None of my levels can be described as “easy.” Even Level 1 is plenty challenging for a high school student who puts in genuine effort instead of “cruising.”
I was in my 40s when I first began learning IEW. I still remember the brain strain as I worked on implementing the first few structure and style techniques that Andrew Pudewa taught in the teacher training videos. 🙂 He said his purpose in having us write an assignment with the skills was not JUST so we could practice them; he wanted us to be more empathetic toward our students and to recognize that using the skills with ease and finesse takes practice and time…even for totally grown adults.
Level 1 students who are older and already have some writing skills will be able to use the structure and style skills at a more mature level than will the younger, inexperienced students. The complexity of Level 1 can be increased by choosing more challenging materials for assignments that allow students to pick their own resources, such as for the research report and the novel review.
Only by suffering through the training of Level 1 will a student have the skills and the perseverance for Level 2. 🙂