Homeschool Review: IEW's Fix It! Grammar -- Chanticleer #hsreviews #grammar #writing

We are huge fans of  Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW) and we fell in love with their Fix It! Grammar  program years ago.  Fix It! Grammar offers a complete grammar program perfect for use by students in 3rd grade and up.  We were first introduced to it when my youngest children were in 8th and 10th grades and we have continued using it through the years.  My "baby" is finishing her senior year now and we were pleased to be chosen to review Fix It! Grammar:  Chanticleer [Book 5] this semester.  Way back when we first starting using Fix It!, she thought it was a great way to "do" grammar because she could visualize the parts of speech and understand the function of each.  I am pleased to share that she still feels that way.

What we like most about the Fix It! Grammar program is that it really makes it easy to cover the basics of language arts in a laid back way.  The lessons are short and sweet, but packed with a punch.  Students focus on just one or two sentences taken straight from classic literature.  What we are enjoying most about Chanticleer [Book 5] is that it begins right with the skills we left off with in earlier Fix It! books and ups the challenge as it calls on students to delve deeper into sentence structure, punctuation rules, and the finer points of great writing.  We chose this particular book because it is an abridged version of one of the stories from The Canterbury Tales -- one of our favorite pieces of literature.  (Our dog is even named after the author, Geoffrey Chaucer. Neat, right?)  "The Nun's Priest Tale" is a complex and descriptive writing so it is perfect for my daughter to use to practice her editing skills now as she will be in college next year.

There are six grammar books in the entire Fix-It! Series. You can start at the beginning with Book 1 or begin in whichever book best meets your student's specific needs.  If you are unsure, you'll want to have your student(s) take the Placement Test provided.  IEW suggests that if you are still unsure of exactly which level would be best for your student after taking the placement test, start with the lower of the two levels.  Addtional help can be found by attending a free Webinar available.  It is quite helpful in explaining the step-by-step process of Fix-It! Grammar.  This is just further confirmation that all of the IEW  curriculum is structured to be a tool for the teacher.  I appreciate that IEW  realizes there is no cookie cutter method of teaching because there are no cookie cutter students and that they encourage me to decide what is best for my child.

Each book level is a stand-alone resource that takes students through an individual story -- one or two sentences at a time.  Each lesson is designed to take about 15 minutes per day.  We have found this to be the perfect amount of time.  It allows us to start and finish in a timely manner without too much stress.  Senior year brings with it quite a demand on time and talent, so I appreciate the design of the curriculum.  There are four lessons a week over the course of  33 weeks that focus on parts of speech, sentence types, and punctuation through grammar notations, but also teaches vocabulary (the bold words found in the sentences), style, and self-editing skills using the proper editing marks.  This works because students are editing daily so they develop the practice of self-editing everything they write.

We recceived the Fix It! Grammar:  Chanticleer [Book 5] (Teacher's Manual) (216 pages of instruction plus a reference Glossary--pictured below) and Fix It! Grammar:  Chanticleer [Book 5] (Student Book) (70 pages of lessons plus Grammar Cards to be used each week and the reference Glossary).  Both books are coil-bound, softcover and give step-by-step instructions for use.  The Teacher's Manual also includes instructions on receiving a free download of the Student Book, the Mastery Learning e-audio, and the But, but, but . . . What about Grammar? e-audio.  Permission is given for parents to print copies of the student e-book as needed to use within your immediate family.   This is a win-win for us all.

Reference Glossary

When we first began using Fix-It! Grammar we would sit down at the kitchen table together and my children would take turns reading the sentence(s) for the day's lesson aloud.  We would discuss the bolded vocabulary word in each sentence and discuss and define it in the context of the sentence.  They would each write the word and the definition that best fit the situation into a Vocabulary section of their notebooks. I would then read over the instructions from the Teacher's Manual (pictured below) and they would "fix" the sentences accordingly.  This really worked very well for us in a family-learning setting and I would encourage you to consider how you might make it work in your family environment, as well.  I definitely miss those days now that my daughter is the only one left in our homeschool.

Instructions from Teacher's Manual

As a Senior, our approach is different.  We still begin together and I read over the initial instructions for each day's lesson.  We discuss the vocabulary words given and talk about the other words that may not be used as often today (it IS Chaucer after all), and she makes corrections, inserts grammar notations, and edits according to instructions given.  Some days she checks her own work against the Teacher's Manual and some days I check her work.  Either way we are able to discuss her thought process and make sure that it matches up properly with the instructions given and answers provided.  If it does not, we are able to explore a little further together to make sure that she thoroughly understands each concept.  At the end of the week, she does a complete rewrite of the sentences she has edited daily and we discuss those.

Both the Teacher's Manual and the Student Book are laid out in the exact same manner so it is easy to use the two together.  There are teacher's notes that help you help your students as they work through the lessons.  It is easy to explain their mistakes using the teacher's notes and leading questions provided.  We are finding this to be another excellent resource for review.  I am confident that my daughter is going to be ready for college classes in the Fall as a result of the use of this excellent curriculum.

You can find out more about Fix-It! Grammar and all things IEW on the following Social Media outlets:

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I was given the opportunity to review the Fix It! Grammar:  Chanticleer [Book 5] from Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW) as a member of the the Homeschool Review Crew.   You can check out the Crew Review and see what other members of the Homeschool Review Crew 
thought of this book and other books in the Fix-It! Series as well (or just click on the banner below.)

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Homeschool Review: Memoria Press Classical Composition #hsreviews #memoriapress #classicalchristianeducation

Memoria Press offers resources for a classical CHRISTIAN education.  We've been working through the Classical Composition I: Fable Set and Classical Composition II: Narrative Set in an accelerated format in an effort to polish up writing skills before the final senior year.  Statistics state that writing is the greatest weakness of incoming freshmen, and it is our desire to change that in our home.  The accelerated format aids in the development of communication skills as students discover the skills of writing (and subsequently begin to enjoy it).  Great communication and excellent writing skills are exactly what I'm after as we seek for a strong finish to our homeschooling career.

Modeled after the classical methodology known as the Progymnasmata, the Classical Composition series aims to produce students who not only write and speak well, but who write and speak well about GOD and HIS creation.  Students are taught the mechanics behind excellent composition through the Classical Composition curriculum and it is laid out in an easy-to-understand and easy-to-follow format.  My daughter is using it independently with no issues at all by following the Fable & Narrative Stage Lesson Plans.  

These lesson plans lay out a 34-week calendar to be used Monday through Friday and specify exactly what has to be done each day.  A student is able to complete each lesson in a two-week time period and we have found the accelerated format to be comparable in workload to the intensive online college courses my son is taking this semester.  I like that each day’s work is laid out for her and that she can easily meet the expectations given.  I especially like that there are Instructional DVDs provided for each of these Composition levels.  My daughter enjoys watching each lesson’s video and completing the work required.  I enjoy that she can do this on her own with little intervention from me.

I’m sure you’ve heard the oft-quoted statement that “Imitation is the highest form of flattery.”   Classical Composition I:  Fable Set encourages students to imitate good writers so that they can become good writers themselves through variation and paraphrase while Classical Composition II: Narrative Set encourages students to imitate the ideas in passages making sure that they understand and comprehend the meaning behind a particular passage.  This is done through writing and re-writing and writing again.

For our review, we received the following:

• Fable & Narrative Stage Lesson Plans (9-pages, softcover, combbound)which gives a day-by-day checklist of work to be completed
• Classical Composition I:  Fable Set which includes the Teacher Guide and the Student Book (both are 101-pages, softcover, coilbound) and the Instructional DVDs that coincide with the Fable lessons.  There are 4 discs that cover all 20 lessons.  
• Classical Composition II: Narrative Set which includes the Teacher Guide and the Student Book (both are 156-pages, softcover, coilbound) and the Instructional DVDs that coincide with the Narrative lessons.  There are 6 discs that cover all 20 lessons.

The Teacher Guides contain a reproduction of the Student Books and all answers are provided.  This makes it super easy for me to check my daughter's work and gives me Teacher Tips that I find invaluable to the learning process.  The Teacher Tips remind me of intricate details I may have forgotten through the years.  For example, the Narrative Teacher Tips encourage me to be fluent in the figures of description because the more confident I am in my ability to use them, the better my daughter will be as she works to master writing skills.  It also gives me permission to avoid overly complex assignments.  I need the reminder as sometimes I push further than I should.  I tend to force my perfectionism standards without aiming to build confidence.  

What does all of this look like in use at Long Leaf Academy?  For review purposes, my daughter (finishing Junior year, heading into Senior year) has been "discovering the skills of writing" through the Classical Composition Accelerated I format.  At this time, she is almosst halfway through the Fable Stage and will be continuing with the Narrative Stage until completion.  We are utilizing the full 34-week program in its entirety.  The Lesson Plans show her exactly what to do each day and the DVDs provide full instruction from Dr. Brett Vaden.

Each lesson focuses on a different one of Aesop's fables and follows the same pattern.  Dr.Vaden reads the fable aloud and points out words that may be difficult for the student.  He explains these vocabulary words in detail and re-reads the fable.  Students then ponder the three plot components of recognition, reversal, and suffering and make note of them in the Student Book.  What we like about the teaching aspect of the DVDs is that Dr. Vaden explains concepts in a way that is easy-to-undertand and then directs students to pause the DVD and answer his questions in their book.  He is very personable and encouraging.  Students learn to use synonyms and write variations of each fable and they learn to create outlines.  The variations and outline are then used to rewrite the fable multiple times.  Walking through each of these steps teaches proofreading skills and self-correction and empowers my daughter as she realizes that writing is not so difficult.

The Narrative Stage follows a very similar format to the Fable Stage.  Students read (or are read) short narratives and discuss vocabulary words found in the reading.  They learn to orally share the story (narrate it) in their own words and focus on the nine components of a narrative:  recognition, reversal, suffering, agents, action, time, place, manner, and cause.  Further practice is given to outlines, variations, and paraphrasing with the culmination of each lesson found in a final draft that inverts the sequence of events in the narrative.  This deductive reasoning exercise helps them to understand perspectives and focus on what is essential to the plot, thus strengthening their writing and preparing them for college essays.

As always, Memoria Press has given us well thought out resources that encourage students to focus on GOD's ideas.  I love that the writings come from men with a heart to further the Kingdom and our appreciation of all that is in it.

You can find out even more about Memoria Press on the following Social Media sites:

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I was given the opportunity to review the  Classical Composition I: Fable Set and Classical Composition II: Narrative Set from Memoria Press as a member of the Homeschool Review Crew.   Make sure that you visit the  Crew Review to see what other members of the Crew thought of these resources (and others), too.  You can click on the picture below to jump right over there.  

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Homeschool Review: CursiveLogic #hsreviews #cursive #ilovecursive

A few years ago we were invited to review the original CursiveLOGIC workbook and my son absolutey loved it.  He was looking to improve his handwriting because he was preparing to open a checking account and had an unreadable signature.  A stroke as a toddler had left his grip impaired and cursive writing had never been a truly mastered skill.  The CursiveLOGIC method made sense to him and greatly improved his confidence.  Fast forward a few years and his sister decided that she wanted to "pretty up" her cursive handwriting. She requested to be able to review both the CursiveLOGIC Quick-Start Pack and The Art of Cursive in order to help meet her goals.

The original CursiveLOGIC workbook consisted of 96-pages of instructional content and dry-erase pages for extra practice.  The NEW Quick-Start Pack consists of a significantly revised workbook AND a 48-minute webinar that actually shows you HOW to implement the process outlined in the workbook.  The workbook now contains 112-pages of instructional content in addition to 3 dry-erase practice pages.  These are laminated pages for students to use with dry erase markers and they offer reviews of the color-coded method of learning loops, ovals, and more, plus give ample space to practice stringing letters together.  The webinar explains the philosophy of grouping like letters together in order to best teach your child in a way that they can learn and helps you to understand how the color-coding process works.  It's a great hands-on way to put into practice the catch phrasing that the book describes and helps your student to develop muscle memory for cursive handwriting.


Coil-bound at the top, the Workbook is perfect for left- or right-handed students.  It reminds me of the old-school typing manuals that we used way back in my day.  Students start at the beginning of the workbook and work all the way through to the end before flipping it over and continuing instruction on the back sides of the pages.  There are 10 lessons in the workbook and each lesson can be completed in about an hour if you choose to do them in one sitting.  My 16-year-old chose to do them this way as she knew the mechanics of cursive writing and was aiming for a better or "prettier" finished product.   Younger students, or students who do not know the mechanics of cursive, can choose to work one short segment of each lesson each day.  The lessons are already divided into 4 days of work for you so this is an easy option to implement.

Students trace letters on three-line ruled paper (just like the writing tablets that I used in school) making sure to touch the dashed midline, stop at the topline, and carefully dip below the baseline when appropriate.  After successful tracing, they write the letters on their own.   You'll notice in the picture below that those "big lines" gave my girl a little bit of trouble.  It's been quite a few years since she used that three-line ruled paper, but the dotted lines in the middle sure do help you see where the letters should stop when correctly formed.

In addition to the 10 lessons on lowercase letters, there are handwriting activites for uppercase letters and proper signatures as well as suggestions for continuing practice everyday in cursive writing.  I love that students are encouraged to write letters to elderly friends and relatives, to craft thank you notes, to begin journaling their thoughts and ideas, and to decorate binders with quotes and poems that they find meaningful.  Extra practice pages are included in the back of the book as well.  I think the entire "package" truly is "an intelligent new way to teach cursive handwriting."  Students understand the color-coding and are building lifelong skills as they practice their skill.   I read an article just today that said we need to encourage students to put down the screens and pick up their pens.  Students who WRITE out their study notes will remember information longer than those who type it out on their keyboards.  I definitely want the competitive edge for my children, don't you?

 The CursiveLOGIC method makes logical sense as letters are grouped according to shape.  Each grouping has its own color.  Saying catch phrases aloud as they form the letters in each colored grouping helps embed the proper mechanics of cursive writing and gives students confidence in their ability.  I like that.

The other resource that has upped my daughter's confidence level has been The Art of 
Cursive coloring book.  Designed for adults (or in our case, teenagers who want to improve their cursive skills), this 64-page coloring book helps you to both learn cursive and improve your handwriting while you color away.  The first 9 pages of the coloring book offer a review of the CursiveLOGIC method.  The remaining pages have designs to be colored on the front and quotations to trace and write in practice on the back.

To begin, you trace and then write the quotation on the back of the page.  After that, you color the image on the front of the page.  The neat thing about the designs on the front is that they are crafted from cursive letters.  It's fun (and relaxing) and you improve skill as you color.  It is recommended that you do not pick up your marker or colored pencil once you begin filling in the design elements as the single strokes will maximize your cursive practice.  You can see example of this in my daughter's colored design below.

A fun note:  We received our CursiveLOGIC books on a Saturday afternoon and I placed them on my daughter's bed since she was gone.  She came in the next night and said "Mom, do I have to do 'school' with the cursive books or can I just do them and enjoy?"  I told her to have at it.  It made me smile big.  She obviously doesn't know that EVERYTHING we do is "school."  I love that she can learn while she "enjoys."

For more information about the CursiveLOGIC handwriting technique, please visit the following Social Media sites:

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I was given the opportunity to review the CursiveLOGIC Quick-Start Pack and The Art of Cursive from  CursiveLOGIC  as a member of the Homeschool Review Crew.   You can check out the Crew Review and see what other members of the Homeschool Review Crew thought of this handwriting resource (or just click on the banner below.)  

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Homeschool Review: Wulf the Saxon #hsreviews #HeirloomAudio #WulfTheSaxon #LiveTheAdventure #BringingHentyBack #AudioAdventures

From the opening advice that you don't always have to say what you think to the closing declaration that "fortunate are the few who marry for love,"  Heirloom Audio Productions has scored another beautiful story of adventure, loyalty, and love with their newest audio drama, Wulf the Saxon.   In this theatrical production that introduces you to a 16-year-old boy named Wulf who is finding his way around the royal courts and shares his growing-up life lessons, there are raging battles, fiercely dedicated friendships, and even a little civilized romance. (No worries there  though, mom -- brothers Leon and Etienne make sure that storyteller extraordinaire, Mr. George [Henty], does not share any "kissy" parts in his historical grand tale.)


With a superb cast of voices including Chris Larkin, Helen George, and our beloved Brian Blessed (as Mr. G.A. Henty himself),  Wulf the Saxon invites you to step deep into British history from the time that Edward the Confessor was on the throne through the bloody Battle of Hastings and to walk alongside as a boy turns into a man.  From the early days of speaking before he thinks to the final scenes of thoughtfully declaring his love for Agnes de Burg, Wulf learns the true meaning of courage and loyalty and what it really is to stand for what is right and honorable and holy and he learns the importance of the Biblical trait of maturity.  Wulf's adventures include being relegated to the farm to learn to appreciate his place, a shipwreck that results in capture, imprisonment, and escape, an injury in battle, the capture of a castle, and even more fighting on the battlefield.  Wulf the Saxon is a story of friendship and sacrifice that points us all to JESUS.

Now I must admit that we are a bit biased toward all things British at our house -- we do enjoy a good production and all things royal make us happy -- so it was easy for us to be excited about Wulf the Saxon.  It is always fun to review an Heirloom Audio Productions CD set and this one was no exception.  Heirloom Audio knows how to deliver quality audio theatre for the entire family to enjoy and they do so with excellence.  What I love most about Heirloom Audio is that they make Christian history come to life in such a beautiful way.  Wulf the Saxon has a HUGE cast of characters and each one is portrayed with such passion.  You find yourself lost right in the midst of the action as swords clang around you and voices ring out in despair.   When the first CD came to a close, we couldn't wait to pop the second one in and continue on in the story.  It's over 2 1/2 hours of quality listening that I consider safe for families of all ages to enjoy.  That's good stuff right there, folks.  Good stuff.

And did you know that Heirloom Audio Productions offers a super-cool extra in the form of their Live the Adventure Club?  It's an online masterpiece that includes bonus downloads for all of their audio theatre productions and gives you the opportunity to listen right along online.  These digital components have included study guides and quizzes to go with each of their extraordinary adventures, as well as read-along scripts and resources to make your "listening" time an educational treasure.  The 44-page Study Guide for Wulf the Saxon is already available and it will help younger students really grasp the lessons in the storyline.  Older students can make great use of the writing assignments provided.  My college Freshman was especially interested in reading about the Bayeux Tapestry included in the Brief History of England as he had just studied it in his Art Appreciation class.  My daughter enjoys the expanded learning resources and of course, I always love the Bible Studies presented to complement the CDs.  The Live the Adventure Club offers all of that -- and so much more.  There are kid activities for each of the stories (coloring sheets, scavenger hunts, word searches) and daily devotions and articles for parents to see us this journey.  It's a great community to be involved with and will greatly benefit your homeschool world.


For more information about this drama or any of the others lovingly produced by Heirloom Audio Productions, please visit the following Social Media sites:

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You know, we've listened to and learned from each of the audio dramas that we've been able to review (Under Drake's Flag, In Freedom's Cause, With Lee in Virginia, The Dragon and the Raven, Beric the Briton, The Cat of Bubastes, In the Reign of Terror, and Captain Bayley's Heir) and we enjoy sharing them with our friends and family.  We've made Heirloom Audio part of our homeschool life and we think you should, too.

I was given the opportunity to review Wulf the Saxon from Heirloom Audio Productions as a member of the Homeschool Review Crew.   You can check out the Crew Review and see what other members of the Homeschool Review Crew thought of this fascinating audio drama (or just click on the banner below.)

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Homeschool Review: Characters in Crisis #hsreviews #highschoolwriting #writingcurriculum

You might remember that we were first introduced to Writing with Sharon Watson a few years ago and we have since loved everything of hers that we have used.  From writing to literature courses, Sharon Watson has become one of our very favorite resources for high school study.  Just like Sharon makes writing fun for even the most reluctant writer, she makes jumping into a good book most delightful for readers of all types.  Her literary guides are simply phenomenal -- we absolutely fell in love with the first one, Illuminating Literature:  When Worlds Collide,  -- and I was as pleased as can be to have the opportunity to share the second one, Illuminating Literature:  Characters in Crisis, with my daughter.  The Princess is a Junior now (I know!  I can't believe it either.  It seems like just yesterday that she was struggling to learn to read.) and she's the last student at Long Leaf Academy.  We really have tried a little bit of everything, so when we find a curriculum that she takes outside of the home and into her daily world, I know we have a winner.
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I also know we have a winner when my girl is not only looking at literary works, but is heart-filtering them through what she knows and is learning about GOD.  Characters in Crisis is written from a Biblical worldview which means that as she reads and answers questions related to the readings of classics, my daughter is also being reminded what GOD says about how to handle circumstances and crises that come our way.  Sharon offers Scriptural background as a basis for how to tackle life and she challenges students to look through a moral and ethical lens when making all decisions.  For example, in reading Frankenstein, students discuss modern-day scientific advances and whether or not they believe babies born in a lab would be soulless.  Students don't just "read" through a story or play or poem or book.  They "read-to-understand" the characters and the how and why they make the decisions that they do.  Sharon takes it once step further and offers suggestions for further reading at the end of each literary work study -- and these suggested readings include books and articles by Christian authors.  That's what I'm talking about.  Yes and Yes!

Each of the Illuminating Literature courses (When Worlds Collide and Characters in Crisis) are written to 9th - 12th graders and can be used in any order as they are not written sequentially.  (You can even choose to work between the two courses if you would like which makes this extremely friendly.)  Each chapter is designed to take your student about a month to complete and focuses on one major literary work or a collection of smaller works.  They are intended to be used for a year-long literature course and there is ample work provided for one high school credit.

All of the works read and studied in Characters in Crisis include characters who find themselves facing a crisis of some kind.  Students read "A Jury of Her Peers", Frankenstein, Silas Marner, Much Ado About Nothing, "A White Heron", "The Garden of Forking Paths", "Haircut", "The Lady, or the Tiger?", "Of the Passing of the First-Born", "A Child's Christmas in Wales", Sense and Sensibility, The Hobbit, and a biography or autobiography of the student's choosing. These selections can be covered in any order within the course.  My daughter first read "A Jury of Her Peers" (Chapter 1 of the textbook) and then moved to Frankenstein (Chapter 2 of the textbook), but has chosen to skip over to The Hobbit (Chapter 8 of the textbook) in order to be ready for our Christmas holiday-traditional movie marathon of The Lord of the Rings.  This works perfectly -- and gives her ownership of her literature course which makes for a happy student and a happy momma.   

For the smaller titles (poems, articles, essays), the literary work is included right in the textbook.  For others (short stories), links are provided in the textbook so that students can access them online.  For the major literary works, Sharon offers publisher guidelines so that students can study from the specific version of each book that has been coordinated to the textbook.  You can purchase these titles and make life a little easier on your student as the textbook is keyed to the specific page numbers OR you might choose to use books that you already own.  The curriculum is usable with any version of the book being studied -- it may just take a few more minutes for your child to find what they are directed to find.  We have used both the recommended version of books and what we had at home (when my girl was anxious to begin before I could get the recommended version here) successfully.

We are using the entire Characters in Crisis literature curriculum which includes a Student Textbook, Teacher's Guide, Quiz and Answer Manual, and a Novel Notebook.  There is also an online Quiz component that can be used in lieu of the Quiz and Answers Manual.  Both the online and the hard copy manual contain the same information so it is strictly a matter of personal preference.  Students take "yes, I read it" quizzes to make sure that they read and comprehend and "literary term" quizzes that make sure they are learning terms and vocabulary as they read.  "Opinion surveys" are also included that help students go one step further as they are asked to identify with specific characters and really think about the choices made by them.  My girl has been using the online quizzes, but I like having the paper copy so that I can verbally "quiz" her myself on what she is reading.  As you know, high school is a totally different machine and often the work is completed away from mom's watchful eye.  She does receive an emailed report of her grades on the quizzes, but I am able to have a shared knowledge of what she's learning with my copy of the Manual.  The Quiz and Answer Manual helps me keep her accountable.

The Teacher's Guide (173-pages, softcover) is written to the teacher and explains what students will be learning throughout the course.  I know that my daughter is becoming familiar with literature terms and devices as evidenced from the Quiz and Answer Manual, but the Teacher's Guide also tells me that she is being introduced to fine literature in such a way that she will WANT to read more.  She is learning to become a discerning reader and a powerful writer.  It also tells me how long each component of her studies should take and tells me what she is being asked in her textbook and how I can discuss that with her more effectively.  Sharon Watson offers warnings of things that parents might need to know (a nude scene in a Shakespeare movie, for example) and offers helps for creating a "book club" or co-op class with the materials presented.  Even more, she explains how to grade my daughter's writing and tells me special things to look for as I grade.  She's made it easy for me and I appreciate that.  I know you will, too.

Now the meat of the course comes in the Student Textbook (293-pages, softcover) and the Novel Notebook (86-pages, downloadable PDF).  The Student Textbook is written to the student and welcomes them into the exciting world of literature.  It explains literary terms, acts as the course syllabus, offers activities and writing assignments to personalize the learning experience, and really makes reading fun.  GOD's Word is shared throughout and students become captivated by reading along.  Frankenstein and the Bible?  Yep!  Perfection.

You are going to want to print out the Novel Notebook and put it in a 3-ring binder as soon as you are ready for your child to begin.  It is a full-color notebook that acts as a personal journal and adventure manual all in one.  The Novel Notebook contains Venn diagrams and mapping exercises and really brings the literary works to life.  It makes it all personal as students write down their favorite passages from the works they are studying and answer even more questions that are designed as food for thought.  This is a must-have element of the course -- and it's FREE. 

Remember that I mentioned at the beginning of this review that I knew we had a winner when my daughter was not only using the curriculum at home but was taking it into her daily world?  My girl has a standing date with a group of friends every Wednesday night after Bible Study and they head to a local sandwich shop for "quality time" together.  Now you can surely understand my excitement when she came home a few weeks ago and shared with me that she had been discussing the "law vs. mercy" argument from "A Jury of Her Peers" with her friends and that she was going to need to take her book with her the next week so that they could discuss it further.  That's a HUGE WIN in my book, y'all!  She says the discussion questions are just so interesting and they really help you understand the book and look at each character in a special way.  I love it.

For even more information about Sharon Watson's WONDERFUL literary and writing options and how to bring them home to your family, please visit the following Social Media pages:

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And as always, I just love, love, love that Sharon helps you decide how you can best put her resources to use in your home by offering free sample chapters, grading grids, and quizzes for you to download and check out for yourself.  Isn't it great when folks go the extra mile to help us succeed?  We really are all in this together.

I was given the opportunity to review Illuminating Literature:  Characters in Crisis from Writing with Sharon Watson as a member of the Homeschool Review Crew.   You can check out the Crew Review and see what other members of the Homeschool Review Crew thought of this most excellent literature course (or just click on the banner below.)

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Homeschool Review: High School Essay Intensive by IEW #hsreviews #highschoolwriting #SATprep #ACTprep

  You know we've been in the throes of graduation, college admission, and ACT prep here at Long Leaf Academy so you can imagine my excitement when High School Essay Intensive from Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW) arrived for my high schoolers.  IEW has proven itself to be of the highest quality and is easily one of our very favorite homeschool resources.  We've had the opportunity to use quite a few of the IEW curriculum/programs and we've loved each and every one. 
My children fell in love with Mr. Andrew Pudewa's wit and teaching style years ago, so they are quick to ask for and use whatever is coming next.  His laid back approach to hands-on learning makes us all happy.  He's genuinely funny and he encourages students to be their best.  Seriously, I enjoy watching the DVDs along with my children and I'm reminded of so many concepts that I was taught in high school and college -- things I knew, but have forgotten.  I like that I can learn with my kids.  I like that my kids WANT to learn even more.  I like that we can chuckle as we learn. High School Essay Intensive is a four-part course that teaches students how to write effective essays.  It is filmed on location during a real live seminar, so students watching from home via video stream or DVDs are right in the middle of the class.  They are invited to attend the all-day writing class as participants, not just observers, and will need to be prepared with paper and pen.  Be aware of that, mom, as some students (who shall remain nameless at my house) may try to simply watch without writing and they will miss the benefits of the seminar.  There is a 28-page seminar handout included and Mr. Pudewa encourages the students to become avid note takers -- in the course, in church, in life.  Isn't it great when respected adults speak the same truths to your children that you speak?  The handout is the same one that is being used by the students in the live seminar and shares all of the writing prompts, strategies, templates, and applications referenced so it makes it easy for your students to actively participate.  You will want to purchase one handout for each student using this series.

The seminar is broken down into four parts on five DVDs in which Mr. Pudewa teaches students how to actually implement the Structure and Style Writing Method.  (You might remember that we first fell in love with IEW while using the Deluxe Combo that taught this method.)  The first session (DVDs labeled 1a and 1b) cover the general principles of composing an essay.  Students learn how to choose what they will write about, how to arrange and organize their ideas, and how to present those ideas with style.  My girl was quick to point out that she "knows how to write an essay" when I first handed the DVDs over.  That said, it was a great place for her to begin and hear refresher information before she starts preparing to take college entrance exams next year.

The next three sessions cover specific tasks for high schoolers as they prepare for college with insight into both the ACT and SAT writing tests (updated to current test content), AP exams, and personal statements for college and scholarship applications.  In the second session (DVD labeled 2), students are taught strategies for writing the optional ACT essay.  They learn who grades the essay (two educators), how the grading is broken down and points are scored, and are given sample prompts and offered hints on writing and proofing in order to best showcase their skills.  Mr. Pudewa explains to the students that the ACT essay test wants students to have an opinion about a condition or situation that is going on in the world.  The ACT essay is an argumentative essay and students start with a thesis that they set out to prove with reasoning and examples.

In the third session (DVD labeled 3), students are taught techniques and planning methods to help write an effective SAT essay.  Mr. Pudewa explains the audience that will be grading the test (mostly high school and college English teachers) and how the grading is broken down into three parts:  reading, analysis/content, and general writing.  The SAT essay is purely an analytical essay in which students read a previously published composition and offer a critical evaluation of it using evidence, reasoning, and style persuasion.  Although we don't take the SAT, the information provided in this session has offered invaluable insight to my son on taking the comprehension portions of the ACT.

The final session (DVD labeled 4) focuses on strategies needed for the "personal essay."  This includes great tips and techniques for submitting examples of your writing with your college application.  Mr. Pudewa explains to students that over the years, the writing skills of high school and college students has been in decline.  As a result, colleges are now requiring submitted essays to gauge the strengths of the student.  He further states that good writing is a great indicator of those who will be successful in higher education and he explains the many variables of the required essays.  He offers great tips for making the essay a truly personal way to "sell" yourself and showcase your best self to the college admissions counselors reading it.  We held the graduation ceremony for my boy on Saturday, so this is the world we currently find ourselves in and it was the perfect place for him to begin.

Although your students could certainly take this intensive seminar in one day (as recorded), I would suggest that you break the sessions up into daily lessons.  The shortest run time is right at 50 minutes and the longest is almost two hours.  At my house, that would make for a very long day and my kids are easily distracted, so . . . what we've done is split the seminar up into smaller chunks of learning.  My 10th and 12th graders don't need their momma's help so much anymore, but I'm here for accountability.  Instead of just handing over a new curriculum, I make sure that we discuss expectations on how long it should take, the benefits that will be reaped from diligent study, AND completed work must be verified by me.  That means you can't just watch the seminar.  You have to write the essays, too.

As always, IEW has thought of everything and included extra resources to help my students succeed.  The Portable Walls for the Essayist is a neat double-sided tri-fold that serves as a reminder/cheat sheet while in the midst of writing.  It's the perfect size to fit right in the front of my daughter's writing binder and can be easily referenced as she writes.

As expected, I'm super impressed with this latest help from Institute for Excellence in Writing and I look forward to the growth and improvement in my children's writing with its continued use.  I appreciate that Mr. Pudewa engages my students and encourages them to Listen, Speak, Read, Write, and THINK!  He comes alongside them right where they are and makes them want better for themselves.  I like that.



For more information about IEW's High School Essay Intensive and any of their other packages designed to meet the educational needs of ALL styles of learners, make sure you check out the following Social Media pages:

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Once again, IEW is a winner for our family.  Check it out for yours.

I was given the opportunity to review High School Essay Intensive from Institute for Excellence in Writing as a member of the Homeschool Review Crew.   You can check out the Crew Review and see what other members of the Homeschool Review Crew thought of this Unit Study and other resources we reviewed (or just click on the banner below.)

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