Structure and Style for Students: Year 1 Level A Basic Set (DVDs)

Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW) curriculum provides an overall approach to writing instruction for all your homeschooling years. The distinctive Teaching Writing Structure & Style (TWSS) approach focuses on two basic components of composition – structure and style. Structure is both the type of writing and the method of organizing the writing. Style includes such things as varying sentence openings, using similes and metaphors, or repeating certain words for effect. Teachers and students will learn how to outline and summarize; transform their thoughts and ideas into writing; create cohesive paragraphs, essays, stories, reports, and critiques. They’ll learn/apply stylistic techniques like varied sentence structure, interesting vocabulary; and literary devices. It’s assumed parents/teachers are familiar with this dual-focused TWSS method when teaching IEW’s Structure & Style and in the Theme-Based Writing lesson courses. 

Restructured and re-filmed in 2020, this Structure & Style series features incremental instruction, humor, and ease of use. The engaging teaching of Andrew Pudewa continues to win students’ hearts and minds and transform them into accomplished writers. This popular series is still focused on both the structure and the style of exceptional writing. Most years include 9 units of writing instruction (Year 1, Level A contains 7 units). There are still three levels of instruction (Level A for Grades 3-5; Level B for Grades 6-8; and Level C for Grades 9-12).

Each Structure and Style for Students course (seven total) provides a year (24 weeks) of video instruction and effective writing lessons. The curriculum provides writing assignments, vocabulary words, and literature suggestions, all neatly outlined in weekly lesson plans. Basic packages include Teacher Manual, Student Packet, Binder, and Videos—available in either DVD or Forever Streaming packages. Additional packages include the Basic Plus, which includes a corresponding grade level of Fix-It Grammar and Portable Walls.  The Premier package includes all the previous items plus A Word Write Now and the Teaching Writing Structure and Style Seminar (Forever Streaming videos, seminar workbook, and Premium Membership. This second edition version of the Teaching Writing: Structure & Style includes twelve forever streaming videos and a one-year access to additional online resources like sample student workshops, checklist generator, audio MP3 downloads of some of Andrew Pudea’s conference talks, and more. The Premier package includes all the previous items plus A Word Write Now and the Teaching Writing Structure and Style Seminar (Forever Streaming videos, seminar workbook, and Premium Membership.

The basic instructional units in Structure and Style for Students (SSS) begin in Year 1, Level A: Note Making/Outlines; Writing From Notes; Retelling Narrative Stories; Summarizing a Reference; Writing From Pictures; Summarizing Multiple References; Writing From Pictures; Summarizing Multiple References; and Inventive Writing. After Year 1 Level A, each level will review these seven writing styles and add Essay Writing and Formal Critique. Topics are introduced, reviewed, and expanded on with each course. An Introduction to Poetry is covered in three courses – Years 1 and 3 of Level B, and Year 1, Level C.

The Teacher Manual provides a course scope and sequence, weekly lesson plans, and suggestions for adapting the 24-week schedule for various class schedules (one day a week, two or three days, etc.). Reduced copies of student material are accompanied by teacher notes and suggested answers. Weekly Lesson Plans include teacher preparation, literature suggestions, use of videos, goals/objectives, copies of notes from video content, non-reproducible copies of source texts and model charts, notes on organizing papers into binders, and homework assignments.

Purchase of the Teacher Manual (by itself or with any of the packages) allows its owner to access the pdf downloads for the particular course for use within their own family. Download instructions are included in the TM. Downloads vary with each course but tend to include reproducible checklists for writing assignments, student samples, and an adaptation of the 24-week schedule to 30 weeks.

The Student Book/Packet provides all student papers for the course. These packets are reproducible for use by multiple children within the purchaser’s family. For co-ops or small groups, each family is required to purchase a Student Book. These include weekly overview pages, source texts, model charts (forms that students use to complete assignments), and composition checklists. 

The Binder (one-inch binder plus eight tabbed dividers) provides an easy-to-use organizational system. Instructions for setting up the binder are included in the Student Book.

The Videos provide 24 two-part instructional segments delivered by Andrew Pudewa in a classroom setting. They are available as part of the packages in either DVD form or through Forever Streaming. Forever Streaming videos are available from the IEW website as long as they are needed by the original purchaser, but are nontransferable. 

The SSS Level A courses are for students who are reading at a 3rd to 5th grade level. Video instruction and assignments over the two years comprise a basic introduction to writing skills. Focusing on the structure and style of writing, structure is covered with nine units on note making, outlines, writing/summarizing from notes, inventive writing, and essay writing. With the goal of producing interesting and appealing writing, stylistic elements include dress-ups for sentences, sentence openers and avoiding overused words. Each year covers and reviews basic units as well as expanding into new areas. Instruction is incremental and clear. Andrew Pudewa, the presenter, is humorous and entertaining while presenting with clarity and good organizational skills. Courses are easy-to-use and highly effective. Course components include a Teacher Manual, a Student Packet, Binder, and Videos; sold individually or in packages.