Frequently Asked Questions
FAQ
Are you accredited?
Some of our students are part of a program that reimburses them for classes taken through our site. Some programs require the teacher to be certified through IEW. All of our teachers complete IEW's training, and some become accredited. To see if someone is accredited, search by their last name on IEW's website.
Do you have your bachelor's degree?
Some of our students are part of a program that reimburses them for classes taken through our site. However, some programs require the teacher to have a bachelor's degree or higher. We do have teachers who meet this requirement, and we can provide documentation upon request.
Can I talk to someone in person?
We'd love to talk to you! We can help you decide which class to choose, explain how parents can help out at home, suggest ideas for children with special needs, and answer most other questions you may have.
Please arrange an appointment with us by clicking this link!
Do you have a referral program?
We sure do! If you love our services so much that you want to shout it from the rooftops, you can earn credits toward your own future classes by sharing with others. Every new registrant has the opportunity to tell us how they heard about us. After we receive their deposit, we'll send you a discount code.
What's the easiest way to help my student write well?
There are lots of easy ways to help your student! One of the best ways is to get your children listening to poetry. They'll pick up on advanced speech patterns merely by hearing them frequently. Memorizing poetry is even better for them and will furnish them with patterns at will.
You said there were lots of ways?
Audiobooks!! Mr. Pudewa (of IEW fame) had a very advanced writer who didn't start writing until he was 14 because of his severe dyslexia. When he did start to write, his writing was more sophisticated than any of Mr. Pudewa's other advanced children. How did he do it? The child lived and breathed audiobooks!
Any more ideas?
Yes! Have your child spend 10-15 minutes per day improving their grammar and punctuation. How? We love Fix-It Grammar. It is designed to be used in just such a way and doesn't complicate matters by including diagramming or anything that will cause you or your child any stress. We suggest it to everyone!
What's the best solution for my dyslexic learner?
We have found that IEW's writing classes work very well with dyslexic learners because it is methodical and makes use of a checklist. Each child will know exactly what is required to earn a 100% on each paper. The logic and organization will help your child thrive without causing undue stress.
Don't you think your writing classes are too easy?
IEW's motto is EZ+1. We teach one easy concept to mastery and keep layering on one concept at a time so that writing ALWAYS seems easy, even though it continues to get more complex as the weeks go by. Also, if the kids' papers sound simplistic and shallow now, just wait a few weeks.
Don't you think my child's paper is too childish?
Eventually, students will learn all kinds of ways to dress their papers up and open their sentences in different ways so as not to sound monotonous or childish. They'll also learn to think more deeply about a text and write about it in a more sophisticated way. It just takes time.
How are papers graded?
Grades are based on whether students followed instructions given in class, and if they didn't, we work on those papers over again until they can do as asked. That way, everyone learns how to follow instructions, and everyone receives a good grade as long as they keep working towards following those instructions.
What about mechanics?
We never grade children on spelling, grammar, or punctuation unless they have learned those things in OUR classes because every student is in a different place, and we have no idea how thorough their education has been in those areas. That's why we sometimes reach out to individual parents about Fix It Grammar.
Help! How do I organize this binder?
Binder organization instructions can be found in the first few pages of your student packet (generally on page 5). In addition, your teacher can tell you where to put specific pages. If you are super stressed over it, then don't worry about it this year. Teachers will also be referring to page numbers during classes.
Who is the person that's grading my child's paper?
​In order to have time to reach the most students, we have hired a few IEW-trained paper-graders to grade weekly assignments. Miss Amy knows all of these people personally. In fact, most of them are family members who have decided to take the training and help with the family business.
What's the best way to reach my teacher?
It varies from teacher to teacher. Some will ask you to reach out via text or email. However, most teachers want you to contact them via Google Classroom. There, you can comment directly on the assignment in question (publicly) or even on your paper in progress (privately).
I forgot days, times, start/end dates, or days off!!
Check your class listing. You can find all classes on the Classes page. Also, if you are already signed in to your Google Classroom, your teacher should have posted that information (or at least a link to it). If you need your Classroom code, check the email you received after purchase.
Do you have any cheaper classes?
You are welcome to audit any IEW class or any multisensory creative writng class for half-off as long as you are okay with grading the homework yourself. For that price, you will not submit homework to be read, graded, or commented upon by the teacher. If you'd like feedback on one or two papers, you may purchase an add-on.
Do you ever teach in-person classes?
From time to time, we teach local in-person classes. These classes are almost always brainstorming or creative writing workshops of some sort. Once in a while, we travel out-of-state to an area with a large student base (such as Jacksonville, FL) or to facilitate at a writer's conference (FFWW in Sparta, WI).
Would you be willing to teach a workshop for our group?
Most likely. Certain times of year are easier for us (April-August). We don't do cold weather, so December-February are right out. We charge a certain rate per hour, including travel time and expenses. If you can find enough interested students to cover that cost, we'd be happy to come!
Would you be willing to teach a private group class for our co-op?
We teach recurring classes virtually. If you're okay with that, we might be able to arrange a special time slot for your group. It depends on teacher availability and whether the class will earn enough to pay for admin costs, the teacher's hourly wage, and paper-grading (if any).