Frequently Asked Questions

Institute for Excellence in Writing Questions:

Institute for Excellence in Writing Answers

What is TWSS (Teaching Writing: Structure and Style?)

Teaching Writing: Structure and Style (TWSS) is IEW’s flagship course for the teacher, which teaches nine structural models (units), and stylistic techniques (dress-ups, openers, decorations, and triples). It contains both fiction/creative and non-fiction models allowing a teacher to easily integrate the practice of composition into the study of history, science, and literature.

Ideal for parents, teachers, and tutors working with students in grades two through ten, TWSS, presents in detail the concepts, teaching strategies, and practice exercises needed for a thorough understanding of how to implement this program in the classroom or homeschool.

The seminar on DVD was recorded from a live seminar presented by Andrew Pudewa in May 2000, and is accompanied by a Seminar Syllabus containing notes from the course, student examples, and sample lesson plans. Demonstration classes with children of different ages (student workshops) are included in the seminar package to further enhance the teacher training program.

TWSS contains 9 DVDs and a Teacher’s Syllabus.

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Does the TWSS teacher training material use a particular method; or a presentation of a developed curriculum; or both?

The word "curriculum" usually implies a set of materials for student use, i.e. workbooks at different grade levels with a teacher guide/answer key, etc. A "syllabus" indicates a course of study or outline of things to be learned. Our seminar is designed to help you become a better teacher and coach of writing. In it we elaborate upon our TWSS syllabus, which contains specific goals and teaching procedures, example checklists, recommended materials, and student samples.

Providing nine structural models (composition formats of 1-5 paragraphs--both fiction and non fiction) and four groups of six stylistic techniques (specific grammatical usages to be taught and required), this approach can be used with children of all ages and levels. When applied to different grades, what varies is the sophistication of content and speed of progression. All students learn the skills. Older students can rapidly acquire greater composition organization and sentence fluency; at a younger age, skills developed will be more thoroughly internalized. Using the syllabus with children of varying ages and aptitudes, parents and teachers have found the model and style checklist approach highly effective.

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Is this a curriculum? Are there workbooks and materials for each grade level? After attending or watching the TWSS seminar on DVDs, is there a lot more that must be purchased?

No, this is not a "curriculum" in that sense. What we offer is a "syllabus" or collection of models and techniques which can be applied at many different grade levels and in a wide variety of situations. Our primary purpose is to offer an effective teacher development program, and to the extent that we can support and expand teacher (and home teacher) understanding of our program, we teach classes for children as well.

In our materials, we provide sample lesson plans, various suggested source texts and lots of examples, but as far as a grade-by-grade, lesson-by-lesson textbook--we don't believe that writing can be taught well in that way. Writing must be taught as an art; we have tried to make the seminar entirely sufficient to the task of preparing the teacher or parent to be successful in meeting that challenge.

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Is the TWSS Seminar on DVD the same as the live TWSS Seminar?

Yes. The classes on DVD are very similar if not exactly the same in many places as the live courses.

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Will this seminar help my own and my spouse’s writing?

Although we clearly promote this as a teacher development program, we have had extensive feedback confirming that the syllabus is helpful at every level.

Even graduate level university students have found the ideas presented in our syllabus to be useful in papers and dissertations!

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Does TWSS include helps/guides for the teacher regarding evaluation of student efforts?

Absolutely. Because we use a checklist-based approach, it is very easy for the parent or teacher to give specific assignment goals and to evaluate or grade the student based on those goals. Like learning a musical instrument, writing is learned by practice. Skills should be learned in a step-by-step approach, with a layering of techniques and an ability-appropriate level of challenge for each assignment. Our checklists allow for this.

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Is the TWSS course restricted to only one family? For example, may I order TWSS with the intent of using it for my own children as well as those of a friend?

The DVDs may be shared with one other family, however, we request that each educator viewing the tapes purchase their own TWSS Syllabus ($22.00). The syllabus is vital to a productive viewing of the seminar as well as later implementation of the ideas with your students.

Portions of the TWSS Syllabus may be photocopied for use in teaching, so one per family should be sufficient.

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What is SWI (Student Writing Intensive)?

The Student Writing Intensive (SWI) is a set of 4 DVDs for the student to watch. They are meant to be a supplement to the teacher course, Teaching Writing: Structure and Style (TWSS) and provide lessons in the basics of structure and style directly to students. When taught live, the classes are completed in one week, but on DVD they can be more effectively implemented over a long period of time.

The course is available at three different levels: Grades 4-5, Grades 6-7, and Grades 8-10 and up. Each level presumes no previous experience and begins with the same basic ideas. Group level should be chosen by age and maturity rather than actual writing experience.

Ideally, these lessons should be used in tandem with the TWSS Syllabus. The parent or teacher would present and complete one class, and then do a few additional assignments - of his design - before proceeding to the next DVD. In this way, the structure and style concepts are reviewed and strengthened, thus creating more solid, permanent skills

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What is SICC (Student Intensive Continuation Course)?

The Student Intensive Continuation Course (SICC) is IEW’s newest video offering which picks up where the Student Writing Intensive leaves off. At three levels: Grades 4-5, Grades 6-7, and Grades 8-10+, the SICC continues with advanced stylistic techniques and the remaining structural models not presented in the shorter SWI. All students viewing the SICC course should have previous experience and a fair working knowledge of the concepts presented in the Student Writing Intensive.

SICC-A Prerequisite: SWI Group A or B (or equivalent experience)

SICC-B Prerequisite: SWI Group B or SICC-A (or equivalent experience)

SICC-C Prerequisite: SWI Group C or SICC-B (or equivalent experience)

Each course consists of ten sessions, recorded live in 2002 and was originally taught once per week. Appropriately challenging homework assignments are given for each class. Generally, each session is 90-110 minutes long and includes direct instruction, in-class exercises, modeling and discussion.

The class materials (which are provided on CD-ROM and can be printed from your computer for an unlimited number of students) include all source texts, new charts, assignment checklists, gradesheets, and abundant student samples for each assignment.

Each level includes 9 DVD discs and one CD-ROM with printable class materials. Its use with small groups of students is encouraged and the course materials may be printed and distributed freely to all participants.

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What is the difference between the one day student workshops included in TWSS and the Student Writing Intensives?

The one day student workshop is similar to Day 1 of the SWI, but uses different articles and stories.

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What should I purchase?

If you have not attended Andrew Pudewa’s live seminar “Teaching Writing: Structure & Style” or seen it on videotape or DVD, that's the place to start. Everything else we sell is supplementary and peripheral to that. The four day Student Writing Intensives (SWI) are helpful, but the core of what we offer is teacher training. If you learn the Structure & Style system, you can apply it with students of all ages and aptitudes without really needing anything else. The tools for teaching may be helpful timesavers, but are not truly essential. In terms of how much to buy, the easiest answer is that our video courses are a bit like ice cream; the more you have, the happier you'll be, but you don't have to have it all to have ice cream. Start with one serving and be sure to make it for yourself, the teacher.

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What should I buy for my child/students?

This sensible question arises when people are first introduced to the Excellence in Writing materials. It seems like there are a lot of choices to make. But actually, the choices and the answer to the question are both very simple:

"Don't buy anything for your sixth grader."

What we do is very different from many curriculum producers or publishers. So different, in fact, that it takes a while to adjust to the simple idea that we don't sell "curriculum." We teach a syllabus of structural models and stylistic techniques to you, the teacher. These models and techniques are applicable for children grades two through ten, and once you understand the syllabus, you can apply as you like, adjusting the speed and sophistication of presentation to the age and aptitude of your students. We have one basic service and product-- a course for you, the teacher-- either live or on DVD. It's called:

Teaching Writing: Structure & Style

You buy it for yourself. Everything else we sell ( including the Student Writing Intensives) is supplemental and perhaps fun for your children, but primarily intended to enhance your understanding of the syllabus and help you be the very best teacher of writing that you can be. Learn it yourself; then teach!

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I have children at several different grade levels. Which level should I buy?

We generally recommend that you "shoot for the middle." All our student classes presume no previous experience with our program, so you won't miss anything by starting with the Group B or C level. The classes are not, however, juvenile in a way that they would bore or offend older students. We often have very mixed classes.

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What is the TWSS/SWI Combination set?

Some prefer to have their students watch Andrew present the lessons on the Student Writing Intensives. This package includes the teacher training material, Teaching Writing: Structure and Style as well as one level (your choice) of the Student Writing Intensive. Save $29.00 when you purchase the Combination Set

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We are beginning Unit II (Summarizing from Outlines) and I am beginning to introduce "dress-ups". Do I need to work through all 6 dress-ups and 6 sentence openers before moving on to Unit III?

Emphatically, NO! DO NOT wait to teach all 6 dress-ups before moving on to Unit III. This is probably the most common error parents and teachers make, and it's understandable, since when Andrew presents it in the seminar, he does present all the dress-ups right with Unit II, and before Unit III. As he explains on the DVDs, he does it "wrongly" in the seminar. Remember, you have to do what he says, not what he does.

To review: The speed of introducing new “dress-ups” is determined by mastery. You should introduce a new technique when what you've already taught has become easy. (Easy means that "the child can do it without much help, and it doesn't sound too goofy most of the time.") For a second grader, it may take a year or more to introduce all the dress-ups, whereas for a sharp high school student, it could be presented all in one week. Progress through the units is determined not by mastery, but by your schedule and calendar. Since we recommend (for children grade 4 and up) that you spend no more that one month on Unit II (notes from every sentence), by week 5 or 6 of the school year (or whenever you start using the program), you should definitely be moving into Unit III, regardless of how many dress-ups have been taught. The number one most common problem for teachers and parents using the IEW syllabus is getting stuck at Unit II. A child can be energized by taking key words from every sentence for only so long; if you don't move on to different methods of taking key words (Unit III - story sequence chart, Unit IV - choosing interesting or important facts, etc.), you and your students will bog down and get tired of it, ultimately quitting and missing the greatest benefits of the syllabus which are in the later units.

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If I teach using Excellence in Writing materials, do I also need to use another grammar program? If so, what do you recommend?

We do not recommend any particular grammar program. It seems that most children who actually know much grammar didn't learn it from a workbook, but in one of three ways (or a combination thereof). #1 way: Foreign Language (preferably Latin). #2: A lot of writing, with questions answered as needed. #3: An outstanding teacher who could make grammar meaningful and interesting. It is not our place to say how much grammar you may or may not need, but to provide you, the teacher, with resources to help you understand English better, so you can teach at the point of need. Therefore, additional grammar reference books are meant to be just that.

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To what degree does TWSS overlap with other "English" programs? For example, does it get into writing mechanics/conventions, usage problems, literary forms (poetry, newspaper writing, letters), or other typical elements of a language arts program?

We do not formally address the "workbook" type of punctuation and grammar exercises which are common in a "language arts" curriculum. Such materials are readily available and do not usually include much content directly related to composition. We do teach and require a variety of grammatical patterns, but being able to identify all the different constructions is not a prerequisite for beginning to learn how to use them. In fact, many teachers have enjoyed the way this approach puts grammar information "in context" and allows them to teach "at the point of need," rather than mechanically working through a grammar exercise book without much application to literature or composition.

Poetry, although valuable, is not included or presented in our syllabus; neither are the types of "stream of consciousness" variety of creative word plays. Our Unit VII, entitled "Creative Writing" essentially means being able to write from one's own base of knowledge, thought or experience--but with a specific structure to the composition. Of our eight structural units, there are both fiction and non-fiction models which can be applied in different contexts, however there are in existence a multitude of approaches to teaching various forms of writing. We believe that if a student masters the eight models of our syllabus, he will be prepared to adapt to any format that may be required of him in the future.

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If I buy the Bible-Based Writing Lessons or History-Based Writing Lessons, do I still have to do the TWSS seminar (either live or on DVDs)?

Yes! You do! These materials are meant to be supplemental - an aid to the teacher. There will never be a workbook which can teach writing to a child. Learn our system; then these books will be helpful.

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What else, besides the video seminar, is needed to implement TWSS?

Because we offer a "syllabus" rather than a "curriculum," we do not sell piles of student materials. We believe that writing should not be a subject unto itself, but a part of the study of history, science, literature, etc. Therefore we recommend that "source texts" for the writing program be short paragraphs and blocks of information from the student's other study materials. Stories for Unit III can be drawn from Fables, Myths, Bible stories, Fairy tales, readers or literature books. Pictures for Unit V can be taken from picture books, newspaper comics or cartoons, etc.

However, we do sell a few items which although not essential, may be a timesaver for the teacher, The "Articles for Notetaking and Summaries" are very simple short paragraphs on a variety of topics appropriate for 2nd-4th grade reading level. The "Mini-Book Series" are useful when teaching Unit IV & VI (Research reports) because they provide multiple references with similar topical information. Although the teacher should not limit research report sources to the Mini-Books, they can be useful, especially when appropriate library books are difficult to find. "Pictures for Writing" are sets of three clear and easy-to-see sequential pictures with suggested story outlines.

Fundamentally, however, the TWSS syllabus is designed to provide all the basic information you will need. It is probably best to consider purchasing our supplementary materials after having completed the TWSS course, once you get a feeling for what you will want to teach.

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How does TWSS fit in with the Classical Model?

One of the fundamental ideas of the Classical model is the emphasis on skills development as a prerequisite for creativity and expression. Many writing programs are set up to first help a child figure out what to write in order to be able to practice writing. With our TWSS syllabus, we separate the problems of "what to write" and "how to write." Young children do not have a wealth of experience and knowledge to draw upon when writing. In fact, it's a little absurd to ask them to write about their thoughts or feelings until they have practiced and are comfortable with the basic activity of putting sentences on paper. Therefore, in providing them with the "content" (what to write), in demonstrating a specific model to follow, and in giving them a concrete checklist of a variety of grammatical constructs and techniques to use in each paragraph, they are able to develop a high level of skill and confidence with writing. Because the classical model also encourages ability development by repetition, our approach of using everything learned so far in every paragraph written provides that repetition and allows even the most remedial student to produce a decent composition again and again with increasing independence.

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Is TWSS distinctly "Christian" as well as classical?

There is no religious content in any of our DVD courses. Some sample student compositions do mention God, however that is normally within the bounds of free expression and personal opinion allowed students in their own writing. As far as the printed materials we sell, the only book with distinctly religious content would be, of coursed, Bible-based Writing Lessons.

A friend of ours did make a particularly thought-provoking statement, however. She suggested: "Learning anything through a method which is by its nature truthful helps to develop in the children who use such a method their basic sensitivity to truth."

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Spell to Write and Read Questions:

How does Spell to Write and Read (SWR) compare with other reading programs?

In Wanda Sanseri's Oregon Senate Hearing Presentation, she includes information on how most reading programs fail our nation's students as well as discusses the way SWR provides students with tools for success in both reading and spelling. A transcript of this speech may be found on the Articles page. It is also included in Appendix A of Spell to Write and Read.

  • SWR teaches penmanship, phonics, spelling, reading, beginning grammar, beginning composition, and vocabulary development focusing on establishing the basic tools needed for understanding the English language. Students who know the core components of English spelling can use this information to build and recognize many words at all levels. They are not restricted to learning every word, one at a time.
  • SWR teaches spelling before reading. A beginning non-reader learns to say and write the symbols representing the sounds of speech. With teacher-guided dictation, he then learns to sound out and write spelling words and read them back. Hence, reading becomes a natural outgrowth of spelling. Students are not expected to read books until they are able to smoothly read the most frequently used spelling words they have written for themselves.
  • SWR presents our English language in a way that has few exceptions. Most programs have long lists of exceptions or rule-breaker words. With only 70 phonograms and a few spelling rules, we can phonetically explain 93-97% of the most frequently used words in our language.
  • SWR teaches from the known to the unknown, presenting the foundation in such a way that students are not overloaded or confused with too much or too little information. Students are taught to think logically instead of guessing.
  • SWR covers many levels of language instruction. The core list of 2,000 high-frequency spelling words is organized by difficulty ranging from K-12 grade levels. Diagnostic tools are also provided so that a student may be placed by ability rather than grade level.
  • SWR students on different levels may often work together without sacrificing the students at either end of the spectrum. The principles taught with first grade words also apply to high school level vocabulary. Much more than rote memory is taught.

  • SWR avoids common practices that establish misleading expectations.

    No Look-Alike Word Matching. Believing that a word that looks like another will sound the same, is usually faulty. "May" might sound like "day", but "heard" and "beard" do not sound alike. We need to identify the phonograms in a word, not just the letters. HEARD has three phonograms /h-ear-d/ and BEARD has four /b-ea-r-d/. A true word family is a base word with its derivative (joy, enjoy, rejoice) and not look-alike words with nothing in common (joy, toy, boy, soy).

    No Phonics Ladders. Students should not be given a list like ba, be, bo and be expected to read it with the first two sounds as in bat, bet, bop. We do not know the sound the vowel will make until we see the whole syllable. Vowels at the end of syllables more commonly say their names as in ba-con, be-come, bo-nus. Multi-letter phonogram units can change the sound. Consider OA in boat, OU in bout, OW in bow, or OY in boy. Rules can also influence the sound. Think of bold, (O can say O before two consonants) and bole (O says O because of the E).

    No Unreliable Rules. We do not teach cute sayings like, "When two vowels go walking, the first one does the talking." While EA may say /E/ as in eat, it can also say /e/ as in bread,or /A/ as in steak. It can even sound like /er/ in heard.”

SWR may be effectively used by homeschoolers, tutors, classroom teachers, or teachers of ESL. The Teacher's Manuals are written in a way that any teacher, beginner or more experienced, can understand and implement. Most other programs are geared specifically to the classroom setting and require teachers who operate in different environments to modify them to fit their needs.

SWR is extremely economical. The Core Kit of teacher's materials (Spell to Write and Read, The W.I.S.E Guide for Spelling, Phonogram Cards, Phonogram CD, and Spelling Rule Cards) does not need to be replaced regardless of how many students or how many years you teach. It is not necessary to buy costly consumable workbooks or Teacher's Manuals every year. The only product needing replacement is a simple spelling notebook for each student. You supply reading material of your choice since basal readers are not needed or recommended.

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Can SWR be used with older students or to teach English as a second language?

(From Wanda Sanseri) SWR can make a tremendous difference for teens, adults, or foreigners studying English. Diagnostic tools are provided to place a person in the program at their level of challenge, not weighting them down with material too easy or discouraging for them.

It is easier to mold the mind to this type of thinking with a young student and that is why we like to use it from the beginning. The older we are the more likely we will first think the way we were taught as children and use these techniques to self correct. That means we have an added step in the way of our "processor." The beginner who learns this way will instinctively think this way. My sons are so much faster than I am because the language is internalized in a reliable way that they can retrieve instantly. While it is best to use from the beginning, it is valuable for all ages to do this program. We believe the sooner you teach this the better, but don't hesitate even if it's later. A 12-year-old is three times more likely to be able to master this to an instant level than some one in their thirties or forties, but even senior citizens can make dramatic improvement.

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Why would I use SWR if my child already knows how to read?

Since SWR is a complete spelling course for grades K-college level, it is not only excellent for beginning readers, but also for remedial students behind in reading and/or spelling. All areas of language arts are covered, simplifying your teaching. When working with students in K-3rd grade, there is no need for separate curricula for penmanship, grammar, composition, vocabulary and spelling. SWR includes it all!

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What materials do I need to teach SWR?

To teach SWR, we recommend that you have each of the items in the Core Kit of Teacher's Materials. These include: Spell to Write and Read, The WISE Guide, The 70 Basic Phonogram Cards, The Spelling Rule Cards, and a Phonogram CD. Check our Online Store for a description of these items as well as supplementary materials helpful in teaching the program.

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Do I need to take a seminar to teach SWR?

Although it is not necessary to attend a seminar in order to teach the SWR program, it is extremely helpful. You get to be the student while you observe a certified SWR trainer teaching the material. You work together building the Learning Log and gain an understanding of the "big picture" of the program. Attending a seminar will help you feel very confident as you begin instructing your children.

Please be assured, however, that many have taught SWR successfully with the Core Kit materials alone. Both the Spell to Write and Read Book and The Wise Guide for Spelling give you step-by- step instructions, allowing anyone who reads the books carefully and follows the instructions to catch on quickly.

There is some initial preparation and study that needs to be done by the teacher before starting the program, which seems to overwhelm some. Once you begin teaching, you will be amazed how things fall into place! Having to unlearn the misconceptions we were taught about our language sometimes contributes to the "overwhelmed" feeling. Your students, whose minds are not cluttered with the same faulty concepts, will learn very quickly.

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How old does a child have to be before starting SWR?

Wanda Sanseri suggests that the seeds for SWR's phonogram-based philosophy be planted early. She strongly recommends, however, delaying the program's pencil and paper portion until a student is developmentally ready. This readiness, usually around 5 or 6 years old, depends on the student's development and when he/she has all of the skills necessary to succeed with this approach. Wanda shares her experiences:

"I am deeply grateful that I started learning the program when my firstborn was an infant. Mrs. Spalding recommended for infants to listen to the sounds of the phonograms from her record. I believe in exposing young ones in little doses with low pressure. Problem arise when a parent tries to teach a younger child in a way that is not age appropriate or when the parent expects a level of understanding beyond the child's years. Also, I have seen parents who erroneously started their instruction with the wrong kind of beginning foundation because they were drawing from other preschool programs. In my experience, a preschooler does best if directed by this way of thinking exclusively from the beginning but in a non-pressure way."

Although some children are able to learn with this program at 4.5 or 5 years of age, it may not be the wisest thing for either the teacher or the student to start this young. Some children will do much better given time to mature, while some will be ready to take off and you will not want to waste time getting started.
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Why does SWR take the teacher time to learn before beginning?
(From Wanda Sanseri)

There are two basic reasons that our approach requires some start-up work for the teacher.

  1. We introduce the tools of the language quickly and then continue to work with them over the years in application to a core set of words graded by word difficulty. Most programs teach only a partial list of the tools of the language in a pokey fashion. The material they teach is presented slowly over a long period of time, concentrating on one small aspect at a time. Our students get both the big picture and the small picture.
  2. Most adults today never learned the concepts that we teach. Did anyone ever teach you the five reasons for English words to have a silent final E? Can you see multi-letter phonograms and instantly say all the sounds those combination of letters commonly make given in the order of frequency?

Most programs leave students in the dark as they learn fragmented information and try to piece it together. We expose students in a non-threatening way to the essentials within the first six weeks. From there on out they learn to apply these concepts to specific words until the process becomes second nature.

Most other programs are easier for the teacher at first. She has one lesson with a focus on one idea. She does not have to do much studying or thinking. For example, Program A teaches that CH makes three sounds just as we do, but the when and how for teaching this is very different. In Program A the students have an entire spelling lesson with CH making the sound in church. No mention is made of the other two sounds CH can make. Months later the students will have a spelling lesson with words that use the CH making the sound in Christmas. In a later year the students will have a lesson with CH making the sound in chef. The typical teacher and student who completes the Program A will be unable to instantly tell you these three sounds in frequency order.

In contrast, our program teaches in isolation the CH phonogram. The student learns to see a card with just "ch" and say the sounds /ch-k-sh/. The student learns to hear the teacher say "write the phonogram that says /ch-k-sh/. In other words the student can see and "read" the phonogram or hear and write or "spell" the phonogram. I once had a college professor of linguistics attend my seminar, and he was amazed to learn that the CH made three sounds. He could quickly see it was true, but he had never had the information summarized into one neat package for easy retrieval. Even small children quickly learn these phonograms. When I say the sound with little children I move my arm to imitate the movement of the connecting rods to the wheels of a train: arm up in the air, straight down, forward and back while I say the sounds that remind us of the sounds of a train: /ch-k-sh/.

We have 98 keys that are the foundation to spelling English words from beginning simple words to college level vocabulary. The challenge in the beginning for the teachers new to this program is learning these keys. They are not complicated. I often hear four- and five-year-olds repeating them with ease, even before they have full understanding. The children can learn this rapidly, especially if they have not been confused with other bogus rules or faulty phonics first. The challenge is for us adults. We do not pick up new things as quickly as a child. We gravitate to the comfort zone of what we know already. As for matters of phonics, most of us know very little. Workbooks beckon to us as the easy out.

What are these 98 keys? We have 70 phonograms (letters or combinations of letters that represent the sounds of speech) and 28 spelling rules. This sounds like a lot when you can just pick up a workbook and not have to learn much of anything at all. However, once a teacher experiences teaching our way, she never wants to go back to the workbook or faulty phonics approach. Our students are not left in a perpetual fog of uncertainty. We can answer so many of their "why" questions with more than "just because." The students have a greater level of confidence. The teacher has a higher level of satisfaction with less long-term frustration. Even students who do well with Program A, benefit from learning our approach. Students who struggle with Program A, commonly come to us and thrive.

I hope this diffuses the mystery of the "difficult" start up. We have some core information that you will need to learn up front to teach this program. You as the teacher are vital. We teach you how to teach, but we cannot do it for you. Some teachers feel insecure at first because few of us learned this material when we were young. We wish we had. Life would have been much easier. Users commonly say that they felt challenged at first only to find this way easier and more successful than any other approach they had ever seen.

SWR will equip you to become an exceptional teacher of the most important educational subject you can teach. Language instruction is the foundation on which all other academic disciplines rest. Even a student's spiritual growth is hindered if he cannot read the Bible with ease. Are you willing to stretch yourself a little in order to help your children have greater success in writing and reading the English language? The time investment will pay off in the long run.

See Wanda's Senate Hearing Speech to determine whether your phonics program teaches pokey, phoney or fickle phonics.

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How do I get started with SWR?

The most important step in preparing to teach SWR is to sit down and read! You will want to read the first 12 steps in Spell to Write and Read (pp 1-89). You will then start in The WISE Guide, following the directions in the "Preliminaries" which are before each spelling list. When a new concept is introduced, a Reference Page is to be taught, or a Diagnostic Test is to be given, you will be instructed to go back to SWR for instructions. After completing the assigned task, you will return to the "Preliminaries" in the Wise Guide and pick up where you left off.

Liz Fitzgerald's very informative "Getting Started 101" will guide you through the steps of
organizing your materials and getting started in the program.

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How does Spell to Write and Read work together with The WISE Guide?
Spell to Write and Read provides the big picture for this four-to-six-year language arts program. Think of it as your book of instructions. All teachers, regardless of the student's grade level, follow Steps 1-11 in Spell to Write and Read. Once you begin the spelling lists in The WISE Guide, you will follow the directions in the “Preliminaries” before each spelling list. When a new concept is introduced, a Reference Page is to be completed, or a Diagnostic Test given, you will be instructed to return to Spell to Write and Read for instructions.