Wonders of Science IEW - The Lit League

This course covers the Wonders of Science writing program by the Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW). This course section is specifically designed for learners with reading/writing struggles due to dyslexia or other reading/writing difficulties who have now had enough reading intervention to read at or above a grade 5 level (in the USA) and are looking for a structured and explicit writing program, with a certified teacher who knows how to support students with literacy challenges.

NOTE: The age ranges for this class are higher than the recommended ages listed by IEW. This is because this class is specifically tailored for students who have struggled with reading and/or writing due to dyslexia or other reading difficulties. IEW recommends that a student work on writing with source texts that are at or below their reading level. Please contact me if you have specific questions about your child's reading ability and we can find a best-fit class for them.

Learners with prior IEW experience are welcome to join this class; however, no prior experience with IEW's methods are required.

It is strongly recommended that learners work through IEW's grammar program in addition to this class. You can either do this individually at home, or you can choose to enroll in my Fix It! Grammar: Nose Tree (Level 1) class as well if it is your first year following IEW's grammar program. The link for this class can be found on the list of my classes.

In this section, we will cover IEW's rigorous writing program material. We will meet 2 times per week to ensure each learner has enough time and repetition with the concepts to develop confidence and competence. 

Although the format and pacing is set with the above listed challenges in mind, anyone who is interested meeting 2 times per week to follow IEW's Wonders of Science program can join.

This course will consist of live group video sessions, 2 times per week for 30 weeks (60 sessions). Learners will submit completed assignments through the Outschool platform and will receive feedback on each assignment.

Will there be homework? Yes. Writing is a skill that you can only learn through doing. Just like other skills (i.e. reading, swimming, dancing, etc.), you can't get better if you only watch a video or read a book about it - you need to actually do it yourself to improve. That's what we will do in this class!

During our class time together, I will teach a new topic or stylistic technique, and we as a class will work through using it together. I will model ways to do this, gradually giving learners the responsibility to complete their assignments independently as they feel confident and competent.

IEW's philosophy of EZ+1 (easy plus 1) will be honored in this course section. What does "easy" mean? IEW defines "easy" as: something that a learner can do without much help, and it doesn't sound too goofy, most of the time. Before introducing a new stylistic technique, I will ensure that learners find the ones we've already introduced to be "easy."

The course syllabus is listed for each lesson, but I will be responsive to the learner's needs and will make adjustments when necessary. For example, if we need to spend a bit more time on one story or concept, we will. On the other hand, if learners are ready to move forward and try another story or concept earlier than expected, we will do that too. Additionally, if one learner is ready to add more complexity to their checklist but the rest of the class isn't ready yet, I can accommodate for that as well with individualized stylistic technique checklists. Individualized checklists can be shared privately for each learner on the Outschool platform.

Our goal will be to have 2-5 completed written pieces from each of the Units 2-9 of this course. (Unit 1 is an oral response only.)

We will spend a few weeks on each of Units; however, we won't get stuck on a particular unit for too long. Learners do not need to demonstrate mastery of each unit prior to moving on to the next unit. Learners will revisit these same units each time they follow an IEW writing course, so I don't expect mastery on a unit the first time through. I will expect a new stylistic technique to be "easy" before adding a new one though.