Institute for Excellence in Writing

What Institute for Excellence in Writing does

The Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW) is a privately held limited liability company headquartered in Locust Grove, Oklahoma, that develops and sells language arts curriculum built around its proprietary Structure and Style® writing methodology. Founded by Andrew Pudewa after he learned Dr. James B. Webster's composition method at a 1990 teacher-training seminar in Alberta, the company was formally established in 1999 and today serves a primarily homeschool-family customer base, with secondary reach into traditional schools, hybrid schools, homeschool co-ops, students with learning differences, English language learners, and college-bound students.

IEW's core product is a video-based writing curriculum structured in nine units and graded across three levels (A: elementary, B: middle school, C: high school), taught on camera by Andrew Pudewa. The offering is anchored by Teaching Writing: Structure and Style (the teacher training seminar) and Structure and Style for Students (SSS), packaged in Basic ($169), Basic Plus ($189), and Premier ($289) tiers. Complementary proprietary products include the Blended Sound-Sight Program (Primary Arts of Language), Fix It! Grammar, Linguistic Development through Poetry Memorization, A Word Write Now, and University-Ready Writing. Delivery is multi-format — physical kits, DVD, and "Forever Streaming" subscriptions — with ancillary services spanning IEW Online Classes, the IEW Gradebook, and an Accreditation Program for certifying instructors and schools.

The company runs a direct-to-consumer e-commerce model through iew.com, supplemented by a Find-an-Instructor directory, a Schools Registry, and a Brand Ambassador program. Revenue streams combine one-time curriculum sales, recurring streaming subscriptions, professional development seminars, and instructor accreditation/licensing fees. IEW does not disclose financial results; the firm has no outside investors, no parent company, and no M&A history on record.

Name

Institute for Excellence in Writing

Legal name

Institute for Excellence in Writing, L.L.C.

Website

https://iew.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW) is a privately held Oklahoma-based curriculum publisher that sells the Structure and Style® writing methodology and supporting language arts materials, primarily to homeschool families and secondarily to traditional schools, via direct-to-consumer e-commerce and an accredited instructor network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Writing and Language Arts Curriculum

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611), Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Core Subject Textbooks (ELA, Math, Science, Social Studies) (EDAGAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Writing Skills & Composition Enrichment (EDAMAJAC), Essay, Research & Academic Writing (Middle/High School) (EDAMAJAL), Advanced Writing, Literature & Humanities Tutoring (Advanced composition, rhetoric, debate) (EDANAKAG)

Keywords

• Writing curriculum
• Language arts education
• Homeschool curriculum
• Teacher training seminars
• Online writing classes

Headquarters

HQ city

Locust Grove

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Curriculum Product Sales: One-time purchase model for physical and digital curriculum products including video courses, teacher's manuals, student packets, and complete packages sold directly through iew.com.
2. Streaming Subscriptions: Forever Streaming video courses providing ongoing access to instructional content, often bundled with physical materials.
3. Professional Development Services: Teacher training seminars, accreditation programs, and online instructor-led classes.
4. Accreditation Program: Fee-based instructor accreditation and certification for teachers using IEW methodology.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Institute for Excellence in Writing produces and sells language arts curriculum built around its proprietary Structure and Style® writing method, packaged as video-based courses with printed student materials and teacher's manuals. Core offerings include Structure and Style for Students video curriculum (levels A, B, C), Teaching Writing: Structure and Style teacher training seminar, Primary Arts of Language for young learners, University-Ready Writing for high school and college students, and an IEW Online Classes service taught by certified instructors.

Product overview

The Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW) offers a comprehensive suite of language arts educational products and services built around its proprietary Structure and Style® writing method. The core offering is the Structure and Style for Students video curriculum (available in three levels: A for grades 3-5, B for grades 6-8, and C for grades 9-12), which can be purchased in Basic, Basic Plus, or Premier packages. The Premier package bundles Teaching Writing: Structure and Style (the foundational teacher training seminar), Fix It! Grammar, and A Word Write Now vocabulary resources. For younger learners, IEW provides the Primary Arts of Language program combining reading and writing instruction. Additional offerings include University-Ready Writing for high school/college preparation, theme-based writing courses (such as Bible Heroes, Following Narnia, and history-based writing lessons), and supplementary products like Linguistic Development through Poetry Memorization and Printing with Letter Stories. The company also offers services including IEW Online Classes with certified instructors, the IEW Gradebook for progress tracking, and an Accreditation Program for certifying instructors and schools.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Structure and Style for Students (SSS) Video-based writing curriculum with 24 lessons taught by Andrew Pudewa that delivers the Structure and Style writing method to students at three grade levels (A for elementary, B for middle school, C for high school). Designed for homeschool families, classroom teachers, and students seeking systematic writing instruction, available in Basic, Basic Plus, and Premier packages in streaming or DVD formats.
• Teaching Writing: Structure and Style Award-winning teacher training seminar that teaches educators and parents how to implement the Structure and Style writing method. Third Edition includes Forever Streaming video, workbook, and premium membership. Targeted at homeschool parents, classroom teachers, and educational consultants who will deliver the methodology to students.
• Primary Arts of Language (PAL) Complete reading and writing program for young learners (K-2) combining phonics with sight words using a Blended Sound-Sight approach based on Anna Ingham's original 1930s program. Includes games, activities, and stickers for engagement, and is designed for homeschool parents and early elementary teachers.
• University-Ready Writing Twelve-week video course preparing high school and college students for university writing. Covers note-taking, précis writing, essay composition, abstract creation, source citation, and on-demand essays. Targeted at high school students, college-bound homeschoolers, and college students.
• Theme-Based Writing Courses Supplementary writing courses that teach the IEW method through themed content, including Bible Heroes, Following Narnia, Medieval History-Based Writing, Modern World History-Based Writing, Frontiers in Writing, Investigations in Writing, and Journeys in Writing. Developed in collaboration with Hillsdale College K-12 for Frontiers, Investigations, and Journeys in Writing. Targeted at homeschool families and classrooms seeking content-integrated writing instruction.
• Fix It! Grammar Award-winning grammar program that teaches grammar through incremental, embedded lessons. Can be used alongside Structure and Style for Students or as a standalone grammar program for homeschool families, classrooms, and individual students.
• Linguistic Development through Poetry Memorization Program introducing students to classic poetry and speeches to enrich vocabulary and infuse sophisticated English language patterns. Includes Teacher's Manual, Student Book, and audio CDs, sold as a complete package for homeschool families and classrooms.
• Classroom Supplement and Lesson Plans Lesson plans designed for five-day-a-week schools implementing the Structure and Style methodology. Available in Kindergarten, Grade 1, and Grade 2 versions and includes poetry, phonics, grammar, and printing practice components. Targeted at traditional classroom teachers and schools.
• Printing with Letter Stories Early writing program teaching letter formation through a story-based approach. Includes blackline masters, practice pages, and illustrated letter story cards, and is targeted at homeschool parents and early elementary teachers of young learners.
• All About Spelling Multi-sensory, phonics-based spelling program available in multiple levels. Designed to be used in conjunction with Primary Arts of Language or as a standalone spelling curriculum for homeschool families and classrooms.
• A Word Write Now Vocabulary building resource supporting word study and vocabulary development. Included in the Premier package and available for separate purchase by homeschool families, classrooms, and students seeking structured vocabulary instruction.
• IEW Online Classes Live online writing classes taught by IEW-certified instructors for students at various grade levels. Supports homeschool families seeking direct instruction and schools that need remote or supplemental instruction options.
• IEW Gradebook Online grading and progress tracking service for teachers and parents using IEW curriculum. Targeted at homeschool parents, classroom teachers, and educational consultants who need to record and monitor student writing progress.
• Accreditation Program Fee-based instructor accreditation and certification program for teachers and schools using IEW methodology, including the Schools Registry directory that connects families with accredited instructors. Targeted at classroom teachers, homeschool co-op leaders, and schools seeking certified IEW instruction.

Quantifiable outcome

• Students develop from reluctant writers to confident communicators who can tackle any writing project
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Hillsdale College K-12 EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on writing curriculum development including Frontiers in Writing, Investigations in Writing, and Journeys in Writing courses. Hillsdale College K-12 provides curriculum endorsement and distribution through their educational platform.
• Susan Barton / Barton Reading and Spelling SystemsupportingTechnology or IntegrationReferenced as complementary reading/spelling program for students with dyslexia. IEW recommends Barton System as intensive phonics instruction for reading struggles.
• Davis Methods / Ron DavissupportingTechnology or IntegrationDavis Dyslexia Association International methods referenced for true dyslexics who think in three dimensions. The Gift of Dyslexia book recommended for breakthrough approaches.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Memoria Press: Memoria Press publishes classical Christian curricula for homeschool co-ops and schools, including composition guides aligned with the classical tradition. It overlaps IEW in target customer (classical homeschool families and Christian schools) and product format (print + teacher manual + student packet).
• Brave Writer: Brave Writer sells a subscription-based homeschool writing and language arts program with online classes, instructor-led cohorts, and digital curriculum. It targets the exact same homeschool parent segment as IEW and is a regular competitor in 'best homeschool writing curriculum' rankings.
• WriteShop: WriteShop publishes a step-by-step homeschool writing curriculum (WriteShop I/II and WriteShop Primary) targeted at the same homeschool parent cohort as IEW, sold direct-to-consumer. Like IEW, it emphasizes incremental, parent-led writing instruction; the two compete head-to-head in homeschool writing curriculum reviews.
• Classical Academic Press: Classical Academic Press produces classical Christian homeschool curricula across writing, Latin, logic, and humanities. Its Writing & Rhetoric series is a close substitute for IEW's Structure and Style, sitting in the same classical-education, homeschool-and-school crossover market.

Broad incumbents

• Abeka: Abeka (Pensacola Christian College's curriculum arm) is one of the largest Christian homeschool curriculum publishers in the US, with full K-12 textbook and video programs. Its English and writing streams are an alternative to IEW within the same homeschool buyer pool.
• BJU Press (BJU Education Group): BJU Press is a much larger Christian K-12 curriculum publisher with homeschool, brick-and-mortar school, and distance-learning distribution. Its writing/Language Arts offerings compete with IEW but as part of a much broader full-subject catalog rather than a writing-specialized niche.
• Sonlight Curriculum: Sonlight provides literature-based homeschool curricula spanning all subjects including writing/Language Arts. It serves a similar Christian homeschool parent cohort as IEW but operates as a full-subject, full-grade package retailer rather than a writing-method specialist.
• Handwriting Without Tears (Learning Without Tears): Handwriting Without Tears provides handwriting and early writing curriculum for schools and homeschool, including a K-5 Handwriting program. Its scope overlaps IEW's Primary Arts of Language at the entry grades, making it a partial peer at the foundational level.

Others

• IEW-accredited instructors / local co-op classes (ecosystem): The IEW Accreditation Program produces a network of certified instructors who deliver IEW-based live classes via the Schools Registry and Find-an-Instructor directory. These accredited instructors and the co-ops/schools they operate are ecosystem participants, not direct curriculum competitors, but they expand IEW's distribution.
• The Old Schoolhouse Magazine: The Old Schoolhouse is a homeschool-focused publication that runs the Blue Ribbon Awards (in which IEW has placed First in Language Arts categories). It is a peer more as a media/awards ecosystem player in the homeschool curriculum market than a direct curriculum competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/iew
• YouTubeyoutube.com/iewtv
• Facebookfacebook.com/excellenceinwriting
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/iew
• Instagraminstagram.com/iew
• Pinterestpinterest.com/iew

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Institute for Excellence in Writing