Help! My Kids Hate Writing!
Am I alone in that? I’ve got one reluctant writer who would rather read, and read, and read (not complaining – just the facts!) until her eyes fall out. The moment I suggest writing a few sentences about what she read, she freezes. I get things like “I read a book about a girl.” Well, not quite that bad, but you get what I’m saying, right? My son isn’t much better! He can’t sit still to hold a pencil long enough to form a few letters, to make a few words, to create a sentence. And you should have seen the look when I said it’s time to learn how to put those sentences into one nice paragraph. He bolted from the room!
Why We Love IEW.
I learned to love Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW.com) whilst living and homeschooling in the U.S. At the time, I had no idea how much I would appreciate IEW, once we moved overseas! I have pretty strict criteria for quality curriculum now. (See this post to learn about those criteria.) While not all their curriculum is in PDF format (yet), many of their samples are. So you can try a few lessons before you jump in.
What Makes IEW Great?
- So many lessons are in PDF format (of course!)
- IEW offers something for every age level – kindergarten to college(!) So whether your kids love to write or are still considered a reluctant writer, they’ve got it!
- They have a HUGE variety of subjects to write about and loads of topics within each subject. Check out some of these: Following Narnia (one of my faves!), American Literature, Ancient, Medieval or U.S. history, how to write a novel, poetry, science. The list goes on!
- Most workbooks at IEW.com have some type of sample lesson similar to the one you will find if you click on the “Following Narnia” image above. So, if you aren’t into Narnia, look around for something that will engage your kiddo & you.
- IEW has great sales & giveaways. Especially around Christmas.
Reluctant Writer to Creative Writer
My kids ARE becoming creative writers! It doesn’t happen overnight. But, I am seeing creativity popping up in inspiring places. Just last week I found my son’s list of “Minecraft scene ideas”. He wrote down some pretty detailed ideas! Hooray for us and hooray for IEW!
Thank you IEW for the creating a curriculum that produces creative, thoughtful writers! My house is now filled with more joy and laughter as we share our stories and ideas. Smiles all around!
If you’re curious about our other top choices, here are the links.
Online self-paced classes – Compass Classroom
Philosophy/Humanities/Critical Thinking
What are your favorite curriculum choices and why does your family love them? I’d love to hear from you in the comments.
so far my lad is really enjoying BJU materials for his writing/language arts.
When you find what works for your kids it is such a blessing! We’ve never tried BJU. 6 yeas ago we started with IEW and haven’t looked back. It’s been such a good fit for our family.