“Do what you check and check what you do.” This is an oft repeated phrase many IEW teachers say to remind their students to follow the checklist as they write their compositions. Crucially important in teaching students to write following the Structure and Style® method, the checklist serves as an important touchstone first for the student and later for the teacher. The checklist lays out the expectations of the assignment in terms of structure as well as style.
On the left side of the IEW checklist is a column of boxes. As students write their compositions, they refer to the checklist and mark the boxes as they complete all the elements. Checklist sections address structure, style, banned words, mechanics, and vocabulary. Throughout the academic year the checklist expands as students move through each unit. By the end of the year, it is possible the checklist has grown substantially.
Imagine you are a teacher grading a stack of papers for your class. You need to go through the checklist item by item to verify all of the assignment’s expectations have been met. It sounds rather intimidating! Fortunately, in addition to listing the assignment’s expectations in terms of writing, it also informs students how to indicate the various elements. With the elements properly indicated, your grading time is greatly reduced!
By following directions on the checklist, students learn that dress-ups are underlined, that sentence openers are marked by their respective numbers, and that decorations are italicized. Structural elements, such as key words in topic and clincher sentences, are bolded or highlighted. As long as the students have done their due diligence and marked elements as instructed, grading becomes a breeze. Teachers are able to quickly scan through the composition to verify structural elements are included and style is present and correct. Teachers then read the paragraphs fully to check mechanics.
Indicators serve students well too. They operate as a reference point for students, helping them to achieve the goals of the writing assignment. Checking off items on a checklist provides a sense of accomplishment. It helps students know that they are meeting the teacher’s expectations. It turns the task of writing a composition from being nebulous to being much more concrete. Not only that, being responsible for attending to the IEW Checklist extends to other life skills as well. It promotes personal responsibility and following directions, and it encourages growth.
What should you do if you discover your students are either marking the checklist as being complete when in fact it is not or are not marking it at all? This is an excellent time to place the responsibility squarely back on the shoulders of the students. Return the assignment and have them work through the checklist again. While your students may initially grumble, you are helping them to become accountable for their work. They will thank you later when they enter adulthood and realize how important it is to follow an employer’s directions or complete a multistep assignment in a university setting.
Recently IEW introduced a word processing tool called IEW® Writing Companion, which helps IEW students attend to their checklists. This is a useful tool for students who type their final drafts. In addition to providing a way for students to type their compositions free from AI interference, IEW Writing Companion takes students through the checklist step by step by requiring them to indicate each element that appears on the checklist. Teachers and teaching parents will find this a useful way to help their students learn to attend to the details of the checklist.
Indicators are incredibly useful. They help students be sure they have met the requirements of the checklist. They vastly cut down on the grading work for the teacher. With regards to grading IEW compositions, they may actually be a teacher’s best friend!
by Jennifer Mauser
