Level 2 writing requires well developed abstract thinking skills, as well as a command of the IEW skills taught in my Level 1 class.
Students who have completed my Level 1 are eligible for Level 2 provided they earn:
- A cumulative grade of 80% or higher for Level 1 assignments and final exam
- Proficient or Outstanding in the Level 1 Skills and Standards
Rising 11th grade+ students who have not taken my Level 1 class but have a strong IEW background from other IEW courses may be assessed for Level 2.
Students younger than rising 11th grade or with little or no IEW background must begin with Level 1.
Level 2 is the most challenging of my courses, and I found that younger IEW students from other courses struggle greatly in my Level 2, so years ago I changed the grade level requirements for such students.
The IEW method is unique. Each level builds on the previous level(s). As a comparison, consider a flutist who decides to learn to play the piano. Although piano and flute utilize the same music theory, both require many skills that are specific to the instrument. The flutist cannot skip the first piano book. An experienced flutist will quickly absorb and begin to apply the new piano knowledge, but the knowledge still must be learned first.
I was in my 40s when I first began to learn the IEW method! I had many writing skills, but I still had to start at the beginning, with the same skills my students learn in Level 1. However, being an older and more experienced writer, I was able to quickly absorb and begin applying the new skills.
All students must start at the beginning, but older and/or more experienced students will write at a more complex level more quickly than the younger students.