Homeschool Review Crew Review: Institute for Excellence in Writing

My son was completely engaged in the Institute for Excellence in Writing's High School Essay Intensive when we were recently awarded the chance to review this outstanding curriculum.

Institute for Excellence in Writing:

The Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW) is a company dedicated to providing  homeschooling families the tools necessary to train and equip their children to be confident when speaking and being competent communicators whether in written or spoken form. IEW accomplishes their mission by focusing on four key elements: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. To be competent orators and writers, students must know how to listen (to opponents, peers, their audience and truly hear what is being said in words, facial expressions, and body language), to speak (to know how to communicate verbally organized thoughts in a manner that captivates the attention of those to whom you are speaking), to read (having good comprehension skills is essential), and to write (clearly and concisely in an organized manner that will hold the attention of your audience). With IEW, students of all ages and abilities, including students like my son who has a diagnosis of Autism, become effective communicators.


Description of High School Essay Intensive by Andrew Pudewa

High School Essay Intensive:

The recently updated edition of High School Essay Intensive helps students become assured and capable communicators. Because it focuses upon meeting the needs of High School students, the Essay Intensive unit addresses important academic milestones including preparation for the SAT® and ACT® testing, essays on college applications, and essay writing in general. Having worked as a tutor in college for numerous courses, including English, I know exactly how needed this curriculum is and how beneficial it can be to the success of your student. As a tutor, I was surprised by the number of students who had no idea how to even formulate a paragraph. Poor grammar, sentence structuring (with fragments and run-ons abounding), punctuation (too many commas, no capitalization, no periods), and improper spelling (this is why computers have spell-checker people) often plagued the papers I read on a daily basis. Learning to be effective communicators, whether in written or spoken form, is not only a lost art but is also an indispensable skill in today's world.

The High School Essay Intensive contains five DVDs in a black padded case that protects them from damage and keeps the material together in one easy carry-along folio, printed materials (various handouts to use for note-taking during the DVD lessons as well as a sample essay), and a copy of Portable Walls for the Essayist, which is a trifold resource that provides students with quick access to the types of essay, essay models, strategies for writing, and other valuable tools to help them be successful. The DVDs are geared toward High School students and can be utilized as your main curriculum or they can be broken down into sections and utilized to supplement your current Language Arts curriculum. I know some people who use the curriculum in a group setting (like a co-op class or a weekend workshop on writing) while others, such as myself, utilize it at home with their children. My son has gone through the General Strategies for Essay Writing discs (Part 1A and Part 1B - See complete list of DVD topics below). Because my son has a diagnosis of dysgraphia (a learning disability with writing), the Essay Intensive program is a blessing. He learned about the Types of Essays, Models for Writing Essays, Sentence Patterns, and Figures of Speech (which is also a common struggle area for children with a diagnosis of Autism). By learning about essays and practicing his writing skills, my son is better prepared to advance to college or to apply for a job. Becoming a better communicator will help open doors in many areas for him as he matures.

Topic List by DVD

In addition to the High School Essay Intensive course, the Institute for Excellence in Writing has products available for Primary Level (Grades K-2), Level A (Grades 3-5), Level B (Grades 6-8), Level C (Grades 9-12),  College Level, English as a Second Language (ESL), and Special Needs students. They also have products available for Poetry, Spelling, Writing, Literature, and Reading.

Excerpt from High School Essay Intensive

Andrew Pudewa:

Andrew is the Director for the Institute in Writing, a former 7th and 8th grade English and History teacher, conference and seminar presenter throughout the world, and the father of seven children. His presenting topics include: teaching, thinking, writing, spelling, and music. Andrew has a good sense of humor, which helps put students at ease during his presentations (and was one of the elements that kept my son engaged with the curriculum). His goal is to improve students' skills and help them become confident and effective communicators. This passion he has to help students be successful comes across clearly in the DVDs. Andrew is a graduate of the Talent Education Institute in Matsumoto, Japan and holds a Certificate in Child Brain Development from the Institutes for the Achievement of Human Potential in Philadelphia, PA.

Baffled by Exam Essays? IEW Can Help

To learn more about the Institute for Excellence in Writing and the High School Essay Intensive, stop by their Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and Pinterest pages. You can also read additional reviews about the High School Essay Intensive on the Homeschool Review Crew site.