The Arts of Language Podcast

You can’t teach writing for long without people asking, “But what about grammar?” Most people have an extreme opinion about grammar: either start at a very early age and hammer it in year after year or believe that grammar just isn’t that important in our modern world. IEW believes that wisdom is found in the balance between the two. Join Andrew Pudewa and Julie Walker in this week’s podcast as th...

In this week’s podcast episode, Andrew Pudewa and Julie Walker talk with four guests who gave exemplar speeches in IEW’s Introduction to Public Speaking video course, released earlier this year. These exemplars are model speeches for students to aspire to as they write and deliver their own speeches. Andrew and Julie go behind the scenes, discussing concepts behind the course’s development and une...

The leading area of growth in IEW is the Schools Division. New Educational Consultants have been added to keep up with the growing number of schools that are excited to implement Structure and Style in their classrooms. Join Andrew Pudewa and Julie Walker in this week’s podcast as they converse with Sharyn Staggers, IEW Schools Division Director. Sharyn shares how she became involved with IEW and...

In this week’s podcast episode, Andrew Pudewa and Julie Walker welcome Karen Cuellar, one of the stellar moms behind IEW’s Structure and Style for Students program. Karen had the unique experience of having one of her children in each of the three levels during the filming of Years 1 and 2 of the program. Karen reminisces about the project, shares some of the Cuellar family’s struggles and success...

Part 2: Homeschooling through high school can be daunting to some parents. In this two-part podcast, Andrew Pudewa and Julie Walker discuss a few tricks and tips on hacking high school. Andrew offers a smorgasbord of ideas but cautions listeners that “you can’t do it all.” Join Andrew and Julie as they explore these ideas as well as college credits and dual enrollment. GO TO PART 1 Referenced Mate...

Part 1: Homeschooling through high school can be daunting to some parents. In this two-part podcast, Andrew Pudewa and Julie Walker discuss a few tricks and tips on hacking high school. Andrew offers a smorgasbord of ideas but cautions listeners that “you can’t do it all.” Join Andrew and Julie as they explore these ideas as well as college credits and dual enrollment. GO TO  PART 2 Referenced Mat...

It’s August, and a new school year will soon begin. For IEW teachers and parents, this means returning to the beginning. The Structure and Style method starts over each year with Units 1 and 2. What benefits do students receive by revisiting these foundational skills? In this week’s podcast, Andrew Pudewa and Julie Walker discuss the importance of beginning the school year with review. Referenced...

Andrew Pudewa and Julie Walker welcome Dr. Nicholas Ellis to this episode. Dr. Ellis is the founder and CEO of Christian Halls International (CHI), an organization that organizes and nurtures local communities for students in higher education programs. In this week’s episode, he discusses the dual enrollment opportunities offered through the partnership between Institute for Excellence in Writing...

Hillsdale College K-12 Education Office has partnered with IEW to provide the recommended writing curriculum for their member and curriculum schools. IEW will produce a brand new curriculum aligned with Hillsdale’s K-12 Program Guides for third to eighth grades. Join Andrew Pudewa, Julie Walker, and their special guest Dr. Kathleen O’Toole, Assistant Provost for K-12 Education, as they discuss the...

Andrew Pudewa and Julie Walker welcome Jim Weiss on this episode! For the past thirty-five years, Jim Weiss has been telling stories professionally around the world. This master storyteller grew up hearing his father retell great stories. In “Summer Writing” (Podcast 373), one of the suggested activities is story writing. In this podcast Jim Weiss explains the unbreakable rules of storytelling and...

It is time for another Ask Andrew Anything episode! Join us this week as Julie Walker asks Andrew Pudewa questions submitted by our listeners. Along with helpful tips and insightful suggestions on helping students with spelling and poetry writing, Andrew addresses artificial intelligence (AI) writing technology and what parents and teachers need to be aware of. Referenced Materials   Teaching Writ...

A wide array of learning differences exists. While we often focus on those differences, such as dyslexia or ADHD, which cause our students to work below their grade levels, students who fall into the GATE (Gifted and Talented Education) category may also struggle in the classroom. In this week’s podcast Andrew Pudewa and Julie Walker look at definitions, myths, challenges, and strategies for teach...

Join Andrew Pudewa and Julie Walker as they discuss dysgraphia with Jennifer Mauser , one of IEW’s Educational Consultants and a Master Barton tutor. Learn what dysgraphia is and discover ways that you can help students with this learning difference grow their skills and gain confidence in their writing. Referenced Materials Jennifer Mauser Learning Differences? IEW can help! International Dyslexi...

Wonders of Science Writing Lessons joined the theme-based writing series in March 2023. In this podcast Andrew Pudewa and Julie Walker bring clarity to the IEW theme-based product line and give recommendations on where to start and where to continue. They also explore the reason why these are the most frequently asked questions from our customers. Listen in as they praise the benefits and wonders...

Join Andrew Pudewa and Julie Walker as they talk with Drew Formsma about artificial intelligence (AI), ChatGPT, and the effects new technology has on culture. Teachers are scrambling to determine whether using AI is cheating and how students can use artificial intelligence with academic integrity. Parents are simply trying to understand what artificial intelligence is. Listen to this episode as Dr...

In this Homeschooling 101 episode, Andrew Pudewa and Julie Walker engage in a conversation about how to homeschool. Where do you start? You can customize your child’s education to suit the needs of your family. This is true if you have preschoolers or are leaving the school system to homeschool. Be inspired as Andrew and Julie share their words of wisdom from many years of homeschooling. Reference...

It’s here! After many months we are proud to introduce our newest video product, Introduction to Public Speaking ! In this program middle and high school students learn memory and delivery techniques for five different types of speeches, tips on where to stand and where to look, and other valuable skills for becoming confident verbal communicators. Join Andrew Pudewa and Julie Walker as they elabo...

As the school year winds down and summer approaches, parents may be pondering strategies to enrich their students’ writing. Summer is a great time to take a break from regularly scheduled academics and embrace new activities to retain or expand writing skills. In this week’s podcast Andrew Pudewa and Julie Walker suggest some creative ways to do just that. Referenced Materials Theme-Based Writing...

It’s graduation season! Commencement speeches, students walking across the stage to receive their diplomas, and parents cheering their graduates are all part of this ceremonial rite of passage. Andrew Pudewa and Julie Walker discuss how commencement is a time of celebrating accomplishments and yet preparing to launch into a new life journey. Listen in as Andrew shares his thoughts on graduation an...

Andrew Pudewa, “the funny man with the wonderful words,” is known for telling jokes to his audiences whether it is to students in a classroom or parents and educators at a conference. Incorporating humor and selecting jokes appropriately is a skill that can be developed. In today’s podcast he and Julie Walker explore the art of telling jokes. Listen in to enjoy a few laughs with Andrew as he defin...

Many of IEW’s podcast episodes in 2023 follow this year’s theme of exploring how IEW can help students with learning differences. Every tenth episode features questions submitted by our podcast listeners. Join us as Julie Walker presents Andrew Pudewa with questions from parents regarding their struggling students. Offering practical tips, he helps equip parents to assist their students in improvi...

Join Andrew Pudewa and Julie Walker in this episode to find out if it is really necessary for students to write on paper in 2023. Learn why Andrew advocates for the writing process to include what he calls the “sloppy copy.” Discover how rubrics and checklists take the guesswork out of grading papers. Andrew and Julie offer tips and tricks for correcting and grading papers in a way that is truly h...

In 1996 April was designated as National Poetry Month. In this episode Andrew Pudewa and Julie Walker offer an assortment of ways to celebrate the occasion. As they explore the value of reading poetry, they also share tips and tricks for writing and memorizing poetry to cultivate your students’ enjoyment of poetry. Referenced Materials National Poetry Month Linguistic Development through Poetry Me...

Eleven years ago, Ginny Yurich, an overwhelmed and exhausted mom of three under three, accepted a challenge from a friend to spend time with her little ones outdoors. In this Arts of Language episode, Andrew Pudewa and Julie Walker welcome Ginny Yurich, author, speaker, homeschooling mom of five, and founder of the global movement 1000 Hours Outside. Listen in as she passionately shares her family...

Andrew Pudewa and Julie Walker are excited to welcome Jonathan Brush with Unbound, an organization that offers unique options for high school and college students. Unbound is a project-based higher education program that equips young adults to take ownership of their education and prepares them for life. Referenced Materials Unbound Accelerated Distance Learning  by Brad Voeller The Five Dysfuncti...