Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

This post contains affiliate links.

If you’ve been around here and read any of my posts, you’ll know that we are fairly new to the world of The Institute for Excellence in Writing®. Last year, my oldest went through Structure and Style Level C and we were really impressed. When the chance to review Structure and Style® for Students Year 1 Level A from IEW came along, I glady accepted it with my 3rd and 5th graders in mind.

Before last year, my only experience with Institute for Excellence in Writing®. was through the lens of, in my opinion, high strung, stressed out homeschool moms. It was always confusing when it was explained to me and always seemed to be coming from people who weren’t adhering to the same homeschool philosophy as me. However, I attended the NCHE Thrive conference last year where Andrew Pudewa was a keynote speaker. He is the founder and face of IEW. I was so impressed with his talks and how he approaches home education that I went to the booth and asked more questions. By the end of the conference, I was sold on the program and excited to give it a try.

One of my school related goals for my kids is to produce effective writers. I want them to be strong communicators both in spoken and written word. We have never really used a writing curriculum before and I am so excited about using Structure and Style® for Students Year 1 Level A this year.

WHAT IS INCLUDED?

Each of these programs provides a complete writing curriculum. You will find everything you need to get started right away, including:

• Student Binder and Packet
• Teacher’s Manual
• Your choice of DVD or Streaming instructional videos

The course includess 24 lessons, taught by Andrew Pudewa. To be honest, I thought my kids were going to find him cheesey and not want to watch the videos. I was wrong. They were really able to connect with his sense of humor and engaging teaching style. Honestly… I found myself yelling out answers to his questions as if I were really in his class.

The binder, packet, and teacher’s manual are well put together and very organized. Everything is clearly written out and easy to follow. This makes implementing the class very easy and seamless in a homeschool or co op environment. All materials your child needs can be found in the student binder and also a notebook. You receive the streaming instructions, student binder and packet and teacher’s manual.

A suggested weekly schedule is provided. I have noticed that we are able to advance at our own speed. When a concept is easily understood, we can move quickly through the lesson. When we need to spend more time on a topic, we can slow down. Because we have access to the forever streaming videos, we have the freedom to work at our own pace. I love that there are literature suggestions to go along with each unit. The suggestions make for excellent read alouds. In Structure and Style® for Students Year 1 Level A, some of the literature suggestions include Little House on the Prairie, Mr. Popper’s Penguins, and more. I love how the program does not just teach writing in isolation, but incorporates grammar, style, and literature. It is a solid, well constructed program.

One thing that stood out to me when listening to Andrew Pudewa speak was concerning grade levels. He mentioned that when a student begins violin, they start at the very basic level despite their age. The same can be applied to writing. If you have a student who has little experience with writing, you start them at the beginning despite their age. While Level A may be more geared toward younger writers, you could certainly begin there with a middle or high school student who does not have much experience.

Be sure to follow IEW on social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/excellenceinwriting/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/iew
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iew/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/iew/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/iewtv/featured

The Homeschool Review Crew reviewed the various levels of Structure and Style for Students. Be sure to check out what they have to say. Click the banner below: