Thank you so much!! Years ago when I was searching for reviews on IEW, I couldn't find any that showed inside the program, so I decided to make my own once I purchased it! It's a great program, but definitely and investment, so nice to know what you're getting. :)

Wonderful! I'm glad it was helpful!

So glad you found it helpful!

Sorry for the slow reply! Thanks so much! :)

I'm so glad!! 💓

Thank you for commenting! I appreciate it! I've been impressed with the SSS A and am excited to be using it for my 5th grader as well. We will personally be spreading the assignments out over two years since there is a lot there! :)

Her videos are great, right? I bought IEW because of Karla. I always thought it would be overwhelming, but she calmed my fears. We are going to do Level A over a period fo a few years. I'm here, because I was wondering if Level A is enough.

I think starting with SSS Level A, Year 1 is the PERFECT place to start your son! I work with a student who has Asperger's and he has really liked the structure and clear steps IEW gives. I would suggest as he starts the program that overlook most spelling and grammatical errors that he makes unless it is something that causes the paragraph to be difficult to read. As he becomes more confident in his ability to get words down on paper, he will be able to better handle editing suggestions later on. Also, I would allow him to go through the program very slowly, and just plan to take a full two years to complete it. If he becomes fatigued and stuck on a certain assignment as they get longer, offer to let him dictate some of the assignment to you. It's no fun getting stuck on one assignment for a long time, so if that's what it takes to keep moving sometimes, do it! All the best to you!

@@karlacanon2507 I appreciate the confirmation and great suggestions! Thank you so much!

The parent training videos were updated a few years ago, but not too recently so you should be set. I think this would be perfect for a reluctant 9th grader. I think I would just start with this and not add anything else, and see how that goes. I think it's better to start smaller than overwhelm them in the beginning. :)

Hi Jenn! So this is a tricky question! I think the length of the writing assignments in Level A will be great for your girls. I am LOVING B for my 8th grader, but the assignments are much longer, which for a 13 year old is fantastic. The tricky part of the answer is the video lessons. My son (5th grade) has done IEW with me since grade 3. The assignments for him in A have been great, but he did NOT enjoy the video lessons. This is not because he thought they were poorly done, but simply because he already KNEW most of the content. I guess I had done a decent job in his early grades teaching IEW to him, and he felt like the lessons were long considering he wasn't learning new skills. We have adapted by him still working through the assignments (although we do jump around somewhat) and I am just review the concepts with him instead of him watching the video. So! That is what has happened with us. If your level A arrives, and you find yourself in a similar situation, but like the assignments, YOU could always watch the lessons, and then do a quick review with the girls to see what they know and don't know, since it sounds like you will be the one newer to the program. I hope that helps! I do like B but the assignments are FAR too long for a 4th grader so you would have to do a lot of modifying for her if you get that one. Sorry for the long answer!

I would recommend starting with Level B, Year 1 in your situation! Remember, you can move through the program as slowly or quickly as works for your son, and that is perfectly okay!

I don't, but I wouldn't stress about that too much! I would go at the pace that works for your child, where you feel like they are making progress, but it's not so much work that they are frustrated and overwhelmed. You will find they go through the first lessons quite quickly, and that later lessons will take longer. For example, in unit 8, my daughter spent a whole month on one lesson, writing a research paper on pollution in the oceans. She was really into it and did a great job, so I was happy to let her take all the time she needed since that was her first big essay like that. Then, to keep things moving, we skipped the next essay and just watched the video lesson. This kept things moving but gave her the time she needed also. :)

Hi! Even with a strong writer, I would not start B with a 6th grader because the assignments are LONG!! I just got Level A, Year 2 to review, so I can't say what the content is in that yet. My concern with starting with year 2 is that if you are new to IEW, Year 1 lays the foundation for the program. I know Year 2 is a continuation, and will assume that your child is confident in the foundational skills so will likely not teach the basics. All that to say I would start with Level A, year 1. This is a very advanced program, even for confident writers. Most kids will take 2 years to complete it, so if your daughter is doing well she could maybe complete it on one year.

@@karlacanon2507 thanks so much for the advice and explanation. It helps so much!

Sorry for the slow reply! I am just going through comments now! I am copying my response from your other comment to make sure you get it! I personally would go with 1A, but only if you can get your 8th grader on board. If they are a reluctant writer, I would explain that the assignments in 1B are going to be MUCH longer (more writing required) than the 1A. Tell them that they will ultimately learn the same skills in 1A, but the assignments will be shorter and less time consuming. Most kids, knowing that, will choose the easier path. However, if your 8th grader is NOT on board with that plan, then you don't want them to go through the year feeling like the program is below them, because that just won't go well. You can make the 1B work for both children, but have your 6th grader potentially dictate half the assignment to you, or watch the videos for each lesson, but only do the actual writing assignment for 1 of them, vs having your 8th grader do both assignments. That isn't a super clear answer, but hopefully it helps! My older two kids are perfectly happy to do something that's a little easier so they can get through it quickly. On the other hand, my 3rd child DESPISES anything she feels is "too easy or too young" so I give her things that are more of a challenge, that would have frustrated her perfectionist older siblings. It all comes down to personality I guess!

I would definitely start with Level A for a child who doesn't love writing! The assignments get long so I think A is a great place to start. And yes, the basic plan would be plenty!

Hi Angela! I think your gut feeling is right on the money. Your kids will likely feel this is information they already know. If you really want the DVD program, you could look into Level B, Year 2, which is supposed to be released at the end of the summer. I haven't seen it yet but it will likely be a better fit than year 1. Honestly though, if it was me, I would just stick with the theme books!

Yes, it covers the same skills, and the while there are not more assignments, the assignments are longer. They also introduce things in B that they don't touch on in A.

I will try to shoot a video on that! Level B teaches similar foundational skills, however there is a lot more writing and it is ideal for kids who are ready for more of a challenge!

@@karlacanon2507 I appreciate it!

The literature suggestions are just ideas of good books the student can read. They aren't required and there are no questions or projects that go along with them. We have found some good books through the suggestions though! :)

Yes it does! I encourage my kids to use them in their writing that week if possible too!

I find the source texts very good! For a grade 4 child who likes to write, I would start with All Things Fun and Fascinating. It explains it nicely and you could just start with that!

You are correct that it's similar skills. Each year they build on each other though and kids are able to write and understand at a more mature level. We have been cycling through the IEW principles for years, and my kids always improve their writing and gain a deeper understanding and ability to write well!

I think you can make Level A work for all three!! It is so important to be able to do things all together, and you already know that you will have to tweak things for all the ages. I think this will give your 8th grader a really good foundation in taking notes and building an outline. He will be able to apply the skills he learns to any assignment. I don't think you will have to tweak much for him, and you can shorten the assignments for the 4th grader, or have him dictate some things to you. I would start with the first book of Fix it grammar. If you buy the teacher manual, you can print off as many of the student pages as you like. Just have your older boys go through it quickly. It will be easy at first, but the second book is hard, so this will give them a great foundation.

@@karlacanon2507 thank you so much! You’ve given me the confidence to tackle this and help me save time by grouping things together! I so appreciate it!!!

Just wanted to update..I am really loving this curriculum! Thanks so much for all of your help..I purchased the videos and binders and we are all doing it together (me sitting and watching with them) and adapting for the gr 4..I started taking notes and writing down his ideas for him because I noticed that he couldn’t keep up and I would rather him learn how to put ideas together than focus on printing..the first couple of units we worked together with writing the story from the source and now my older 2 would prefer to do it on their own..we’ve easily adapted this into a 4 day week adding Friday if we’re running behind.. it’s working really well for our family and I’m so grateful for your videos and canadian content! Thank you! ❤️

They are long, so I think that's a good thing to keep in mind if you're wondering if it's a good fit for your child. If you want to watch with your child, you could always skip certain things to make them shorter, such as reading student papers to give examples of previous assignments, etc.

Hi Holly, I think the best thing I can recommend is to go ahead and do a sample lesson from each level! If you scroll down on the page at this link, you will find free lessons for both levels. I think since your son is older, the best thing to do is to have a conversation with him. I always prefer things to be easier for my kids, so they can feel successful and move through them quickly. I would explain to him that the assignments in level A are going to be shorter, and therefore he can move through them more quickly. If he understands that, he might be on board with level A. I think that is the direction I would go if you get him on board. The program is created to complete in a year. I have spread it out easily over two, so that will be very individual to the child and family. After year 1, level A, you could easily go into level B.

Hi Helen! If you are loving the video instruction, then I would go with Level A: Year 2. That is what my 6th grade son is doing this year and we really love it. The great thing about Year 2 is that the instruction is geared for kids who already have completed year 1, so while they review the concepts, it moves through things faster, knowing that it isn't new information for the kids. After doing year 2 of level A, I think that would be a fun time to throw in one of the theme based books! Year 2 will take them through all 9 of the units, so then they will be set to tackle any theme book. I hope that helps!

@@karlacanon2507 Thank you so much Karla for getting back to me so quickly. I really appreciate it! I didn't realize that IEW has a year 2 part to level A. I'm so glad you mentioned that. Do you think that would be challenging enough for an 8th grader? Or should I have my son, (who will be a 6th grader next year), do part 2 of level A, and start my daughter, (who will be an 8th grader next year), on level B? Or could I just continue them together? Cheers again, Helen.

@@helenwebster1554 Hi Helen! I honestly think either option could work! It's so handy for me when my kids are working on the same thing, so I would definitely weigh that into the decision. They will be working on similar skills in both levels you mentioned, but the assignments are longer and heavier in the Level B. If your 8th grader is a confident writer, Level B might be the way to go, but I do think you can make either option work!

@@karlacanon2507 Thanks Karla. Once again, so helpful! I love the IEW program, but it has been made so much easier through your video's and feedback. Blessings to you.

@@helenwebster1554 I'm so glad! :)

It's so hard for me to answer without knowing your family! I would encourage you that the lessons are EASY to adapt, regardless of what level you go with! You know your child, if they are working hard, but an assignment is long and they aren't getting it done in the time suggested, just spread it out over another day. Remember the schedule is simply a suggestion, and meant to be used as it suits your family. I think if your daughter wants a challenge, go for level B! The assignments are going to be quite long, but if you spread them out and plan to use the program for even two years, it will take the pressure off and give her the challenge she is hoping for! :)

@@karlacanon2507 Thank you for your reply! I sat down with my daughter and explained to her what she was getting in to with each level. I also gave her my full permission to slow down and spread things out if she felt the work was just taking too long (and to remind mom if mom forgets and gets caught up in the schedule!), regardless of level. In the end, she chose the challenge and decided on Level B. I’m actually really excited for her. Here’s to a great year! Thanks for the encouragement and your wisdom. They helped both of us feel good about the decision. Blessings to you! (P.S. Because of your review, I also am going to give Bible Heroes a try with my 3rd grader.)

@@cel9831 I LOVE how you approached this with your daughter!!! I have similar talks with my kids, and I feel like it makes such a difference when they have some ownership in a decision. It's hard to know what to do sometimes, but at least when you both come to a consensus, they feel like their opinion mattered! I hope you have a fantastic year!! Comment again and let me know how it goes!! :)

Students will need access to all the articles and checklists to do this program, so the short answer is no. I do know that IEW works with schools and has school pricing, so your best bet is to give them a call and see what their school licensing costs are!

Hello! I would recommend going with with Year 2 of Level A. I think that will be the best fit for him!

Yes, it does include the video lessons! I'm not sure if they are always available, but there was a promotion for awhile where everything you needed for the first three weeks was free to use. It would be a good question you could call and ask IEW!

This curriculum is completely neutral. I can't imagine any family finding something to object to as the articles focus on animals, history, famous people, etc. For a 5th grader I would HIGHLY recommend going with the Level A.

My main point is that depending on the student, it easily could take two years to complete level B. You will find the lessons go faster at the beginning, and then get harder as you go along, so if it takes more than a year, that would be totally fine. After completing any level of the Structure and Style for Students, you could do any of the theme based books. At that point you could just decide if the theme based books are more appealing, or if you like the video lesson format. We have enjoyed both over the years! :)

@@karlacanon2507 Ok, that makes sense. Thanks for clarifying!

I think if your child is ready for the high school level, that would be fine! B Year 2 is not light though, so I think you could go either way! :)

The year 2 is supposed to build off of year one. IEW recommends not starting with year 2 unless the student has previous IEW experience. They have great support so you can always call them and explain your situation and see what they recommend.

@@karlacanon2507 If I use Bible Heroes and All Things Fun and Fascinating prior to starting SSS, could I then start with year 2? Thanks, Shell

@@joepotter106 I just got year 2 in the mail, but yes, I think that would work! My son did Bible Heroes and parts of ATFF, and found he knew most of the content already in year 1.

The type of skills they learn are going to be similar! The big difference of course is if you want to have the video instruction, or just the book with written explanations. We have enjoyed both options over the years!

Thanks so much! I think he will be fine with level B! You can always take your time and do it over two years, which is what I would do personally anyway!

I just realized that there are only 7 units in the Level A. So, I guess Level B will be required.

So to answer your question, yes it's the same process, but in B they add more skills as well as it being harder materials. That being said, if you feel confident after A, you could always mix it up by doing one of their themed writing books, or just go on to B!

@@karlacanon2507 thanks! Do you know if the themed writing books teaches Unit 8 and 9? As you know, the SS A doesn't teach this any longer.

@@SheResellsSeashells It depends on the level of the book, but all the ones geared for grades 6+ teach all the units!

IEW does use rewriting as a tool to help get kids writing without them having to struggle with what to say. This is fantastic for reluctant writers, where if you have a child who LOVES writing, they may find this restrictive. I'm linking my video where I explain how the different units work, so you might find that helpful in understanding how the program is structured, and how the various units build off each other. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/sLx0nMhjsbDYlZ8.html

@@karlacanon2507 I also heard from a friend that it’s a great basis to start with writing and provide great structure. They will be able to creative write by blending structure with their own words. So I thought that was brilliant and I ordered lol!!

@@steadfastschoolhouse I think it is brilliant personally so I hope you like it! For my kids, learning how to have a good structure has helped them be more creative because they know how to organize their ideas! :)