Essentials in Writing Level 8 Review | Homeschool Writing Course Overview, Flip Through, and Review

Essentials in Writing Level 8 Review | Homeschool Writing Course Overview, Flip Through, and Review
This is the primary language arts program I am using with my 7th and 8th graders this year. If you want to get a look inside this program and at all of its ins-and-outs, this video is for you. I'll give you an overview of the course, a peek at the video lessons, and a look inside the student workbook, teacher handbook, and additional resource and quiz booklet. I'll also share how this course has been going for us and what adaptations we have had to implement in order to make it work for our homeschool.
Additionally, this month I have been sharing a lot of the language art curriculums that we are using in our homeschool, so check out this playlist to see more: studio.kzbin.infoP...
//TIMESTAMPS//
00:00 Introduction
00:50 Program Overview
05:20 Video Lessons
08:15 Student Workbook - Unit 1: Grammar
12:30 Assessments
13:00 Unit 2: Composition
14:15 Teacher Handbook
15:05 34-Week Plan
15:50 Assessment Resource Booklet (Add-On)
16:40 What Do We Think and How Have We Adapted It to Work For Us?
21:50 Conclusion
//RESOURCES MENTIONED//
Essentials In Writing Level 8: essentialsinwriting.com/
//CHECK OUT THESE VIDEOS!//
The Critical Thinking Co.'s Reading Detective Series Flip Through and Review: • Reading Detective Curr...
IEW Fix It! Grammar: Book 1 (The Nose Tree) Review: • Fix It Grammar Review ...
IEW Fables, Myths, and Fairy Tales Writing Lessons: • IEW Fables, Myths and ...
Living Books for Learning About Countries in the Middle East: • Living Books for Study...
7th and 8th Grade Curriculum Update: • 7th and 8th Grade Curr...
5th and 6th Grade Curriculum Update: • 5th and 6th Grade Curr...
//PLAYLISTS YOU WILL ENJOY//
Curriculum Choices for the 2023-2024 School Year: • HOMESCHOOL CURRICULUM ...
Homeschool Updates: 2023-2024 Term 1: • Term 1 Update | 2023-2...
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Not Consumed: store.notconsumed.com?aff=293
Institute for Excellence (IEW): www.iew.com/calminthechaoshom...
Big Life Journal: biglifejournal.com?aff=1493
Times Tales: www.timestales.com/?rfsn=6456...
Apologia: www.apologia.com?a_aid=6223b9646a4cc
Compass Classroom: affiliates.compassclassroom.c...
The Simple Startup: www.choosefifoundation.org/a/...
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Scribd (Get 60 days free!): www.scribd.com/g/bfwgq4
//MY SHOPS//
Etsy - Printable Homeschool Planners, Chore Charts, Advent Calendars, and More!: www.etsy.com/shop/calminthecha...
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//FIND ME//
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Email: [e-mail]
//CREDITS//
Intro and outro music: • Video
//FTC DISCLAIMER//
*This post may contain affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.
*This video is not made for children 13 and under. The target audience for this video is adults interested in learning about homeschooling.

[@lany9871]

Loved the video. We use EIW levels 5 and 7 and so far we like it. But I will say that we did not do the grammar unit lol. We used Fix It Grammar! for grammar and then my kids just started on the writing portion of EIW. We did the grammar unit last year and they didnt enjoy it so this year I decided to skip the grammar portion and replace it with Fix It. Its worked well for us. Just an idea since you said that there are other grammar curriculums that you prefer. And yes finding a writing curriculum is hard so yeah just maybe try just the writing if the grammar is too much.

[@CalmintheChaosHomeschool]

That’s what my friend keeps telling me to do, but I just CANT “waste” 1/2 of the course unless we really cannot stand it! lol! But we are about to start in the writing portion so maybe we will be happier :)

[@blessedhomeschoolmess]

I’m sooooo intrigued

[@homeschoolingthroughhighschool]

Here’s to another thorough video Davene. Good work! 🌻

[@CalmintheChaosHomeschool]

Thank you!

[@seasonsofwonder]

This looks great...good to know for the future for us. Thank you for an excellent review! 🙌☺️

[@CalmintheChaosHomeschool]

Great! So glad it was helpful!

[@Ibyte8256]

Thank you so much for this! My son is also in 8th grade. He is dyslexic and dysgraphic so finding a writing program has been tough. We’re currently using SSS 1A. I was considering switching to EIW, so I’m thankful for your review! I’m curious to see what you decide to use for 9th grade.

[@CalmintheChaosHomeschool]

I’m glad this was helpful. We are still using this, but it is definitely plodding along 😂 I’m still considering what I will use for next year, but I will definitely be sharing in a month or two 😬

[@debk3105]

Very helpful review. Thank you.

[@CalmintheChaosHomeschool]

You're welcome! Glad it was helpful!

[@Well-DoingMomma]

I appreciate this review. I hvae a couple of kids i want to focus on writing with next year and i am debating among a few different programs. This was a great overview

[@CalmintheChaosHomeschool]

Thank you! I’m glad that this was helpful for you!

[@freelandtr]

My oldest used level 7. It was just okay for us. I’ve keep it in case I want to use it with my younger children but my oldest switched to Rod and Staff English and it is his favorite LA curriculum this far. I do believe you can renew for future children. I opted for the dvds.

[@CalmintheChaosHomeschool]

Thank you for your feedback. It's always good to get information from others who have used the curriculum, and alternative curriculum ideas :) Writing is definitely a hard one for us.

[@schultesweeties]

Writing can be such a hard curriculum to find! I’m shocked my daughter liked it 😂 but she also said she is ready for a switch next year lol. We will finish out most of the writing this next semester and turn them in for grading. But I think we will be done with the grammar. Level 7 was definitely more difficult in grammar than level 6

[@CalmintheChaosHomeschool]

I agree! Close 1st hardest right before math, in my opinion.

[@homeschoolingthroughhighschool]

A family member use EIW a few years ago during a brief homeschool run and shared the book with me. I felt it was ok so I didn’t pursue it.🌻

[@CalmintheChaosHomeschool]

I think getting your hands on curriculum is always such a great way to “feel things out”. I know my gut instincts really kick in when I have the curriculum actually in my hands.

[@CalmintheChaosHomeschool]

Have you ever used EIW? If so, what did you think?

[@goodfriendacres5633]

I have been very curious about this curriculum and comparing to IEW. I'm really interested to hear your opinions after you have finished more of the writing portions. I'd love to hear more comparison with IEW curriculum. The videos looked really interesting to me. What approximate grade is this? 8th?

[@goodfriendacres5633]

I should've finished the video before my first comment. I thought I was near the end of the video. Half a year on grammer before writing is interesting..... I'm not sure I like that split. I think it would be nicer if you could alternate more between grammer lessons and writing. Then you could apply new grammer right away. I did see it looked like the grammer section had a lot of writing practice though. Idk. That's not what I was expecting.

[@CalmintheChaosHomeschool]

This would be for 8th grade. I will have to do a comparison video in the future between iew and EIW. Then you for the suggestion. They are quite different.

[@CalmintheChaosHomeschool]

I think it makes sense in a way… get your grammar down pat before you go into using it all. There is a lot of writing in the grammar section. I know that my friend who also uses EIW has her daughter alternate a bit between the grammar and the writing sections… so you could implement it that way as well. There are things I would have done if I had been more familiar with the program like that.

[@gatheredandgroundedhomeschool]

What do you think of IEW compared EIW? To me is seems like EIW follows the more common writing process, where IEW is a very unique writing process? Thinking about switching to EIW next year.

[@CalmintheChaosHomeschool]

I would agree with that assessment. So far, we have just been doing the grammar, so I can't attest to the writing portion, but from what I see, it does look more traditional in the way that it is structured. As far as the grammar portion goes, we are very much learning different grammar structures etc chapter by chapter. Then the writing portion looks like they take you through the writing process for the different types of writing. I think IEW was great for my struggling writer who really needs the step by step from KWO to writing process; whereas my more creative writer should do better with this as she doesn't need all those initial steps and can put her thoughts into writing much more easily.

[@homeschoolingthroughhighschool]

A family member actually used EIW during her brief homeschool moment a few years ago. It was just ok like you said hence why I chose not to use it for my youngest. 🌻

[@CharissaGarside-qi3gc]

We chose EIW this year and won’t continue. It was fine. My son liked it better than IEW but his writing definitely slipped when we were on the grammar portion and now his grammar is poor that we are on the writing part. He received 100s in all the grammar lessons but can’t even remember what he learned.

[@CalmintheChaosHomeschool]

Oh no! That's no good! Do you have any considerations for the upcoming school year? How old is your son? And thank you for sharing your experience.

[@CharissaGarside-qi3gc]

I ordered write by number and write shop to try. Also ordered guest hallows grammar to do. He is 10.

[@CalmintheChaosHomeschool]

I hope those work well for him. Writing is so hard to find the right fit for.

[@CalmintheChaosHomeschool]

I’ve heard great things about writeshop… though I’m scared to try it and also good things about write by number which I have not looked into. My 11 year olds are doing IEW super slowly (I’ll use the same course next year easily) and we are liking winning with writing for a simple one that they can just pick up and do mostly without help.

[@CharissaGarside-qi3gc]

Yes! Math was so easy to “get right” but language arts encompasses so much!

[@lisacg4438]

Is the high price for me, that's when I stop and search else where. Ridiculous these prices.😑😑

[@CalmintheChaosHomeschool]

Definitely getting into the high school level course prices… hopefully they will not all be like that 😬

[@lisacg4438]

​@@CalmintheChaosHomeschool many people are recommending me this curriculum. Let's said I will give it a try. Do I need the whole program components or I can go easily and get only the spiral book (which btw I saw it affordable on a homeschool curriculum site).