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by Linda
(Payson, AZ, USA)

Product: Institute for Excellence in Writing; Student Writing Intensive (SWI)Level C; Theme-Character Based Writing Lessons

Levels Used:Jr. High and High School

Dates Used: 2008/2009; 2009/2010

Where do I begin? This program has in itself saved my home school with so many techniques and skills to implement throughout all of our school subjects. As I had only started home schooling at Junior High, writing skills was an area I quickly realized required attention.

The program not only made writing easy to understand, but through required use of adverbs, adverbials, adjectives, and differing sentence structure, the students now automatically place those items in much of their writing outside of English.

Using the skills learned in the SWI DVD series, students have gained the knowledge and understanding, making a piece of writing flow. The students now love to read what they have written when they continue to follow the skills learned in this class. Prior to this, sharing work with our co-op class was stressfully dreaded.

In addition to writing skill, the program teaches how to take notes which have benefited my students in their science co-op class, Bible study not to mention other subject areas. Note taking is a skill that is taught utilizing audio lectures and reading.

Utilizing the Character Based Theme book this year, we are able to continue using the skills while learning new advanced skills appropriate to our level. Included in the theme based writing books, work is assigned according to level of student.

Although a grammar book is recommended to have throughout this course, I wish I did not need to learn the grammar portion of writing again. To grade the writing assignments, you must know the program therefore parent involvement is required throughout the program.