IEW offers many excellent programs for language arts. Among them are products dedicated to written expression, speaking, literature, spelling, and handwriting. In this blog post we take a closer look at our Writing Across the Curriculum courses (formerly categorized as theme-based writing lessons) and shine a spotlight on some of their features. It is our hope that this post will help you determine if using Writing Across the Curriculum is a path you wish to explore for your students.
Whom is the curriculum designed for?
The courses are designed to be used by an instructor who has been through or is currently viewing the teacher training seminar, Teaching Writing: Structure and Style. Writing Across the Curriculum courses are offered in four different levels—Levels P, A, B, and C. A listing of our current titles follows below.
Primary (generally geared for students in grades 1 or 2)
Level A (generally geared for students in grades 3–5)
Level B (generally geared for students in grades 6 through 8)
- Investigations in Writing
- Journeys in Writing
- Voyages in Writing (coming soon)
- Wonders of Science Writing Lessons
- Ancient History-Based Writing Lessons
- Medieval History-Based Writing Lessons
- U.S. History-Based Writing Lessons
- Canadian History-Based Writing Lessons
- Modern World History-Based Writing Lessons
- Following Narnia® Volume 1: The Lion’s Song✝
- Following Narnia® Volume 2: Aslan’s Country✝
Level C (generally geared for students in high school)
- Bible-Based Writing Lessons✝
- Advanced U.S. History-Based Writing Lessons✝
- Classical Rhetoric through Structure and Style✝
✝ Contains distinctly Christian content
Narnia, The World of Narnia, The Witch and the Wardrobe, and Narnia.com are trademarks of C.S. Lewis Pte. Ltd. The Chronicles of Narnia is a U.S. Registered Trademark of C.S. Lewis Pte. Ltd.
What is the purpose and benefit of using Writing Across the Curriculum courses?
These courses teach writing by moving the students through IEW’s structural units. Students in Level P will only work through Units 1–5 and Unit 7. Students in Level A work through the first seven IEW Units. Levels B and C teach all nine units.
Writing Across the Curriculum courses offer the benefit of not needing a device to stream content or play DVDs, which can provide greater flexibility. They include source texts about various subject areas that your students are learning. Also, teachers love that they have options to choose themes that go along with what they are studying in other areas or what their students are interested in.
How do Writing Across the Curriculum courses work if I have multiple children at different grades or levels?
All of the Writing Across the Curriculum courses are designed to work within a range of ages, which makes it easy for the instructor to teach students who may be in different grades. A teacher who is experienced with IEW’s methodology will also be able to use the EZ+1 approach to tailor a student’s checklist to make even further adjustments. Pair one of these courses with IEW’s Checklist Generator™ (only available with a Premium Membership), and you can customize checklists for your students with just a few keystrokes!
Does this work in different learning environments?
Writing Across the Curriculum courses work well for multiple learning environments, whether in the home, at a co-op or hybrid school, or in a traditional school setting. Some courses include faith-based content. To double-check whether a book you are interested in includes Christian elements, look for this indicator on the product page for the course: ✝ Contains distinctly Christian content.
How do you choose which course to use?
All of the Writing Across the Curriculum courses begin with Unit 1 and proceed sequentially. Instructors should pick a course at or below their students’ reading levels. For students who are already experienced with the nine IEW Units, some of the courses include Advanced Additions as a download to challenge older or experienced students as well as Simplified Source Texts to use with students who need sources that are easier to read.
What do you receive with the purchase of the Teacher/Student combo?
Packages for the Writing Across the Curriculum courses include one copy each of the Teacher’s Manual and Student Book. Also included in the materials are instructions to download pertinent supplementary resources, which can be found near the front of the books on a blue page. The Level P books will also include a free downloadable Teacher’s Manual. Teachers also need to have Teaching Writing: Structure and Style (TWSS) for their use. The Writing Across the Curriculum courses will instruct them when to view the pertinent sections of the TWSS to most effectively teach the material.
What do you need for multiple students?
To teach the course, the instructor will need a copy of the Teacher’s Manual for whichever course is being taught. Students will also need to have a Student Book. IEW’s copyright policy allows families to copy the Student Book for multiple children within the immediate family.
If the course is being taught in a hybrid school, co-op, or other small group setting, a Student Book must be purchased for each participating student. In traditional classrooms, each student will need his or her own copy of the Student Book.
We hope this post has helped you understand more about our Writing Across the Curriculum options. Of course, if you find you have additional questions, we would love for you to reach out to info@IEW.com to converse with our customer service team. If you are with a school, connect with your Educational Consultant. We are here to help you make the best curriculum choice for your students.
by Jennifer Mauser
