaporation — Strategies for Summer Writing
- Theme-Based Writing Lessons
- Teaching Writing: Structure and Style
- Structure and Style Overview DVD
- Dr. James B. Webster
- Anna Ingham
- IEW's Schools Division
- Transcript of Podcast Episode 330
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com.
In a recent study, a majority of students selected redoing assignments as their top motivation to work harder in school. Intrigued and inspired by the study’s results, Andrew Pudewa and Julie Walker engage in a delightful and wide-ranging conversation in this week’s podcast about the ways that the Structure and Style checklist approach provides a concrete method for teachers to motivate students to redo assignments.
Referenced Materials
- "What Would Motivate Teens to Work Harder in School? The Chance to Redo Assignments" by Arianna Prothero
- Structure and Style for Students
- Teaching Writing: Structure and Style
- Dr. James B. Webster
- Episode 281: Talking about the Intangibles
- IEW Schools Division
- Transcript of Podcast Episode 394
If you have questions for Andrew, send them to podcast@IEW.com
Perhaps your question will be answered at the next Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have questions about IEW products or classes, contact customer service at 800.856.5815 or info@IEW.com
Feel confident moving from inventive writing into the capstone of our Structure and Style™ program: Formal Essay Models. In this podcast Andrew takes you through the process of Unit 8 and demonstrates the value in learning the five-paragraph model.
Referenced Materials:
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or info@IEW.com
Are there factors that make learning easier? As Andrew notes, “If something is relevant to you, if it is significant, meaningful, useful, interesting, helpful to you, then it is easy to study and learn.” This week Andrew and Julie discuss the four forms of relevancy: intrinsic, inspired, contrived, and enforced. Andrew and Julie dive into these ideas and share how they can be used to help both students and teachers!
Referenced Materials
- Teaching Boys & Other Children Who Would Rather Make Forts All Day audio talk by Andrew Pudewa
- Episode 174: Why Gender Matters — An Interview with Dr. Leonard Sax
- "The Art and Science of Motivation"
- The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
- Linguistic Development through Poetry Memorization
- Magnum Opus Magazine
- Daughters of the American Revolution Essay Contests
- Transcript of Podcast Episode 358
If you have questions for Andrew, send them to podcast@IEW.com
Perhaps your question will be answered at the next Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have questions about IEW products or classes, contact customer service at 800.856.5815 or info@IEW.com
In this edition of Ask Andrew Anything, school teachers and students from all over the country ask Andrew questions such as "How does IEW fit into the Classical Education paradigm?" and "When is it no longer required to use the checklist when writing?" Additionally, there is a fun lightning round of questions from IEW students, such as "What is your Starbucks order of choice?" and "In high school, did you ever participate in any team sports?"
Referenced Materials:
- Does IEW work with special needs children? by Jill Pike
- Principles of Motivation and Skills Development
- Podcast Series: Part 1 | Part 2
- Audio Talk
- Article
- Teaching Boys and Other Children Who Would Rather Be Building Forts All Day Audio Talk
- Arms and Armor DK Eyewitness Books
- The Four Deadly Errors of Teaching Writing
- Is IEW Classical?
- The Five Canons of Rhetoric
- Linguistic Development through Poetry Memorization
- Teacher's Manual & CDs
- Videos of Student Recitations:
- The Little Man Who Wasn't There by William Hughes Mearns
- Celery by Ogden Nash
- Ooey Gooey by Author Unknown and Celery by Ogden Nash
- Ooey Gooey by Author Unknown, Celery by Ogden Nash, The Little Man Who Wasn't There by William Hughes Mearns, The Vulture by Hilaire Belloc, and After the Party by William Wise
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com
After the fun we had with our 400th episode live question and answer, we invited some of our affiliates to join Andrew Pudewa and Julie Walker for this live Q & A episode. This week Mandi Malz asked for Andrew’s advice for preparing a student for college. Alicia Brown asked which of Andrew’s articles in However Imperfectly is the most vital lesson in the book and what aspects make it particularly significant. Listen for these and other questions sent in by listeners.
Referenced Materials
- Handmade Homeschooler
- Episode 385: Hacking High School
- Unbound
- Christian Halls International
- Write with Mrs. Brown
- However Imperfectly by Andrew Pudewa
- Four Deadly Errors of Teaching Writing audio talk by Andrew Pudewa
- Premium Membership
- IEW Schools Division
- Portable Walls for Structure and Style Students
- Virtual Teaching Writing: Structure and Style
- Teaching Writing: Structure and Style
- The Great TWSS Adventure
- Structure and Style for Students
- Structure and Style for Students: Year 1 Level B Premier Package
- Theme-Based Writing Lessons
- IEW Online Classes
- Transcript of Podcast Episode 410
If you have questions for Andrew, send them to podcast@IEW.com
Perhaps your question will be answered at the next Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have questions about IEW products or classes, contact customer service at 800.856.5815 or info@IEW.com
Is your student overwhelmed by having too many sources to write from? Join Andrew as he discusses Unit 6 and provides tips and suggestions for collecting, organizing, and summarizing facts from multiple references.
Go To Part 2
Referenced Materials:
- Click Here to download the slides that accompanied the original Structure and Style Unit 6 webinar.
- Teaching Writing: Structure and Style
- All Things Fun & Fascinating by Lori Verstegen
- Fables, Myths, and Fairy Tales by Maria Gerber
- Mini Posters
- Portable Walls
- National History Day
- IEW Teacher's Forum
- Monthly e-Newsletter
- Magnus Opus Magazine
Questions Asked
- 7:30 - Debbie asks "Why is unit 6 not attempted with 3rd graders?"
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com
In this Homeschool 101 episode, Andrew Pudewa and Julie Walker discuss the importance of attending homeschooling conventions. They reminisce about the conventions they have attended and their favorite things to do when attending a convention. Andrew shares his heart on why home educators and grandparents should make the time and put forth the effort to attend a homeschool convention.
Referenced Materials
- Great Homeschool Convention-South Carolina (GHC-SC)
- GHC-Missouri
- GHC-Ohio
- UTCH Convention 2024
- IDEA Anchorage
- IDEA Soldotna
- IDEA Fairbanks
- IDEA Juneau
- FPEA Florida Homeschool Convention
- NCFCA National Championship
- 41st Annual Virginia Homeschool Convention (HEAV)
- CHEA's Annual Homeschool Convention
- 2024 Northern California Homeschool Convention
- Transcript of Podcast Episode 415
If you have questions for Andrew, send them to podcast@IEW.com
Perhaps your question will be answered at the next Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have questions about IEW products or classes, contact customer service at 800.856.5815 or info@IEW.com
Being great admirers of her and her work, Andrew and Julie are honored to welcome author and public speaker Dr. Carol Swain to the podcast. To start off, Dr. Swain shares her backstory and variety of credentials. Be inspired by Dr. Swain's incredible journey of hard work in becoming a great communicator, and listen to her message to parents on education and raising great thinkers.
REFERENCED MATERIALS
- A Visit with Dr. Carol Swain †
- Dr. Carol Swain
- The Candace Owens Show with Carol Swain
- Schoolhouse Rocked
- Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass
- "Conversations with Dr. Carol Swain"
- Black Eye for America: How Critical Race Theory Is Burning Down the House by Dr. Swain and Dr. Christopher J. Schorr
- Be the People News
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com
† Contains distinctly Christian content
Andrew Pudewa and Julie Walker discuss how both dads and grads can benefit from University-Ready Writing. Dads who are in the business world will benefit from grads who complete the course and become better writers. Listen to find out the top three things that make this course worth the investment for graduates and those working in the business world.
Referenced Materials
- University-Ready Writing
- Free University-Ready Writing lessons
- IEW Accredited Instructors
- Episode 376: A Necessary Conversation about Artificial Intelligence
- Portable Walls™ for Academic Writing
- Transcript of Podcast Episode 429
Use this coupon code at checkout to receive a free Portable Walls™ for Academic Writing. PWAW-E429
Expiration: 12/31/24 (shipping not included; one time use per customer)
If you have questions for Andrew, send them to podcast@IEW.com
Perhaps your question will be answered at the next Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have questions about IEW products or classes, contact customer service at 800.856.5815 or info@IEW.com
Join Andrew Pudewa and Julie Walker as they talk with Drew Formsma about artificial intelligence (AI), ChatGPT, and the effects new technology has on culture. Teachers are scrambling to determine whether using AI is cheating and how students can use artificial intelligence with academic integrity. Parents are simply trying to understand what artificial intelligence is. Listen to this episode as Drew presents suggestions for conversations parents and teachers need to have with their students.
Referenced Materials
- Drew Formsma
- Everyday Generosity by Drew Formsma and Brad Formsma
- I Like Giving
- TEDx talk by Drew Formsma
- Nurturing Competent Communicators
- Transcript of Podcast Episode 376
If you have questions for Andrew, send them to podcast@IEW.com
Perhaps your question will be answered at the next Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have questions about IEW products or classes, contact customer service at 800.856.5815 or info@IEW.com
Since 2015 Andrew Pudewa and Julie Walker have been adding to the “Ask Andrew Anything” series. The series is an opportunity for Andrew to respond directly to questions asked by our podcast listeners. This week Andrew offers insight and advice as he answers questions on topics like motivating older students and helping students with learning challenges. Almost all of Andrew’s answers have a common theme: the importance of furnishing the mind through memorized language.
Referenced Materials
- Episode 100: Four-Wheelers and Make-Up: A Radio Drama
- Episode 200: Ask Andrew Anything
- Structure and Style for Students
- Fix It! Grammar
- Special needs? IEW can help!
- Barton Reading and Spelling System
- Linguistic Development through Poetry Memorization
- Teaching Boys & Other Children Who Would Rather Make Forts All Day
audio talk by Andrew Pudewa - “You Don’t Have to Like It …”
- The HomeScholar
- Cultivating Language Arts: Preschool through High School
audio talk by Andrew Pudewa - Transcript of Podcast Episode 350
If you have questions for Andrew, send them to podcast@IEW.com
Perhaps your question will be answered at the next Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have questions about IEW products or classes, contact customer service at 800.856.5815 or info@IEW.com
Is your student overwhelmed by having too many sources to write from? Join Andrew as he discusses Unit 6 and provides tips and suggestions for collecting, organizing, and summarizing facts from multiple references.
Go To Part 2
Referenced Materials:
- Click here to download the slides that accompanied the original Structure and Style Unit 6 webinar.
- Teaching Writing: Structure and Style
- Bible Heroes Writing Lessons by Lori Verstegen
- All Things Fun & Fascinating by Lori Verstegen
- Fables, Myths, and Fairy Tales by Maria Gerber
- Following Narnia by Laura Bettis
- Mini Posters
- Portable Walls
- Student Writing Intensive
- National History Day
- IEW Teacher's Forum
- Monthly e-Newsletter
- Magnum Opus Magazine
Questions Asked
- 7:30 - Debbie asks, "Why is unit 6 not attempted with 3rd graders?"
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com
Are you teaching through Unit 5, Writing from Pictures, and interested to know the ins and outs of the unit? Join Andrew Pudewa in part one of this webinar recording as he discusses the how-to of Unit 5, explaining both the process and purpose of the unit.
Referenced Materials:
- Click here to download the slides that accompanied the original Structure and Style Units 5 webinar.
- Webinar Archive
- Teaching Writing: Structure and Style Upgrade
- Mini Posters
- The Mysteries of Harris Burdick by Chris Van Allsburg
- Dr.James B. Webster
- Good Dog, Carl: A Classic Board Book by Alexandra Day
- Magnus Opus Magazine
- Premium Subscription
- IEW Families Forum
- IEW Teachers Forum
- Monthly e-Newsletter
- Questions from Audience
- Kelly asks, "Do you think using pictures from actual historical events limit the student's creativity?"
- Kim asks, "What is the pluperfect tense?"
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com
"How children learn has a more lasting effect than what they learn." This week Andrew and Julie discuss Intrinsic Relevancy, that thing that is interesting because it is. Join us as Andrew and Julie discuss the importance of capitalizing on your students' intrinsic interests, which then motivates and teaches students how to learn.
GO TO: Part 2
REFERENCED MATERIALS:
- National Novel Writing Month
- Teaching Boys and Other Children Who Would Rather Make Forts All Day
- Motivation
- Article
- Audio talk
- Podcast Series: Part 1 | Part 2
- However Imperfectly
- Audio talk
- Podcast Series: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3
- Book
- Dr. Leonard Sax
- Lord of the Flies by William Golding (Amazon Affiliate)
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com
How many total gifts were given in the twelve days of Christmas song? Tune in to find out! In the spirit of Christmas, IEW gives away gifts on each of the days of Christmas, and this week Andrew and Julie share what some of those gifts are this year. We're on Day 3 now, so click the link in the show notes to receive notifications on the gifts each day!
Referenced Materials:
- Twelve Days of Christmas Giving 2021
- Linguistic Development through Poetry Memorization
- The Profound Power of Poetry
- Four Deadly Errors of Teaching Writing
- Pumpkin Spice Cake
- Humor in Teaching and Speaking
- IEW's YouTube Channel
- Spelling and the Brain
- The Phonetic Zoo
- Fix It! Grammar
- Cursive Knowledge
- Principles of Motivation and Skills Development
- Premium Membership
- The Profound Effects of Music on Life
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com.
If you have ever worked with children, you have probably noticed some differences between boys and girls. This week, Andrew and Julie hone in on the topic. Referencing research and recounting his own experience, Andrew provides informative insight on the learning differences between boys and girls and shares how awareness of the differences can be useful in a learning environment.
Referenced Materials:
- "Optimizing Instruction for Boys and Girls"
- Dr. Leonard Sax
- Dr. Sax's Books
- Podcast with Dr. Sax
- Teaching Boys & Other Children Who Would Rather Make Forts All Day audio talk by Andrew Pudewa
- The Art and Science of Motivation
- The Boy Crisis by Warren Farrell Ph.D. and John Gray
- Bringing Up Boys by James Dobson
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com.
Teaching writing to English language learners can present various challenges. This week, Andrew and Julie address the topic and discuss how IEW's Structure and Style methodology positively impacts these students because it separates complexity. Andrew shares encouraging stories from teachers and students about their progress, and gives strategies on creating a successful environment and building the language database.
REFERENCED MATERIALS:
- However Imperfectly by Andrew Pudewa
- "In Retrospect: Heroes of Providence"
- Dr. James B. Webster
- Teaching Writing: Structure and Style
- Structure and Style for Students
- Berwyn School District Study
- Magalog
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com
Continuing the Homeschool 101 series, Andrew and Julie welcome homeschool mom, YouTuber, and IEW affiliate Karla Canon. Homeschooling her three children, Karla has witnessed the benefits of home education and enjoys sharing her wisdom with others. In this episode Karla shares how homeschooling has allowed her to individualize education in a way that motivates her children to learn and discusses how IEW has impacted her children's ability to communicate effectively.
Referenced Materials:
- "Homeschool 101 - A Conversation with Karla Canon"
- Karla Canon's YouTube Channel
- Classical Conversations®
- The Blended Sound-Sight Program of Learning by Anna Ingham
- Dr. James B. Webster
- "You Don't Have to Like It ..." by Andrew Pudewa
- Magalog
- Ellie Diaz
- Fix It!™ Grammar
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com.
Continuing the Homeschool 101 series, Andrew Pudewa and Julie Walker welcome IEW affiliate and homeschool mom Leilani Melendez. Leilani offers guidance and resources to other homeschool families primarily through her YouTube channel and website, Living with Eve. In this episode Leilani discusses her work and shares her homeschooling experience as a parent educator to special needs children.
Referenced Materials
- Living with Eve
- The Institutes for the Achievements of Human Potential
- Structure and Style for Students
- Freedom to Learn by Leilani Melendez
- Leilani's Instagram Page
- Transcript of Podcast Episode 355
If you have questions for Andrew, send them to podcast@IEW.com
Perhaps your question will be answered at the next Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have questions about IEW products or classes, contact customer service at 800.856.5815 or info@IEW.com
Andrew Pudewa and Julie Walker spend this episode sharing the legacy of Dr. James B. Webster. Hear the stories behind the unit models and a few personal anecdotes from Andrew’s long friendship with him. As Andrew said, “If you have benefitted from IEW in any way, you can be grateful for his brilliance, his vision that all children could learn to write well, and his decades-long friendship with me—without which IEW would not exist.”
Referenced Materials
- Dr. James B. Webster
- Anna Ingham
- IEW’s story
- Dr. Webster’s obituary
- Blended Structure and Style in Composition by Dr. James B. Webster
- Blended Sound-Sight Program of Learning by Anna Ingham
- Transcript of Podcast Episode 416
If you have questions for Andrew, send them to podcast@IEW.com
Perhaps your question will be answered at the next Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have questions about IEW products or classes, contact customer service at 800.856.5815 or info@IEW.com
For this Homeschool 101 episode, Andrew Pudewa and Julie Walker invited Cathy Duffy to join them. Cathy is a homeschool mom, author, and the founder of Cathy Duffy Reviews. In this episode the three discuss Cathy's recently released book: 103 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum. The book includes chapters on how teaching parents can choose curriculum for their students along with reviews of curriculum in a variety of subjects.
Referenced Materials
- Cathy Duffy Reviews
- 103 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum by Cathy Duffy
- Structure and Style for Students
- Transcript of Podcast Episode 345
If you have questions for Andrew, send them to podcast@IEW.com
Perhaps your question will be answered at the next Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have questions about IEW products or classes, contact customer service at 800.856.5815 or info@IEW.com
It’s graduation season! Commencement speeches, students walking across the stage to receive their diplomas, and parents cheering their graduates are all part of this ceremonial rite of passage. Andrew Pudewa and Julie Walker discuss how commencement is a time of celebrating accomplishments and yet preparing to launch into a new life journey. Listen in as Andrew shares his thoughts on graduation and imparts his words of wisdom for both high school and college graduates.
Referenced Materials
- 12 Rules for Life by Jordan Peterson
- Beyond Order by Jordan Peterson
- The Bible in a Year
- The One-Life Solution by Henry Cloud
- Transcript of Podcast Episode 372
If you have questions for Andrew, send them to podcast@IEW.com
Perhaps your question will be answered at the next Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have questions about IEW products or classes, contact customer service at 800.856.5815 or info@IEW.com
This is the first episode of twenty-four in the podcast series Reviewing Our Greatest Hits. This show was initially launched on November 7, 2018, as Episode 164.
"How children learn has a more lasting effect than what they learn." This week Andrew and Julie discuss Intrinsic Relevancy, that thing that is interesting because it is. Join us as Andrew and Julie discuss the importance of capitalizing on your students' intrinsic interests, which then motivates and teaches students how to learn.
REFERENCED MATERIALS:
- Episode 199: A Special Announcement
- National Novel Writing Month
- Teaching Boys and Other Children Who Would Rather Make Forts All Day
- Motivation
- Article
- Audio talk
- Podcast Series: Part 1 | Part 2
- However Imperfectly
- Audio talk
- Podcast Series: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3
- Book
- Dr. Leonard Sax
- Lord of the Flies by William Golding (Amazon Affiliate)
- Lemonade to Leadership by Bonnie Drew
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com
After learning the basic five-paragraph essay model, your student can begin to play with it and explore other types of essays. In this podcast Andrew and Julie introduce the advanced essay models. Tune in to hear Andrew walk through the various essay models and learn about the application they have in the real world.
Referenced Materials:
- Episode 185: Formal Essay Models, Structure and Style Unit 8
- Episode 186: An Interview with Marie Greenhalgh
- Teaching Writing: Structure and Style
- Dr. James B. Webster
- High School Essay Intensive (Discontinued)
- "Convert...to Pens!"
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or info@IEW.com
It is time for another “Ask Andrew Anything” podcast episode! In this ongoing series, Julie Walker presents Andrew Pudewa with questions from both teachers and teaching parents. This week many of the questions revolve around the topic of motivation. Andrew’s answers provide insight and encouragement as teachers and students embark on the last half of the academic year.
Referenced Materials
- National Novel Writing Month
- Christian Halls International
- “Flying Solo with Teaching Writing: Structure and Style”
- Teaching Writing: Structure and Style
- The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
- The Bark of the Bog Owl by Jonathan Rogers
- IEW Book Recommendations
- Teaching Boys & Other Children Who Would Rather Make Forts All Day audio talk by Andrew Pudewa
- Read-Aloud Revival
- Your Morning Basket
- “The Art and Science of Motivation” by Andrew Pudewa
- Principles of Motivation and Skills Development audio talk by Andrew Pudewa
- “Process versus Product” by Andrew Pudewa
- However Imperfectly by Andrew Pudewa
- Transcript of Podcast Episode 360
If you have questions for Andrew, send them to podcast@IEW.com
Perhaps your question will be answered at the next Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have questions about IEW products or classes, contact customer service at 800.856.5815 or info@IEW.com
Hillsdale College K-12 Education Office has partnered with IEW to provide the recommended writing curriculum for their member and curriculum schools. IEW will produce a brand new curriculum aligned with Hillsdale’s K-12 Program Guides for third to eighth grades. Join Andrew Pudewa, Julie Walker, and their special guest Dr. Kathleen O’Toole, Assistant Provost for K-12 Education, as they discuss the partnership and the new writing curriculum!
Referenced Materials
- Dr. Kathleen O’Toole
- Hillsdale College K-12 Education
- Hillsdale Schools Locations
- Barney Family Foundation
- Teaching Writing: Structure and Style
- Theme-Based Writing Lessons
- Adventures in Writing
- IEW Schools Division
- Transcript of Podcast Episode 382
If you have questions for Andrew, send them to Podcast@IEW.com
Perhaps your question will be answered at the next Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have questions about IEW products or classes, contact customer service at 800.856.5815 or info@IEW.com
Since October is dyslexia awareness month, Susan Barton of the Barton Reading and Spelling System joins the Arts of Language Podcast to offer insight on dyslexia. With years of experience, Susan explains dyslexia's intricacies and discusses the temporary accommodations teachers can provide to allow dyslexic students to still thrive and prove their knowledge.
REFERENCED MATERIALS:
- Susan Barton
- Dyslexia: Symptoms & Solutions
- Bright Solutions for Dyslexia
- Learning Ally
- Bookshare
- Orton-Gillingham Method
- Barton Reading and Spelling System
- Ask Susan Barton
- Bright Solutions for Dyslexia Facebook
- Overcoming Dyslexia by Sally Shaywitz
- Bright Solutions for Dyslexia: Good Books
- To contact Susan, email her at Susan@brightsolutions.us.
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com
When you flip the calendar page, be equipped to move on to Unit 4: Summarizing a Reference. Learn how to effectively teach your students to "some-a-rize" longer source texts by choosing what is interesting, important, and/or relevant.
REFERENCED MATERIALS:
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com
Continuing last week's conversation, Andrew and Julie wrap up by discussing the last two things on Andrew's list of the best things he did as a homeschool dad: teaching classes and taking over the education of a particular child. While the things on Andrew's list may not be practical for all family settings, learn how Andrew's involvement in his children's education helped improve their learning and the family culture.
GO TO: PART 1
Referenced Materials:
- Andrew's Engagements
- Math-U-See
- Memoria Press
- The One-Life Solution by Henry Cloud
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com.
To join them in this Homeschool 101 episode, Andrew and Julie welcome Dr. Lisa Dunne. Dr. Dunne is a homeschool mom, author, and founder of Chula Vista Christian University. With over twenty years of classroom experience, Dr. Dunne speaks on her vision of education reform. Her organization's work includes establishing homeschool academies that allow parents to partner with local churches. Additionally Dr. Dunne discusses her new book, Outsourced, and capitalizes on the importance of parental involvement in their children's education.
Referenced Materials:
- Dr. Lisa Dunne
- Outsourced: Why America’s Kids Need an Education Revolution by Dr. Lisa Dunne
- Chula Vista Christian University
- The Academy at CVCU
- Dumbing Us Down by John Taylor Gatto
- Live Not by Lies by Rod Dreher
- The Coddling of the American Mind by Greg Lukianof and Jonathan Haidt
- Jordan Peterson
- Transcript of Podcast Episode 335
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com.
† Contains distinctly Christian content
Andrew interacts with two students in a writing workshop. Dirk is sullen and reluctant while Penelope is verbose and eclectic. Will Andrew be able to rein in Penelope and motivate Dirk while encouraging both to be confident, competent communicators? Listen now to find out!
REFERENCED MATERIALS:
- Teaching Writing: Structure and Style
- Ode on a Grecian Urn by John Keats
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com
While Andrew is away, Julie interviews Nathan King, IEW’s Customer Marketing Manager. Learn about Nathan’s journey to IEW and his goal to help communicate IEW’s method with clarity and simplicity.
Referenced Materials:
- Classical Conversations
- Nathan King
- Teaching Writing: Structure and Style
- Mothers Matter YouTube Video
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com
Join Andrew Pudewa and Nathan King as they interview Jeremy Tate, Founder and CEO of the Classic Learning Test (CLT). Knowing that testing tremendously influences curriculum development in secondary education, Jeremy developed the CLT to connect students with richer, more meaningful content. In the short time of seven years, the CLT has gained tremendous traction. It is now accepted by over two hundred colleges as a complete replacement for the ACT and SAT exams.
Referenced Materials
- Classic Learning Test
- List of CLT Partner Colleges
- The Coddling of the American Mind by Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt
- The Abolition of Man by C.S. Lewis
- Transcript of Podcast Episode 357
If you have questions for Andrew, send them to podcast@IEW.com
Perhaps your question will be answered at the next Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have questions about IEW products or classes, contact customer service at 800.856.5815 or info@IEW.com
The creative and humorous Mark Landon, one of IEW's audiovisual specialists, steps up to the mic while Andrew is away. Tune in to learn about Mark's journey to IEW and be inspired by his advice on exploring the creative side of things.
REFERENCED MATERIALS:
- IEW's YouTube Channel
- Mikael Walker
- Justin Holmes
- M45 Seven
- Click here to enter the A Guide to Writing Your Novel giveaway. (Drawing ended.)
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com
Recently IEW announced the release of the fourth edition of our award-winning Fix It! Grammar program. Because of the release, Julie welcomes Denise Kelley, a good friend and IEW's senior product manager. Join us as Denise shares a bit about her role at IEW, discusses her involvement in the fourth edition of the product, and talks about the improved changes that customers can expect to see in the new edition. You won't want to miss this episode as Julie and Denise even walk through a Fix It! Grammar sentence to show you what fixing sentences is like in the new edition.
Referenced Materials:
- Denise Kelley
- Fix It! Grammar
- Online Classes
- Structure and Style® for Students
- Pamela White
- Town Mouse and Country Mouse: Week 14, Day 1
- Fix It! Grammar Cards
- Click here to enter the Fix It! Grammar drawing.
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com.
Last week, Andrew and Julie discussed the four forms of relevancy when it comes to motivation. Sharing with you their knowledge based on experience, Andrew and Julie discuss how motivation relates to classroom management. From establishing connections with your students to minimizing distractions for them, Andrew provides strategies to help you in managing the classroom.
GO TO PART 1
REFERENCED MATERIALS:
- However Imperfectly by Andrew Pudewa
- Teaching Writing: Structure and Style
- Anna Ingham
- Dr. James B. Webster
- "Mixed-Age Classrooms" by Andrew Pudewa
- Theme-Based Writing Lessons
- Structure and Style for the Classroom Level 1A
- Structure and Style for Students
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com
In this episode of "Ask Andrew Anything," IEW's ingenious leader answers questions from our latest Facebook Party, such as "Do you recommend the use of a thesaurus?" and "Is there any creative writing course with IEW?". What would your question be if you could ask Andrew anything?
REFERENCED MATERIALS:
- IEW Facebook Page
- Theme-Based Writing Lessons
- Ancient History-Based Writing Lessons by Lori Verstegen
- Teaching Writing: Structure and Style
- A Word Write Now by Loranna Schwacofer
- U.S History-Based Writing Lessons by Lori Verstegen
- Pen and Paper
- The Four Deadly Errors
- The Five Canons of Rhetoric
- Free Aesop Fables Online
- Linguistic Development through Poetry Memorization by Andrew Pudewa
- Fix it! Grammar by Pamela White
- 24:01-"If you gathered methane gas from cows for two years, would all the gas be able to launch a rocket to space?"
- Answer at AAA Episode 30
- Please Rate and Review our Podcast on iTunes
- Questions asked:
- 2:27 - Carrie Sue asks "I have four children. My eldest is 12 and writing has been a struggle so I have never taught it. Now he has improved and is about the same grade-level and is reading and writing as my 10 year old. Where would I begin to teach writing and could my 8 year old, who is an advance reader, join them too?"
- 7:04 - Ashley asks "Do you recommend the use of a thesaurus and at what age?"
- 9:57 - Leslie asks "I love all your products. My son is needing a vocabulary program. What do you suggest?"
- 13:22 - Clare asks "I have a 12 year old son who insists that he type his writing assignments. I am big fan of handwriting, as it seems to be a lost art. What do you think?"
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16:36 - Courtney asks "How long is it okay to scribe for them? I've been following Jill's advice on scribing for them for as long as needed but sometimes it seems as though they will never learn to do it themselves. I am doing U.S History-Based Writing Lessons with my 13 year old dyslexic daughter, along with my 12 year old. Both of them need quite a bit of handholding."
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18:19 - Lisa asks "On average how long would you expect it to take a 5th grader to do a key word outline and write there own rough draft from their key word outline? This is out first year with TWSS and it's taking a very long time. Do you ever have students try and write their rough draft from scratch because they can't remember what the key word outline means? What's the best thing to do in this case?"
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22:04 - Brandy asks "Is there any creative writing course with IEW? "
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29:06- Kristen asked "Our freshman son has some vision issues which delayed his reading and impacted his spelling and writing. We have some of your products. Am I right in thinking slow and steady wins the race or is there something specific I should be doing to help his written communication become easier? "
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com
In this podcast Andrew and Julie welcome long-time friend Linda Mikottis. Join us as Linda discusses her journey to IEW and explains her role as Senior Implementation Coach, aiding students through coaching teachers in what IEW has to offer.
Referenced Materials:
- Linda Mikottis
- Magalog
- Berwyn School District Study
- Andrew's Engagements
- Reaching the Reluctant Writer
- Audio talk
- Podcast Series: Part 1 | Part 2
- Linguistic Development through Poetry Memorization by Andrew Pudewa
- IEW Schools Division
- Sharon Ashford
- Podcast with Sharon Ashford
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com
While many of us have reluctant writers, a few of us have passionate writers! These students find excitement in IEW’s creative Units 3, 5, and 7 and may have written a novel on the side with dreams of one day becoming published. This week Brett Harris, co-author of Do Hard Things, joins Andrew Pudewa and Julie Walker. Listen to their discussion about how to make it possible for high school and college students to make those dreams of publication a reality.
Referenced Materials
- Reaching the Reluctant Writer audio talk by Andrew Pudewa
- Episode 246: A Novel Idea: Unit 3 on Steroids
- National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)
- Do Hard Things by Alex and Brett Harris
- The Young Writer’s Workshop
- The Author Conservatory
- S.D. Smith’s The Green Writer
- Free download from The Young Writer’s Workshop
- Transcript of Podcast Episode 402
If you have questions for Andrew, send them to podcast@IEW.com
Perhaps your question will be answered at the next Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have questions about IEW products or classes, contact customer service at 800.856.5815 or info@IEW.com
With seventy-four countries participating, IEW held a virtual writing conference last month. This week, we are posting one of the recordings from that conference. In this recording Andrew and Julie discuss the different ways to teach writing using Structure and Style. Stay tuned until the end, where Andrew provides insightful answers to questions that were submitted live from the audience!
REFERENCED MATERIALS:
- "Teaching Writing Can Be Easier Than You Think!"
- IEW's 2021 Writing Conference
- Writing Conference Resources
- Teaching Writing: Structure and Style
- Theme-Based Writing Lessons
- Bible-Based Writing Lessons
- Structure and Style for Students
- Online Classes
- Fix-It! Grammar
- Linguistic Development through Poetry Memorization
- Nurturing Competent Communicators by Andrew Pudewa
- The Phonetic Zoo
- IEW's School Site
- Bible Heroes Writing Lessons
- Primary Arts of Language
- Cooking with Structure and Style
- IEW's Forum
- IEW's Blog
- e-Newsletters
- Michelle Robinson
- "Convert ... to Pens!" by Andrew Pudewa
- Wee Sing
- IEW's YouTube Channel
- Teaching the Classics by Adam and Missy Andrews
- CenterForLit
- "The Colloquium Environment" by Andrew Pudewa
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com
For many, August is a month of anticipation as the start of the school year approaches. In this week's episode, Andrew and Julie address teachers who will be using IEW's method in the classroom. From tips on decorating the classroom to suggestions on equipping yourself, you’ll learn some practical and effective preparations for a successful year of teaching with Structure and Style!
Referenced Materials:
- Premium Membership
- Teaching Writing: Structure and Style
- Structure and Style for Students
- Classroom Posters
- Portable Walls
- IEW School Site
- Theme-Based Writing Lessons
- Implementation Coaches
- Structure and Style for Students: A Trustworthy Way to Teach Your Students to Write
- Webinar Archive
- "The Four Deadly Errors of Teaching Writing"
- Structure and Style Overview
- Nurturing Success: Serving Schools of Every Kind
- "Off to a Strong Start: Preparing for Writing Instruction with Structure and Style" by Jean B. Nichols
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com.
In this week’s episode Andrew Pudewa and Julie Walker encourage parents and teachers to take time over the summer to hone their craft of teaching, focusing on The Great TWSS Adventure. Evan Smith, IEW Accreditation Specialist, shares more about this opportunity to work through Teaching Writing: Structure and Style® during the same time frame when others all over the globe are doing the same thing.
Referenced Materials
- The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People®
- Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw®
- “Sharpen Your Saw with IEW Events and Resources”
- Nurturing Competent Communicators audio talk by Andrew Pudewa
- Virtual Teaching Writing: Structure and Style®
- The Great TWSS Adventure
- Teaching Writing: Structure and Style
- Structure and Style for Students
- Seminar Workbook
- Premium Membership
- Instructor Accreditation
- IEW YouTube channel
- Transcript of Podcast Episode 426
If you have questions for Andrew, send them to podcast@IEW.com
Perhaps your question will be answered at the next Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have questions about IEW products or classes, contact customer service at 800.856.5815 or info@IEW.com
In this episode, Andrew Pudewa and Julie Walker open the mailbag (or the email inbox) and read letters IEW has received from students, parents, and teachers. Listen to this episode to find out how IEW has assisted refugee students, how teachers are incorporating IEW into their classrooms, and how IEW assists students long after they have completed high school. Often students send Andrew samples of their work, and he shares some excerpts in this podcast.
Referenced Materials
- Bible Heroes
- Structure and Style® for Students: Year 1 Level A
- Fix It!® Grammar
- IEW Schools Department
- IEW Schools Educational Consultants
- Structure and Style for Students
- Structure and Style for Students: Year 1 Level C
- IEW® Gradebook
- Linguistic Development through Poetry Memorization
- Poetic Power Poetry Contest
- Linguistic Development through Poetry Memorization free lessons
- Transcript of Podcast Episode 472
If you have questions for Andrew, send them to podcast@IEW.com
Perhaps your question will be answered at the next Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have questions about IEW products or classes, contact customer service at 800.856.5815 or info@IEW.com
Join us as Julie chats with Kristin Boutross, IEW's ebullient Customer Service Manager. With her many years of experience working for IEW, Kristin describes the goal of the customer service team and shares a special message with those starting on their educational journey.
REFERENCED MATERIALS:
- Teaching Writing: Structure and Style
- All Things Fun & Fascinating by Lori Verstegen
- A Classical Approach in a Modern World Audio Talk by Andrew Pudewa
- Process Versus Product
- Kristin Boutross
- Support Team
- Click here to enter the Teaching Writing Structure and Style giveaway [Drawing Ended]
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com
In this episode, Andrew Pudewa and Julie Walker interview Jeff Nease, who provides support to schools using IEW materials in his role as IEW’s Implementation Coach. Jeff shares his passion for training teachers to use IEW in their classrooms. Andrew, Julie, and Jeff also discuss the 4-Step Implementation Plan and the various options for training that IEW provides.
Referenced Materials
- IEW Schools Department
- Jeff Nease
- Structure and Style® for Students
- Teaching Writing: Structure and Style
- “An Exciting Addition to Premium Membership: TTAP”
- Virtual Teaching Writing: Structure and Style workshop
- Premium Membership
- Transcript of Podcast Episode 474
If you have questions for Andrew, send them to podcast@IEW.com
Perhaps your question will be answered at the next Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have questions about IEW products or classes, contact customer service at 800.856.5815 or info@IEW.com
As a mom, it can be easy to get bogged down and overwhelmed with the busyness of schooling. In this episode Andrew and Julie chat with Kristi Clover, a homeschool mom of five whose goal is to inspire women with "simple solutions for a more joy-filled life." Join us as Kristi shares her tips on getting organized and offers advice on bringing joy to a mom's crazy, chaotic, but wonderful homeschool life.
Referenced Materials:
- Kristi Clover's Website
- Sanity Savers for Moms by Kristi Clover
- Primary Arts of Language
- The Ultimate Homeschool Organization eCourse by Kristi Clover
- Teaching Writing: Structure and Style
- Fix It! Grammar
- The Phonetic Zoo
- Kristi's Facebook Page
- Kristi's YouTube Channel
DISCOUNT CODE:
Enter coupon code IEW30 during checkout to get $30 off The Ultimate Homeschool Organization eCourse by Kristi Clover. Hurry! The offer ends December 31.
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com
It’s here! After many months we are proud to introduce our newest video product, Introduction to Public Speaking! In this program middle- and high-school students learn memory and delivery techniques for five different types of speeches, tips on where to stand and where to look, and other valuable skills for becoming confident verbal communicators. Join Andrew Pudewa and Julie Walker as they elaborate on the new Introduction to Public Speaking.
Referenced Materials
- “IEW's New Introduction to Public Speaking”
- Introduction to Public Speaking
- National Christian Forensics and Communications Association
- National Speech and Debate Association
- Stoa
- "Casey at the Bat" by Ernest Lawrence Thayer
- Structure and Style for Students
- Portable Walls for Structure and Style Students
- Portable Walls for the Public Speaker
- Portable Walls Grammar on the Go
- Tools for Young Writers
- Transcript of Podcast Episode 374
If you have questions for Andrew, send them to podcast@IEW.com
Perhaps your question will be answered at the next Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have questions about IEW products or classes, contact customer service at 800.856.5815 or info@IEW.com
"Poetry is the key to understanding language." While Andrew is out of the office, Julie welcomes IEW's lead implementation coach, Linda Mikottis, to the mic. In this insightful episode, Linda discusses Structure and Style® at the primary level and emphasizes the critical role poetry plays in understanding language.
REFERENCED MATERIALS:
- "Structure and Style with Primary Students: A Conversation with Linda Mikottis"
- Linda Mikottis
- Anna Ingham
- The Blended Sound-Sight Program of Learning by Anna Ingham
- Dr. James B. Webster
- Blended Structure and Style in Composition by Dr. James B. Webster
- Linguistic Development through Poetry Memorization
- IEW School Website
- Schools: Level P (Primary) Resources
- Primary Arts of Language
- Structure and Style for Students
- "Miss Mary Mack"
- "The Crocodile" by Lewis Carroll
- "For Want of a Nail" by Anon
- "The Fox & the Goat" by Aesop
- Writing to Read: Evidence for How Writing Can Improve Reading
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com
In this podcast Andrew and Julie welcome Todd Wilson, the Family Man, to discuss the true difficulties of schooling. With humor and insight Todd connects with moms and dads, reminding them of what’s really important.
REFERENCED MATERIALS:
- The Family Man
- e-Newsletters
- Help! I'm Married to a Homeschooling Mom by Todd Wilson
- Teaching Writing: Structure and Style
- Teaching Boys and Other Children Who Would Rather Make Forts All Day
- Lies Homeschooling Moms Believe by Todd Wilson
- Taming the Techno-Beast by Todd Wilson
- The Smiling Homeschooler
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com
In this episode Andrew Pudewa and Julie Walker continue to discuss and provide tips for teaching through the final five units from Teaching Writing: Structure and Style® if you are not using one of the theme-based lessons or the Structure and Style for Students video courses.
GO TO PART 1
Referenced Materials
- “Understanding Topic-Clincher Sentences with Unit 4”
- “Asking Questions with Unit 5”
- “Streamlining Research with Unit 6”
- “Filling the Blank Page with Unit 7”
- “Writing Essays with Unit 8”
- “Critiquing Literature with Unit 9”
- “Lesson Planning” article by Andrew Pudewa
- How to Think like Shakespeare: Lessons from a Renaissance Education by Scott Newstok
- Episode 398: Think like Shakespeare, Part 1
- Transcript of Podcast Episode 454
If you have questions for Andrew, send them to podcast@IEW.com
Perhaps your question will be answered at the next Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have questions about IEW products or classes, contact customer service at 800.856.5815 or info@IEW.com
In this episode, Andrew Pudewa and Julie Walker talk to Monica Swanson about her new book, Becoming Homeschoolers. Monica shares her heart for homeschooling and the blessings of homeschooling for parents as well as the benefits for students. This episode will encourage new and veteran homeschoolers alike.
Referenced Materials
- Monica Swanson
- Becoming Homeschoolers
- Episode 361: Raising Amazing Kids with Monica Swanson†
- Episode R04: The Joys of Boys
- Teaching Boys & Other Children Who Would Rather Make Forts All Day audio talk by Andrew Pudewa
- Cultivating Language Arts – Preschool through High School audio talk by Andrew Pudewa
- Portable Walls™ for Structure and Style® Students
- Transcript of Podcast Episode 435
If you have questions for Andrew, send them to podcast@IEW.com
Perhaps your question will be answered at the next Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have questions about IEW products or classes, contact customer service at 800.856.5815 or info@IEW.com
In an age of increased technology use, many students are reading on tablets and typing their work. This week Andrew Pudewa gathers his research to discuss the effects of technology in an educational setting. In this insightful episode you will learn about the differences between reading on paper versus on a screen, the benefits of writing notes instead of typing them, and the advantages of using a pen rather than a pencil.
Referenced Materials
- “Convert . . . to Pens!”
- Paper and Pen audio talk by Andrew Pudewa
- Paper and Pen Slides
- Structure and Style for Students
- Teaching Writing: Structure and Style
- “More than Ebook vs. Print: The Concept of ‘Media Mentors’” by
Lisa Guernsey - “Teaching with Interactive Picture E-Books in Grades K–6” by
Heather Ruetschlin Schugar et al. - Words Onscreen by Naomi S. Baron
- “Reading Linear Texts on Paper versus Computer Screen: Effects on Reading Comprehension” by Anne Mangen et al.
- “Readers Absorb Less on Kindles than on Paper, Study Finds” published by
The Guardian - “Laptop Multitasking Hinders Classroom Learning for Both Users and Nearby Peers” by Faria Sana et al.
- “The Pen Is Mightier than the Keyboard” by Pam A. Mueller and
Daniel M. Oppenheimer - “Should Cursive Handwriting Still Be Taught in Schools?”
- Cursive Knowledge
- “An Analysis of the Ball Point Pen versus the Pencil as a Beginning Handwriting Instrument” by Shirley Tawney
- Transcript of Podcast Episode 354
If you have questions for Andrew, send them to podcast@IEW.com
Perhaps your question will be answered at the next Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have questions about IEW products or classes, contact customer service at 800.856.5815 or info@IEW.com
Andrew Pudewa and Julie Walker welcome Jim Weiss on this episode! For the past thirty-five years, Jim Weiss has been telling stories professionally around the world. This master storyteller grew up hearing his father retell great stories. In “Summer Writing” (Podcast 373), one of the suggested activities is story writing. In this podcast Jim Weiss explains the unbreakable rules of storytelling and offers helpful story writing tips.
Referenced Materials
- Jim Weiss
- Episode 373: Summer Writing Ideas
- Storytelling Recordings by Jim Weiss
- The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas
- The Black Count by Tom Reiss
- The Three Musketeers and Robin Hood as told by Jim Weiss
- Animal Tales as told by Jim Weiss
- Heroes in Mythology as told by Jim Weiss
- The Wonderful Wizard of Oz read unabridged by Jim Weiss
- Marathon as told by Jim Weiss [free download]
- Transcript of Podcast Episode 381
If you have questions for Andrew, send them to Podcast@IEW.com
Perhaps your question will be answered at the next Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have questions about IEW products or classes, contact customer service at 800.856.5815 or info@IEW.com
Since Andrew is away, Julie welcomes one of IEW's project managers, Nathan King, to the mic. In this episode Nathan talks about his background as a youth pastor and explains how he discovered a love for classical learning. Tune in to hear Nathan discuss his product, Bible Quest™, and learn how making memorization magical is a vital tool in education and learning God's word.
REFERENCED MATERIALS:
- Nathan King
- Classical Conversations
- Episode with Nathan King
- "A Classical Approach in a Modern World" Audio talk by Andrew Pudewa
- M45 Seven
- War Eagle Coffee Co.
- Bible Quest™
- Outmatched™: Ancient History
- Outmatched™: Medieval History
- "By Heart - The Goodness of Memory" Audio talk by Andrew Pudewa
- "Nurturing Competent Communicators" Audio talk by Andrew Pudewa
- Christian Book
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com
Having followed the research of New York Times bestselling author Dr. Leonard Sax for years, Andrew welcomes Sax to the microphone. Join us for this informative and insightful episode, in which Dr. Sax cites studies and explores his own findings that emphasize how important it is for teachers and parents to gain awareness of the learning differences between boys and girls.
REFERENCED MATERIALS:
- "Teaching Boys and Other Children Who Would Rather Make Forts All Day" Audio talk by Andrew Pudewa
- Dr. Leonard Sax
- Dr. Sax's Books
- "Fairy Tales and the Moral Imagination" Audio talk by Andrew Pudewa
- Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
- The Iliad by Homer
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com
Picking up where they left off, Andrew and Julie hone in on the third of the four deadly errors of teaching writing: unclear assignments. Many of us have experience with the frustration of an unclear assignment and the confusion it can bring. Join Andrew as he discusses what makes for an unclear assignment and provides practical ways to ensure the assignments you give your students are clear and helpful.
GO TO: PART 1 | Part 2
REFERENCED MATERIALS:
- "The Four Deadly Errors of Teaching Writing"
- Structure and Style® for Students
- Portable Walls for the Essayist (Discontinued)
- Teaching Boys & Other Children Who Would Rather Make Forts All Day by Andrew Pudewa
- Dr. James B. Webster
- Magnum Opus Magazine
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com
What is media literacy? In this episode Andrew Pudewa and Julie Walker interview Nate Noorlander, who teaches English, history, and philosophy online. They discuss media literacy and its importance in avoiding cynicism and uncertainty in confidently navigating information in the increasingly complex world we live in.
Click the link below for a free session of Media Literacy, including a reflection assignment and an invitation to submit your work.
Referenced Materials
- “Media Literacy Is an Essential Skill. Schools Should Teach It That Way”
- The Nomadic Professor
- Nate Noorlander
- The Nomadic Professor on YouTube
- The Nomadic Professor on Instagram
- Media Literacy course
- Free session from Media Literacy course
- Ground News
- Transcript for Podcast Episode 456
If you have questions for Andrew, send them to podcast@IEW.com
Perhaps your question will be answered at the next Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have questions about IEW products or classes, contact customer service at 800.856.5815 or info@IEW.com
This is the seventh episode of twenty-four in the podcast series Reviewing Our Greatest Hits. This show was initially launched on January 16, 2019, as Episode 174.
Having followed the research of New York Times bestselling author Dr. Leonard Sax for years, Andrew welcomes Dr. Sax to the microphone. Join us for this informative and insightful episode, in which Dr. Sax cites studies and explores his own findings that emphasize how important it is for teachers and parents to gain awareness of the learning differences between boys and girls.
REFERENCED MATERIALS:
- "Teaching Boys and Other Children Who Would Rather Make Forts All Day" Audio talk by Andrew Pudewa
- Dr. Leonard Sax
- Dr. Sax's Books
- "Fairy Tales and the Moral Imagination" Audio talk by Andrew Pudewa
- Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
- The Iliad by Homer
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com
In this episode, Andrew Pudewa and Julie Walker discuss seven tools IEW provides to help teachers and teaching parents prepare for an excellent school year. Learn about the new support webinars and the history behind the Magnum Opus Magazine. Be equipped and encouraged to start the new school year!
Referenced Materials
- Four Deadly Errors of Teaching Writing audio talk by Andrew Pudewa
- Webinar Archive
- Adventures in Writing
- Adventures in Writing Support Webinar
- Discoveries in Writing
- Discoveries in Writing Support Webinar
- IEW Blog
- Magnum Opus Magazine
- Newsletter
- Schools Division Newsletter
- Learning Differences? IEW can help!
- Instructor Accreditation
- Customer Service
- Transcript of Podcast Episode 436
If you have questions for Andrew, send them to podcast@IEW.com
Perhaps your question will be answered at the next Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have questions about IEW products or classes, contact customer service at 800.856.5815 or info@IEW.com
Beginning the series on "The Four Deadly Errors of Teaching Writing," Andrew and Julie address the first error: overcorrecting. Listen as Andrew and Julie discuss the negative effect of overcorrecting your student's writing, and stay tuned as Andrew elaborates on how a student's editor should take a "minimalist" approach.
REFERENCED MATERIALS:
- "The Four Deadly Errors of Teaching Writing"
- Reaching the Reluctant Writer by Andrew Pudewa
- Nurturing Competent Communicators by Andrew Pudewa
- Teaching Boys and Other Children Who Would Rather Make Forts All Day by Andrew Pudewa
- Hire an Editor!
- Letter to My Student's Editor
- "But it's so ... so ... awkward!" by Andrew Pudewa
- Caught'ya! Grammar with a Giggle by Jane Bell Kiester
- Fix It! Grammar
- Structure and Style for Students
- "Process versus Product" by Andrew Pudewa
- Online Classes
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com
In this episode Andrew Pudewa and Julie Walker answer the question: What should I buy? They simplify the steps for implementing IEW’s Structure and Style materials in your homeschool or classroom.
Referenced Materials
- Freedomshipping
- How to Get Started with IEW
- Request a Magalog
- Structure and Style® for Students
- Free Writing Lessons
- Theme-Based Writing Lessons
- Structure and Style for Students Overview
- Get Started with IEW video
- IEW.com/Schools
- Episode 382: Announcing IEW’s Partnership with Hillsdale College
- Adventures in Writing
- Discoveries in Writing
- Frontiers in Writing
- Wonders of Science Writing Lessons
- Bible-Based Writing Lessons
- Transcript of Podcast Episode 433
If you have questions for Andrew, send them to podcast@IEW.com
Perhaps your question will be answered at the next Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have questions about IEW products or classes, contact customer service at 800.856.5815 or info@IEW.com
With Mother's Day approaching, Andrew reflects on his childhood and on things his mother did right. Join us in this gratifying episode where Andrew shares what he really appreciated about his mother, from her gift of music to her lessons about cooking.
REFERENCED MATERIALS:
- "Things My Mother Did Right"
- Nurturing Competent Communicators by Andrew Pudewa
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com
In this podcast Andrew and Julie interview longtime friend and homeschool mom Pam Barnhill. Pam explains how she came to create her own podcast and shares her goal of fostering an environment of truth, goodness, and beauty.
Referenced Materials:
- Pam Barnhill's Website
- Pam's Podcasts
- Pam's Podcast with Angelina Stanford
- Teaching Boys and Other Children Who Would Rather Make Forts All Day audio talk by Andrew Pudewa
- Math-U-See
- Advent to Epiphany Morning Time Plans
- Your Morning Basket: "How to Transform Your Homeschool One Morning at a Time" by Pam Barnhill with Cindy Rollins
- Linguistic Development through Poetry Memorization by Andrew Pudewa
- Theme-Based Writing Lessons
- Fables, Myths, and Fairy Tales Writing Lessons by Maria Gerber
- Medieval History-Based Writing Lessons by Lori Verstegen
- The Phonetic Zoo
- All About Spelling
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com
So many young people are intimidated when asked questions about their next steps in life following graduation. In this episode Andrew shares stories about his experience in high school and as an adult and encourages students to take ownership of their education.
Referenced Materials:
- Caution and Craziness Audio Talk by Andrew Pudewa
- Lemonade to Leadership by Bonnie Drew
- Freedomship and Entrepreneurial Education Audio Talk by Andrew Pudewa
- The Institutes for the Achievement of Human Potential
- The Four Deadly Errors
- Understanding Child Brain Development by Matthew and Carol Newell
- Dr. James B. Webster
- Teaching Boys & Other Children Who Would Rather Make Forts All Day Audio Talk
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com
This is the sixteenth episode of twenty-four in the podcast series Reviewing Our Greatest Hits. This show was initially launched on October 24, 2016, as Episode 66.
To finish up their conversation on special needs, Andrew and Julie talk about Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). In this episode Andrew and Julie examine some of the challenges of ADHD and provide suggestions for both language development and everyday home life. Be encouraged as Andrew emphasizes the value of IEW's Structure and Style® method because it allows your student to feel successful by breaking the overwhelmingly complex writing task into small manageable steps.
Referenced Materials:
- The Gift of Dyslexia by Ronald D. Davis
- "General Prevalence of ADHD"
- Dr. Leonard Sax
- Dr. Sax's Books
- "Teaching Boys and Other Children Who Would Rather Make Forts All Day" by Andrew Pudewa
- "4 Reasons You Should Buy a Standup Desk—Right Now" by Michael Hyatt
- "Nature Deficit Disorder"
- Retrain the Brain by Jeanette Farmer
- Why Teach Cursive Writing?
- "Special needs? IEW can help!" by Jill Pike
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com
"I just can't think of what to write!" Why is it that students have a difficult time making a thought concrete? Tune in as Andrew Pudewa and Julie Walker address this issue, highlight the power of asking questions, and explain the importance of good thinking as it relates to listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
REFERENCED MATERIALS:
- "The Four Language Arts"
- "What Are We Really Doing Here?" by Andrew Pudewa
- Magalog
- The Profound Effects of Music on Life audio talk by Andrew Pudewa
- A Word Write Now
- Teaching Boys & Other Children Who Would Rather Make Forts All Day audio talk by Andrew Pudewa
- Dr. James B. Webster
- Teaching Writing: Structure and Style®
- High School Essay Intensive (Discontinued)
- "I Keep Six Honest Serving Men" by Rudyard Kipling
- Structure and Style for Students®
Remember to send your questions to podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or info@IEW.com
In this "Ask Andrew Anything," Andrew answers questions asked by school teachers and parents. Gain some insight on the advanced dress-ups and learn the importance of mastery, especially in the area of spelling.
Referenced Materials:
- Episode 100: Four-Wheelers and Make-up: A Radio Drama
- The Four Language Arts
- Podcast Series: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4
- Audio Talk
- Pen and Paper: What the Research Says
- Teaching Boys & Other Children Who Would Rather Make Forts All Day Audio Talk
- The Phonetic Zoo
- Spelling and the Brain
- Podcast Series: Part 1 | Part 2
- Audio Talk
- Video Talk
- Instructor Accreditation Program
- Student Writing Intensive
- Student Writing Intensive Continuation Courses
- Online Classes
- Teaching Writing: Structure and Style Upgrade
- Webinars
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com
To finish up this conversation on relevancy, Andrew and Julie discuss the last of the Four Forms of Relevancy: Contrived Relevancy and Enforced Relevancy. Learn how creating a game can motivate your student to learn, and discover how Enforced Relevancy is the least effective motivator as it can lead to a dislike for learning.
GO TO: Part 1 | Part 2
REFERENCED MATERIALS:
- Teaching Boys and Other Children Who Would Rather Make Forts All Day
- Why Gender Matters by Dr. Leonard Sax (Amazon Affiliate)
- Mastery Learning, Ability Development, and Individualized Education
- The Four Deadly Errors of Teaching Writing
- Dr. James B. Webster
- Outmatched™: Ancient History
- U.S. History-Based Writing Lessons by Lori Verstegen
- Fix-It! Grammar
- Motivation
- Article
- Audio talk
- Podcast Series: Part 1 | Part 2
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com
This is the third episode of twenty-four in the podcast series, Reviewing Our Greatest Hits. This show was initially launched on November 21, 2018, as Episode 166.
To finish up this conversation on relevancy, Andrew and Julie discuss the last of the four forms of relevancy: contrived relevancy and enforced relevancy. Learn how creating a game can motivate your student to learn, and discover how enforced relevancy is the least effective motivator as it can lead to a dislike for learning.
REFERENCED MATERIALS:
- Episode 199: A Special Announcement
- Teaching Boys and Other Children Who Would Rather Make Forts All Day
- Why Gender Matters by Dr. Leonard Sax (Amazon Affiliate)
- Mastery Learning, Ability Development, and Individualized Education
- The Four Deadly Errors of Teaching Writing
- Dr. James B. Webster
- Outmatched™: Ancient History
- U.S. History-Based Writing Lessons by Lori Verstegen
- Fix-It! Grammar
- Motivation
- Article
- Audio talk
- Podcast Series: Part 1 | Part 2
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com
In this final installment of "However Imperfectly," Andrew shares the last three of the seven important lessons he has learned in almost thirty years of teaching to help teachers and students alike excel in their skills, including recommendations for college and career readiness, the importance of cultivating wisdom and virtue in students, and the all-important key to teaching: love.
GO TO PART 1 | Part 2
Referenced Materials:
- Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling by John Taylor Gatto (Amazon Affiliate)
- Process Versus Product
- A River Runs Through It and Other Stories by Norman Maclean (Amazon Affiliate)
- 1895 Exam
- Hidden Figures Movie
- Test Specifications for the Redesigned SAT®
- Les Miserables by Victor Hugo
- Anna Ingham
- Freedomship Education Paradigm Audio Talk
- The Seven Keys of Great Teaching Article by Oliver and Rachel DeMille
- Seven Keys of Great Teaching Audio Talk
- Teaching Boys & Other Children Who Would Rather Make Forts All Day Audio Talk
- Nurtured by Love by Shinichi Suzuki
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com
In this podcast Andrew and Julie welcome blogger and homeschool mom of four boys, Monica Swanson. Monica asks Andrew some frequently asked questions from her blog readers on topics like motivation and reading to help her as she writes the last chapter of her book, Boy Mom (working title). Tune in until the end to hear Monica ask her son's fun questions for Andrew.
REFERENCED MATERIALS:
- Monica Swanson - The Grommom
- Boy Mom (working title)
- "Teaching Boys and Other Children Who Would Rather Make Forts All Day"
- Monica's Baked French Toast Recipe
- Motivation
- Article
- Audio talk
- Podcast Series: Part 1 | Part 2
- Why Gender Matters by Leonard Sax, Ph.D (Amazon Affiliate)
- Boys Adrift by Leonard Sax, Ph.D (Amazon Affiliate)
- Podcast with Sarah Mackenzie
- Read-Aloud Revival
- Penrod by Booth Tarkington (Amazon Affiliate)
- Mr. Midshipman Hornblower by C.S Forester (Amazon Affiliate)
- The Bark of the Bog Owl by Jonathan Rogers (Amazon Affiliate)
- DK Illustrated Oxford Dictionary by Oxford (Amazon Affiliate)
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com
May is often the month when IEW instructors are reaching Unit 9 in which students write formal critiques and Response to Literature compositions. Many of IEW’s courses include literature suggestions because we recognize the importance of connecting literature and writing. In this podcast, Andrew Pudewa and Julie Walker discuss the impact literature has on thinking and the connections between memory, imagination, and words. Finally, they share some of their favorite books that are in their Audible accounts.
Referenced Materials
- Episode 283: A Bookish Discussion, Part 1
- Episode 398: Think like Shakespeare, Part 1
- Lord of the Flies by William Golding
- Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater
- The Chronicles of Narnia collection by C.S. Lewis
- Zorro: The Legend Begins by Johnston McCulley
- Homer Price by Robert McCloskey
- The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni
- The Ideal Team Player by Patrick Lencioni
- Catherine of Siena by Sigrid Undset
- Kristen Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset
- Wanting by Luke Burgis
- The Molecule of More by Daniel Z. Lieberman and Michael E. Long
- Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker
- Out of the Silent Planet by C.S. Lewis
- Perelandra by C.S. Lewis
- That Hideous Strength by C.S. Lewis
- The Complete Novels of Jane Austen by Jane Austen
- Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry
- Hannah Coulter by Wendell Berry
- Transcript of Podcast Episode 478
If you have questions for Andrew, send them to podcast@IEW.com
Perhaps your question will be answered at the next Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have questions about IEW products or classes, contact customer service at 800.856.5815 or info@IEW.com
As a student or even a teacher, it can be overwhelming to navigate the amount of sources available for a research paper. In this podcast Andrew Pudewa and Julie Walker discuss Unit 6: Summarizing Multiple References. Join us as Andrew provides tips and suggestions for collecting, organizing, and summarizing facts from multiple references.
REFERENCED MATERIALS:
- Teaching Writing: Structure and Style
- National History Day
- LexisNexis
- Theme-Based Writing Lessons
- Becoming an IEW Instructor
Remember to send your questions to podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or info@IEW.com
With Father’s Day just around the corner, Andrew and Julie discuss the important role fathers have in the home including the tremendous benefits to be gained when dads read aloud to their children.
Referenced Materials:
- Nurturing Competent Communicators Audio talk by Andrew Pudewa
- Peter Pan by James Matthew Barrie
- Little Britches: Father and I Were Ranchers
- Encyclopedia Dad Article by Andrew Pudewa
- IEW Facebook Page
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com
This is the fourth episode of twenty-four in the podcast series Reviewing Our Greatest Hits. This show was initially launched on July 18, 2018, as Episode 148.
In this podcast Andrew and Julie welcome Monica Swanson, a blogger and homeschool mom of four boys. Monica asks Andrew some of her blog readers' frequently asked questions on topics like motivation and reading, to help her as she writes the last chapter of her book, Boy Mom. Tune in to hear Monica ask her son's fun questions for Andrew (near the end).
REFERENCED MATERIALS:
- Episode 199: A Special Announcement
- Monica Swanson - The Grommom
- Boy Mom
- Teaching Boys and Other Children Who Would Rather Make Forts All Day
- Monica's Baked French Toast Recipe
- Motivation
- Article
- Audio talk
- Podcast Series: Part 1 | Part 2
- Why Gender Matters by Leonard Sax, Ph.D (Amazon Affiliate)
- Boys Adrift by Leonard Sax, Ph.D (Amazon Affiliate)
- Podcast with Sarah Mackenzie
- Read-Aloud Revival
- Penrod by Booth Tarkington (Amazon Affiliate)
- Mr. Midshipman Hornblower by C.S. Forester (Amazon Affiliate)
- The Bark of the Bog Owl by Jonathan Rogers (Amazon Affiliate)
- DK Illustrated Oxford Dictionary by Oxford (Amazon Affiliate)
- Boy Mom Podcast
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com
In this podcast Andrew and Julie introduce and discuss our brand new product, However Imperfectly: Lessons learned from thirty years of teaching and other articles written by Andrew Pudewa. Learn how the book came to be and get a sneak peek of the great content imbedded in the pages of the book.
REFERENCED MATERIALS:
- However Imperfectly by Andrew Pudewa
- The Institutes for the Achievement of Human Potential
- Dr. James B. Webster
- Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst (Amazon Affiliate)
- e-Newsletters
- Magnum Opus Magazine
- IEW's Facebook
- IEW's Instagram
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com
While many writing programs begin with a blank page, IEW understands the importance of developing students' thinking skills before asking them to write creatively. In this episode Andrew talks through the ins and outs of Unit 7, Inventive Writing, while explaining the methodology behind it.
Go To Part 1
Referenced Materials:
- Click here to download the slides that accompanied the original Structure and Style Unit 7 webinar.
- Teaching Writing: Structure and Style
- Magnum Opus Magazine
- Blog
- IEW Families Forum
- IEW Teachers Forum
- Monthly e-Newsletter
- Andrew's Engagements
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com
Desiring to learn and understand IEW's methodology better, school teachers and parents ask Andrew questions about Structure and Style. Join Andrew as he answers questions such as "What can I do to prepare myself for the upcoming school year?" and "What are your favorite sources for historical fiction?"
Referenced Materials:
- Teaching Writing: Structure and Style
- Online Classes
- Find an Accredited Instructor
- College Plus
- Classical Conversations
- G.A. Henty Books
- Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes
- Timeline of Classics by Gail Ledbetter
- Jim Hodges
- Teaching Boys and Other Children Who Would Rather Make Forts All Day
- The Power of Memorization
- Does IEW work with special needs children (SPED) by Jill Pike
- The Four Deadly Errors
Questions:
- 1:28 - Amy asks "What advice would you give to a homeschool mom who is overwhelmed with the prospect of giving her high school student a quality education?
- 8:34 - Rory asks "I wondered if anyone had ever offered a class to public or private school students outside of school. I know several who would benefit that do not homeschool."
- 11:08 - Charity asks "My daughter will be participating in the IEW portion of essentials with Classical Conversations. As a first-time mom teaching IEW, what can I do now to start preparing myself for next year?"
- 13:28 - Loraine asks "What are your favorite sources for historical fiction?"
- 17:48 - Margaret asks "I'm tutoring a 9-year-old dyslexic student that is completely overwhelmed and discouraged. He says he is always a loser and will never do anything right. How do you stop the overwhelmed downwards spiral? It is sad to see a student without hope."
- 24:45 - Jennifer asks "How often should I do the program?"
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com
Join us in this episode of "Ask Andrew Anything" as Andrew responds to questions submitted by our podcast listeners. Offering helpful tips and humorous insight, Andrew explains ways to motivate students and where to get started with IEW.
Referenced Materials:
- Humor in Teaching
- Theme-Based Writing Lessons
- Following Narnia Volume 1: The Lion's Song by Laura Bettis
- U.S History-Based Writing Lessons by Lori Verstegen
- Fables, Myths, and Fairy Tales Writing Lessons by Maria Gerber
- All Things Fun & Fascinating by Lori Verstegen
- Bible Heroes Writing Lessons Lori Verstegen
- Why Gender Matters by Leonard Sax, Ph.D. (Amazon Affiliate)
- Teaching Boys and Other Children Who Would Rather Make Forts All Day
- The Global Achievement Gap by Tony Wagoner (Amazon Affiliate)
- Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams by Matthew Walker, Ph.D. (Amazon Affiliate)
- The Underground History of American Education by John Taylor Gatto (Amazon Affiliate)
- Teaching Writing: Structure and Style
- Writing Across the Curriculum
QUESTIONS ASKED:
2:11 - Shannon asks, "I have a girl, but she would rather be digging in the dirt, doing science experiments, or playing in her tree house than doing sit-down work, especially writing. How can you make IEW work for a kinesthetic/tactile learner that prefers to play and experiment?"
9:24 - Karen asks, "I have high school students, and I use a literature-based English curriculum. The books are fantastic, but my students are reluctant to do the reading outside of class time. They also do not want to do other homework outside of class time. Do you have suggestions for motivating students to work independently?"
14:11 - Julie asks, "My son has a short attention span when it comes to lesson time. How can I help with that but still let him build forts?"
16:45 - Angela asks, "I've been a homeschooling mom for over ten years. Normally I'm not nervous about how my kids are doing in the grand scheme of things. Dealing with high school, however, has been a totally different story. How do you know for sure that this is really enough? I think about how my son will succeed in life, what is he doing after high school and college. How can I really know that what we're doing is enough and all will be well?"
23:26 - Julie asks, "How do you deal with a moody and incompliant teen?"
27:22 - Brianne asks, "Where do I start? What do I need in order to teach my middle school student to be prepared for high school writing?"
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com
The time has come again when Julie tries to stump Andrew with questions submitted from our listeners. From inquiries on literature to a question regarding Andrew's tie count in Structure and Style for Students (SSS), Andrew provides answers with insight, suggestions, and a little bit of humor.
Referenced Materials:
- Teaching Writing: Structure and Style
- The Phonetic Zoo
- Akeelah and the Bee
- Theme-Based Writing Lessons
- Portable Walls for the Essayist (Discontinued)
- Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
- Structure and Style for Students
- Teaching the Classics by Adam and Missy Andrews
- The National Christian Forensics and Communications Association
- Writing Contests
- National History Day
- IEW's Blog
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com
As the school year fast approaches, many parents are looking for writing instruction for their students. IEW's online classes are a great option! For this podcast episode, Julie welcomes IEW's senior project manager and director of the online class department, Denise Kelley. Denise discusses the high quality of instructors who teach the classes, explains what a typical class day looks like, and talks about the curriculum used. Tune in to learn how the classes give the students an opportunity for a personalized experience with helpful feedback on their writing.
Referenced Materials:
- Denise Kelley
- Structure and Style® for Students
- Fix It! Grammar
- Online Classes
- Andrew's Engagements
- IEW's Accredited Instructors
- Transcript of Podcast Episode 328
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com.
Does the checklist stiffen creativity in students? With this being a common concern, Andrew and Julie address it and continue their conversation regarding misunderstandings about IEW's stylistic techniques. Whether your student is in grade school, middle school, or high school, learn how the checklist provides students with the opportunity to explore and understand language.
GO TO PART 1
REFERENCED MATERIALS:
- "Addressing Misunderstandings about the Stylistic Techniques, Part 2"
- "The Four Deadly Errors of Teaching Writing"
- Linguistic Development through Poetry Memorization
- Portable Walls for Stucture and Style Students
- Structure and Style for Students
- Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com
As you near the end of the school year, get the information and motivation you need to finish strong with Unit 9: Formal Critiques. In this two-part webinar, Andrew explains the purpose of Unit 9 and how to teach it to your students, walks you through a Unit 9 sample composition, describes the difference between a fiction and a non-fiction critique, and much more.
GO TO PART 2
Referenced Materials:
- "Book Report" from "You're a Good Man Charlie Brown!"
- Click here to download the slides that accompanied the original Structure and Style Unit 9 webinar.
- Webinar Archive
- Teaching Writing: Structure and Style Upgrade
- High School Essay Intensive
- Casey at the Bat by Ernest Lawrence Thayer
- Classroom Poster
- Mini posters
- Theme-Based Writing Lessons
- Writing Source Packet
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com
Although many schools are shifting away from cursive writing, Andrew and Julie hone in on its great value. While citing studies and speaking from experience, Andrew evaluates the pros of teaching cursive as it can have practical uses as well as neurological benefits.
Referenced Materials:
- Pen and Paper: What the Research Says
- Article
- Audio talk
- Podcast Series: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3
- "Top 10 Reasons to Learn Cursive" by Iris Hatfield
- Primary Arts of Language
- Anna Ingham
- Cursive Knowledge by Jill Pike
- "Biological and Psychology Benefits of Learning Cursive" by Dr. William R. Klemm
- Retrain the Brain
- "The Benefits of Cursive Writing" by Sam Blumenfeld
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or info@IEW.com
After training with Dr. Suzuki, Andrew set out to teach everything while integrating Suzuki's method. Whether it be piano or writing, learn how any child can learn when you apply the principles of Talent Education.
REFERENCED MATERIALS:
- Shinichi Suzuki
- Nurtured by Love by Shinichi Suzuki (Amazon Affiliate)
- Maria Montessori
- The Institutes for the Achievement of Human Potential
- Dr. James B. Webster
- The Four Deadly Errors of Teaching Writing
- Instructor Accreditation Program
- Berwyn School District Study
- Linguistic Development through Poetry Memorization by Andrew Pudewa
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com
Are you teaching through Unit 5, Writing from Pictures, and interested to know the ins and outs of the unit? Join Andrew Pudewa in part two of this webinar recording as he discusses the how-to of Unit 5, explaining both the process and purpose of the unit.
Referenced Materials:
- Click here to download the slides that accompanied the original Structure and Style Units 5 webinar.
- Webinar Archive
- Teaching Writing: Structure and Style Upgrade
- Magnus Opus Magazine
- Premium Subscription
- Mini Posters
- Dr. James B. Webster
- IEW Teachers Forum
- Monthly e-Newsletter
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com
Join us in this podcast as Andrew and Julie sit down and have a conversation about the upcoming school year. Whether you're a full-time schoolteacher or a homeschooling parent, be invigorated in your quest for this new school year as Andrew provides advice on preparing your classroom and encourages you to keep moving forward.
REFERENCED MATERIALS:
- Classroom Posters
- Primary Arts of Language
- Portable Walls for Structure and Style Students
- Tools for Young Writers
- Portable Walls: Grammar on the Go
- Portable Walls for the Essayist [Discontinued]
- The Blended Sound-Sight Program of Learning by Anna Ingham, C.M.
- Stucture and Style Overview DVD
- Teaching Writing: Structure and Style
- Becoming an IEW Instructor
- Classroom Supplement and Lesson Plans
- Theme-Based Writing Lessons
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com
This is the sixth episode of twenty-four in the podcast series Reviewing Our Greatest Hits. This show was initially launched on April 24, 2019, as Episode 188.
Although many schools are shifting away from cursive writing, Andrew and Julie hone in on its great value. While citing studies and speaking from experience, Andrew evaluates the pros of teaching cursive as it can have practical uses as well as neurological benefits.
REFERENCED MATERIALS:
- Pen and Paper: What the Research Says
- Article
- Audio talk
- Podcast Series: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3
- "Top 10 Reasons to Learn Cursive" by Iris Hatfield
- Primary Arts of Language
- Anna Ingham
- Cursive Knowledge by Jill Pike
- "Biological and Psychology Benefits of Learning Cursive" by Dr. William R. Klemm
- Retrain the Brain
- "The Benefits of Cursive Writing" by Sam Blumenfeld
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or info@IEW.com
Picking up from last week's podcast, Andrew continues to move through the history of IEW. Stay tuned for the ending where IEW celebrates the future with our new product: Structure and Style® for Students.
GO TO PART 1
Referenced Materials:
- IEW's Twenty-Fifth Birthday Bash
- Julie Walker
- David Walker
- Maria Gerber
- Tim Lawless
- The HomeScholar
- Heidi St. John
- Read-Aloud Revival
- "Nurturing Competent Communicators" by Andrew Pudewa
- Teaching Writing: Structure and Style®
- Mikael Walker
- Nathan King
- Sean Schmidgall
- Your Morning Basket
- Teaching Boys & Other Children Who Would Rather Make Forts All Day
- Kristi Clover
- The National Christian Forensics and Communications Association
- Kim Cromer
- The NCFCA Comprehensive Guide to Value Debate
- The NCFCA Comprehensive Guide to Policy Debate
- The NCFCA Comprehensive Guide to Speech
- Mark Landon
- Justin Holmes
- Ellie Diaz
- Victus Study Skills
- Correctional Education Association
- "The Four Deadly Errors of Teaching Writing"
- Structure and Style® for Students
- IEW Upgrade(s)
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com
How can teachers lead meaningful and compelling literature conversations? To answer the question, Andrew Pudewa and Julie Walker welcome Amanda Butler to the podcast. Amanda is a homeschool mom, tutor, and Vice President of Training and Support for Classical Conversations. In this episode Amanda shares her number one tool for leading literature discussions: the five common topics of dialectic. Amanda explains how she guides her students through each of the topics, asking questions along the way to help them think about and engage with the books they are reading.
Referenced Materials
- "The Four Language Arts"
- Classical Conversations
- Primary Arts of Language
- The Underground History of American Education by John Taylor Gatto
- Moby Dick by Herman Melville
- The Odyssey by Homer
- Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
- The Core by Leigh A. Bortins
- The Question by Leigh A. Bortins
- The Conversation by Leigh A. Bortins
- Transcript of Podcast Episode 346
If you have questions for Andrew, send them to podcast@IEW.com
Perhaps your question will be answered at the next Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have questions about IEW products or classes, contact customer service at 800.856.5815 or info@IEW.com
† Contains distinctly Christian content
MEET OUR GUEST
After a nearly decade-long career in semiconductor process engineering (a.k.a. playing with electrons), Amanda Butler stumbled into her true vocation while helping elementary school students memorize Bible verses during Vacation Bible School. Since making the transition from electrons to children, she has taught in various capacities including private tutoring, public school, private school, and now homeschooling. Amanda and her family made Classical Conversations the core of their homeschool after discovering Classical Conversations during a dinner party in 2008. She began her tenure in CC as a Foundations Tutor and has served as a Challenge A and IV Director, Challenge A Academic Advisor, Academic Development Manager, and now VP of Training and Support. One of Amanda’s favorite things about Classical Conversations is that homeschooling families are rightly recognized as image-bearers of God and accordingly encouraged and equipped to better know God, themselves, and the world around them via ongoing conversations with one another.
Sit back and receive inspiration from Andrew and veteran homeschool mom and Primary Arts of Language author Jill Pike as they discuss their experience and provide suggestions for parents of struggling learners. Whether your child is dyslexic or has comprehension difficulties, Jill encourages parents to work with their student in all that they do, emphasizing her life-long motto: you can never help your child too much!
REFERENCED MATERIALS:
- Jill Pike
- Podcast with Jill Pike
- Kristin Boutross
- The Four Deadly Errors of Teaching Writing
- Anna Ingham
- The Gift of Dyslexia by Ronald D. Davis (Amazon Affiliate)
- Barton Reading and Spelling System
- "Thoughts on Dyslexia" by Andrew Pudewa
- Classical Conversations
- Linguistic Development through Poetry Memorization Andrew Pudewa
- Little Bear by Else Holmelund Minarik (Amazon Affiliate)
- Primary Arts of Language
- The Family Hope Center
- The Institutes for the Achievement of Human Potential
- Understanding Child Brain Development by Matthew and Carol Newell
- Read-Aloud Revival
- Carry on, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham (Amazon Affiliate)
- Cursive Knowledge by Jill Pike
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- Article
- Audio talk Pen and Paper
- Teaching Boys & Other Children Who Would Rather Make Forts All Day Audio talk by Andrew Pudewa
- Andrew Kern
- A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket (Amazon Affiliate)
- The Original Adventures of Hank the Cowdog by John R. Erickson (Amazon Affiliate)
- Theme-Based Writing Lessons
- Writing Source Packet
- Forum
- Martin Cothran
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com
Join Andrew Pudewa as he shares some salient points on this important topic and answers your questions on writing, thinking, and speaking.
Many children (and some adults) have difficulty learning to spell, but the difficulty may not be with the student so much as with the method of presentation. Find out in this workshop how spelling information is most efficiently stored in the brain, and why. Parents and teachers, be well-equipped to meet the needs of all your children, not just the naturally good spellers. Bonus content: Learn best practices for using IEW’s Phonetic Zoo, our award-winning independent study spelling program!
GO TO PART 2
Referenced Materials:
- Click here to download the slides that accompanied the original Spelling and the Brain webinar.
- Webinar Archive
- Teaching Writing: Structure and Style Upgrade
- High School Essay Intensive [Discontinued]
- Classroom Posters
- Mini Posters
- Theme-Based Writing Lessons
- Writing Source Packet
- Spelling and the Brain
- The Phonetic Zoo
- Anna Ingham
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com
In honor of Independence Day, IEW is offering free shipping on all standard domestic shipping from July 1–10. Join us as Andrew and Julie talk about the history of "freedomship" and the importance of educated leaders.
REFERENCED MATERIALS:
- Freedomship 2018
- A Thomas Jefferson Education by Oliver DeMille (Amazon Affiliate)
- Rhetoric by Aristotle (Amazon Affiliate)
- Adam and Missy Andrews
- Teaching the Classics by Adam and Missy Andrews
- Animal Farm by George Orwell (Amazon Affiliate)
- Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass (Amazon Affiliate)
- "What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?" speech by Frederick Douglass
- Click here to listen to Andrew Pudewa reciting an excerpt of Frederick Douglass' speech "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?".
- Linguistic Development through Poetry Memorization by Andrew Pudewa
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com
Why is writing so easy for some kids, but not for others? Why do some students not enjoy writing? Join Andrew in our Unit 7 Webinar as he discusses the “Blank-Brain, Blank-Page Syndrome” and addresses a few of the roadblocks to winsome writing.
GO TO PART 1
Referenced Materials:
- Click here to download the slides that accompanied the original Structure and Style Unit 7 webinar.
- Webinar Archive
- Teaching Writing: Structure and Style
- Lemonade to Leadership by Bonnie Drew
- Micro Business for Teens by Carol Topp
- I Keep Six Honest Serving Men by Rudyard Kipling
- Magnum Opus
- Four Deadly Errors of Teaching Writing
- Monthly e-Newsletter
- IEW's Teacher's Forum
Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com
In celebration of National Grammar Day (March 4), Andrew Pudewa and Julie Walker talk with Pamela White about why grammar is important, how it relates to thinking and reading comprehension, and how she came to write the Fix It!® Grammar series. They also address sentence diagramming and why it does not necessarily translate into better grammar skills.
Referenced Materials
- Fix It! Grammar
- Fix It! Grammar free lessons
- Pamela White
- But . . . but . . . but . . . What about Grammar? audio talk by Andrew Pudewa
- Transcript of Podcast Episode 467
If you have questions for Andrew, send them to podcast@IEW.com
Perhaps your question will be answered at the next Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have questions about IEW products or classes, contact customer service at 800.856.5815 or info@IEW.com
Join Andrew Pudewa and Julie Walker as they discuss dysgraphia with Jennifer Mauser, one of IEW’s Educational Consultants and a Master Barton tutor. Learn what dysgraphia is and discover ways that you can help students with this learning difference grow their skills and gain confidence in their writing.
Referenced Materials
- Jennifer Mauser
- Learning Differences? IEW can help!
- International Dyslexia Association
- Barton Reading & Spelling System
- Podcast Episode with Susan Barton
- Podcast Episodes with Brock and Fernette Eide
- Instructor Accreditation Program
- Episode 362: ADHD — Strategies for Success
- “So What, Exactly, Is Dysgraphia?” by Jennifer Mauser
- Cursive Knowledge
- Primary Arts of Language
- Bleak House by Charles Dickens
- ADDitude
- IEW's Blog
- Transcript of Podcast Episode 378
If you have questions for Andrew, send them to podcast@IEW.com
Perhaps your question will be answered at the next Ask Andrew Anything (AAA).
If you have questions about IEW products or classes, contact customer service at 800.856.5815 or info@IEW.com
When a big job is broken down into bite-sized pieces, students and teachers alike can enjoy the journey together! Join Andrew Pudewa as he answers your questions about teaching Unit 8: Easy Essays and Beyond, IEW's process of crafting an essay. Gain an understanding of the basic structure, then prepare to unpack and explore the various essay types, their differences, and how a good structural strategy can inform written works of five, fifty, or five hundred paragraphs! Andrew will lead you through the process step-by-step, then answer questions from the audience.
One of the more difficult tasks for students is the arduous process of distilling large amounts of information into smaller, more easily digested summaries. Andrew Pudewa breaks down the process of summarizing bit-by-bit and shows you how to coach your students through this basic research skill with Structure and Style®. Beginning research has never been so accessible and so much fun! Andrew will lead you through the process step-by-step, then answer questions from the audience.
Join us for an enjoyable and important webinar as Andrew Pudewa and Julie Walker shed some light on how teachers and parents can facilitate learning in the new, exclusively at-home learning environment now prevalent nationwide. Andrew and Julie will be talking about how to continue learning at home, the benefits of reading aloud, how to incorporate poetry memorization, how to implement the free lessons offered by IEW, and more.
Thinking about homeschooling?
Join Andrew Pudewa from the Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW) for a homeschool webinar in celebration of National School Choice Week. (held January 23, 2023)
Andrew will give a short, encouraging presentation to homeschool families as well as families who are interested in homeschooling. A Q&A session will follow the presentation.
Have you heard the buzz about IEW’s Structure and Style for Students? Are you wondering what it’s all about?
Click here to read the answer in a post by IEW Schools Division Administrator Jean Nichols.
The PAL: Reading will require about 30 minutes of your time each day you do it, and another 30-60 minutes of your student’s time to do his things with some, but not always significant, supervision.
The PAL: Writing will take about 30 minutes of your day. It also includes a brief discussion of a story every day. You can use any story you are reading to your child, so it works with anything you are already doing. As with most programs, your first week or two will likely require more time, but as you get it running, it does not take much time to maintain. Using the PAL: Reading, your child will likely be reading after just a few months. At that point, less time will need to be spent on the Reading, so you can spend a little more time on the PAL: Writing Composition section when you get to it. However, it won’t really cost you any more time in the long run.
Yes! Two parents respond to this question below. The first teaches a student with Aspergers (on the autistic scale) and the second has a son who is dyslexic.
Jill states:
"IEW is fantastic for those with expressive disorders. A dear friend of mine has a son with Aspergers. This year, I offered to teach him writing. His mom returned immediately with, 'Oh, he can't write.' I asked for a chance.
"We just started the Student Writing Intensive B. He flew through the first disc, outlined and wrote beautifully. I think he will find the help he needs with this program. I am so happy for him!"
Jen writes:
"My ten year old is dyslexic. Written expression has been a chore for him from day 1. Since we started with IEW two years ago, the lights have come on, and slowly but surely he's become a writer. The logical progression, the straightforward steps and checklists, and the knowledge that he can't 'do it wrong' (there are simply ways that he can 'do it better') have been incredible confidence builders for him.
"IEW has helped him get through the blocks that have always made written communication so difficult for him. Two years ago, he threw a literal screaming fit if I asked him to write his name on his paper...now, he journals a page a day and thinks nothing of writing a paper a week.
"IEW is so customizable (yet makes so much sense to the kids) that it works very, very well for kids that just don't 'get it' otherwise."
Traditional grammar programs systematically teach concepts about grammar, punctuation, and usage with sentences artificially contrived to fit the rules. The theory behind such approaches is that after learning the rules, students will be able to apply them to their own writing. Often these programs teach more concepts than are need-to-know in terms of punctuation, correct grammar, or performance on the ACT or SAT, but they cover the rules well.
Diagramming is a method for helping students grasp the underlying structure of sentences, which is critical for punctuating sentences correctly but which seems to work with only about half the population. Most diagramming programs also teach more than is truly helpful to students learning grammar.
Fix It! Grammar emerged from a teacher's frustration with traditional approaches. Like many teachers, Pamela White (who earned her Master's Degree and A.B.D. in English from Vanderbilt University) recognized that students using traditional grammar programs may learn the rules well but seem to have a disconnect in applying them. The more that grammar is rooted in the writing experience, the better it sticks.
The ultimate goal of teaching grammar should be to train students to be able to edit their own writing effectively. When a side benefit is improved performance on the SAT or ACT, so much the better. Fix It! Grammar (third edition) is a complete grammar program for these goals that truly matter, but it teaches students in the context of writing and through editing rather than through exercises focusing on specific rules.
The early books in Fix It! Grammar begin with marking parts of speech and then identifying phrases (mainly prepositional phrases), main clauses, and dependent clauses. This is better than diagramming because it focuses on the structural parts of sentences that matter most and most affect punctuation rather than getting students bogged down in labeling the parts of sentences that rarely become punctuation hurdles.
Gradually, the Fix It! Grammar stories incorporate usage, grammar, and punctuation concepts, taught by asking students to correct the mistakes in passages and then discuss with their teacher the reasons for corrections.
Early stories have advanced concepts which can be used with stronger students and which pave the way for concepts in later stories.
The six books, each lasting a full year, contain some instruction at the start of each week's lesson as well as added instruction and tips to teachers to use as needed.
All six stories use natural sentences--rather than ones artificially contrived to fit an exercise--that closely mimic the kinds of errors in student writing, so students get repeated practice looking for errors in sentences (the same methods achievement tests use), along with the challenge of needing to explain the why's behind fixes. Since the sentences have the normal complexity of real writing, they also deal with the same issues any writer faces in editing his or her own work.
I remember when I was at a homeschool conference looking at some other writing materials and a very nice Mom poked her head over my shoulder and pointed me to IEW. I glanced at it then, but like you, thought it looked overwhelming.
A year later, I decided to give it a try and I absolutely wish I had done it so much sooner. IEW is not difficult to use or teach, in fact, it's easier and clearer than most of what's out there. The "thought" of it is what can be overwhelming, but the program itself is not complicated. Once you get it, begin using it and learn how to teach writing using IEW - you'll wish you started sooner. Plus, you have this great group for support if you ever have questions!!
Blessings,
Tina
I looked at the website yearly for about 4 years before I finally bought it. Each time I looked at the website I thought, "I can't do this. It looks too hard. It's $269 and I won't be able to do it” Fast forward to the next year and I said the same thing.
Finally this year I decided that all the people I admire that recommend it must have a REASON for liking it so much so I bit the bullet.
Between what is in the plans and the help on the forum, you won't have to put much effort into lesson planning especially if you have a curriculum you already use. Your son will learn the techniques and then apply them to his regular assignments.
I'm currently working through the student videos with my two oldest. I'm going at our own pace (slower than 1 disc/day MUCH faster than the 15 week lesson plan). And I'm NOT a good lesson planner. I'm happy when I'm convinced they 'get' a topic like the KWO or the dress-ups.
This is NOT hard to teach. It really isn't. If you flip through the tezcher's manual without watching the videos it can look confusing and overwhelming. Once you listen to Andrew explain everything it all makes sense.
Last night, dd (13) thanked me for getting IEW. It is making writing 'fun and much easier' for her. My ds (11) feels the same way. He never put pen to paper before. Now he is doing it, enjoying it and showing a creative side that he never has.
(Name withheld)
Items purchased directly through IEW:
- Go to IEW website: IEW.com/Returns.
- Read through the return checklist found on that page.
- If your return is eligible, click the blue button that says “Return Request Form.”
- Fill out the short form and click “Submit.”
- Expect an email within 2-4 days with a prepaid return label.
- Print out this label and tape it to your package. The address will be on the label.
Once we receive your package, we will issue a full refund (including the amount you initially paid for shipping). Expect either a check in the mail, or for recently placed orders, a refund back to your card.
Items were purchased new through a reseller:
-Send return items to our company address:
IEW (Returns)
8799 N. 387 Rd.
Locust Grove, OK 74352
-Include your name, address, phone number, where it was purchased, and whether you would like a refund or a credit toward an exchange.
Once we receive your return package, we will issue a refund for 60% of the original price for each item. Expect either a check in the mail, or for recently placed orders, a refund back to your card.
For items not purchased new directly from IEW or from one of our resellers, we are unable to offer any refund. To be eligible for our return policy, you must be the original purchaser making the return.
You can order a replacement disc by calling us toll-free at 800.856.5815. Just let us know which disc you need and where you originally purchased it, and we will send you a replacement for a $15 fee.
Please get in touch with us to let us know what you are interested in. We mostly present our seminars in areas where a school or homeschool group has offered to help with location, promotion, etc. Expenses and fees vary, depending on the number of people, types of classes, travel distance, etc., but generally, a group of 35 or more can cover the costs of a seminar comfortably. To inquire about hosting an event in your area, please contact us at events@IEW.com.