Structure and Style
Grades 2 – 8
The Institute for Excellence in Writing’s Structure and Style method addresses the diverse needs of emerging writers. The program lays a solid foundation for students to build upon so they are ready to meet the demands of writing in the later years of their education. Students typically benefit from 2-4 years of IEW lessons before progressing to the next level of our programm.
What will your child learn?
Structure
Throughout each school year, RWC students learn IEW's nine structural models to help them organize any type of composition. We spend approximately one month in each unit.
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This is the cornerstone of all IEW writing units, as students learn the basics of how to form a KWO and the rules to follow. Once students complete their key word outlines, they put them to the test by preparing an oral report, which involves retelling the ideas they have outlined in full sentences.
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Students learn how to produce a paragraph from their key word outline by turning their notes into complete sentences.
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Students summarize a narrative story in three paragraphs. In the process they learn how to ask questions and articulate their thoughts, and they discover that every paragraph has a defined purpose.
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Students move into fact-based writing as they prepare reports by summarizing a reference. Students learn to write a cohesive paragraph with a topic and clincher sentence.
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Students write three paragraphs from a series of three pictures. This unit is all about event description, so students learn to generate ideas by asking themselves specific questions.
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In this unit, which is an extension of Unit 4, students gather facts from multiple references. They learn efficient methods for compiling research as they prepare fused outlines, which contain a compilation of notes about a single topic taken from several sources.
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This unit trains students to respond to an open-ended prompt. Writing from a blank page requires that students take stock of the information in their brains to come up with ideas, so idea generation is a central goal of this unit.
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Students write various types of essays—expository, descriptive, argumentative, persuasive, narrative, and personal. They learn the basic structure of an essay as well as the required elements of introductory and concluding paragraphs.
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Students produce critiques, or essays about a literary work. However, the structure for this type of essay differs from the 5-paragraph models taught in Units 7 and 8. Because students are writing about a piece of literature, Unit 9 does not contain topic-based paragraphs. Instead, the body of the essay follows the Story Sequence Chart, introduced in Unit 3. The Unit 9: Formal Critique model can be used to analyze stories, novels, plays, movies, and narrative poems.
Style
As students go through each structural model, they learn IEW's stylistic techniques, which are taught incrementally to gently move students from the basics into more sophisticated writing.
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Dress-ups are a set of devices employed at the sentence level to paint a strong picture for the audience.
Examples
The youngest child enthusiastically sang for his supper.
David, who wanted to win the race, ran with all his might.
The girl was ecstatic because she knew she would triumph in the contest.
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Sentence openers are words or groups of words that can be used to begin a sentence. The openers train students to vary their sentence patterns, which gives their writing rhythm and creates interest.
Examples
Since last summer, Sophie had grown three inches.
Briskly the mother walked down the shopping aisle.
Hurrying from the store, Joe ran to the car to avoid the rain.
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Decorations are a set of literary techniques that can be sprinkled throughout writing to add emphasis and evoke emotions.
Examples
Where lurked the real wolf? (suspense)
As the wise man said, “Lessons not learned will be repeated.” (quotation)
Killer sharks saw swimmers. Viciously they circled. They attacked. (Three short staccato sentences, 4.3.2 formation)
Learning Through Feedback
Our drafting and revision process reinforces that writing is iterative.
Students learn formatting requirements, like MLA Style Guide, and how to mark their stylistic techniques to receive credit.
Each week, instructors return rough draft with editing marks/suggestions, and students revise accordingly.
Students submit their final draft, which their instructor scores according to a rubric.
IEW Structure & Style Program Levels
At RWC, we use IEW’s theme-based books, which provide interdisciplinary writing lessons for students in Grade 2 and above. While these books are not a full curriculum replacement, they are a valuable tool for strengthening writing skills while expanding subject knowledge. We find that students thrive when they are engaged with the topics they explore, so we encourage you to choose a program level that aligns with your child’s interests!
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What do Roman hoplites, Thor, and the Mayflower have in common? Find out with this action-packed curriculum for budding authors and adventurers alike!
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Get to know the cunning creatures, mythical beasts, and fabled heroes behind classic tales of children’s literature.
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Write about exciting topics such as the Bayeux Tapestry, tsunamis, Jerusalem and the Crusades!
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Enjoy reading and writing about a variety of fascinating subjects from Halley’s Comet, the Mona Lisa, the Wild West, and more.
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Do we owe plumbing to the Romans? Who invented chocolate? What is the curse of the pharaohs? Find out as you uncover the wonders of the ancient world.
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Burrow deep underground or blast off into space to unlock the mysteries and minds behind scientific marvels.
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Calling all globetrotters! Journey around the world and through time with this study of cultural literature, international relations, and history-making world leaders.
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Go beyond mere names, facts, and dates to discover the stories behind the people and events that have shaped American history.
This program has helped my son tremendously! He is no longer a reluctant writer. I would highly recommend this program to anyone who is looking to improve their child’s writing skills."
- Jacqui, RWC parent in Fairfax County, VA
