Are you looking for a grammar program that’s more than just worksheets and drills? Fix It! Grammar: Robin Hood(Level 3) by the Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW) offers a unique approach that combines grammar instruction with the classic tale of Robin Hood. In this review, we’ll take a closer look at how the curriculum works, what grammar concepts it covers, and why it might be the perfect fit for your homeschool.
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Here’s an IEW Fix It Grammar Level 3 review that I hope will help you make an informed decision about the best grammar program for your homeschool. Plus, check out our video tour and enjoy the look inside!
About Fix It! Grammar
If you’ve ever struggled to get your child excited about grammar—or found yourself dreading dry, repetitive worksheets—Fix It! Grammar might be a game changer. Created by the Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW), this program takes a totally different approach by teaching grammar through editing a story one sentence at a time. Instead of isolated exercises, your child works through a fun, ongoing tale, learning grammar in real context. It’s practical, incremental, and actually kind of fun (yes, even for grammar!).
Each level of Fix It! builds on the last, and Robin Hood (Level 3) is where things start to dig into more complex territory—like comma rules, quotation marks, and identifying different types of clauses. But don’t worry—everything is broken down into manageable steps, and the daily lessons are short enough to fit into even a busy homeschool schedule. It’s great for reinforcing writing skills too, since your child rewrites the corrected sentence each day. It’s a simple rhythm that builds real confidence and retention over time.
We have definitely benefited from Fix It! Grammar in our homeschool in recent years. We tried almost every program under the sun for about a decade and none of them produced the results I was looking for in a curriculum. Plus, my kids dreaded the daily grammar instruction!
Then, we tried Fix It! Grammar and – I know this sounds dramatic – but our grammar instruction really did go from boring and unsuccessful to engaging, confident, and rewarding. Plus, our kids finally remembered what they had learned.
Overview of Curriculum
Level 3: Robin Hood is designed for students who already have a basic grasp of grammar and are ready for the next step. Students are usually ready for this level in grades 6-8. In this level, students edit and rewrite sentences from an adapted version of the Robin Hood story while learning more advanced grammar concepts. These include comma usage, quotation punctuation, complex sentence structures, and identifying clauses and pronouns. Like the other levels, it follows a gentle, incremental pace with one sentence per day, making it easy to stay consistent while steadily building skills.
In addition to correcting grammar and punctuation mistakes, Fix It! also includes a daily vocabulary word. Your student can look this up and learn the definition. If you do this for the entire level, your student will learn 120 new vocabulary words!
My 6th grader is starting Level 3 at the end of her school year and will continue it into 7th grade. She has previously completed both levels 1 and 2 of Fix It! Grammar.
Here’s a look at some of the concepts covered in Level 3 Robin Hood.
New concepts are covered in the first lesson of the week with a full page of instruction in both the student and teacher books.
So in short, a 4-day week of Fix It! Grammar lessons starts with the Learn It! section which covers the new concept. Then, each day of that week, the student will follow these steps:
- Read It! Read the passage and look up the vocabulary word’s definition
- Mark It! Here’s where your student will mark the grammar concepts using the list at the top of the page
- Fix It! Your student will correct the punctuation and capitalization (plus more!) using the list given
- Rewrite It! Here’s where your student will copy the corrected story, giving a great reinforcement of the concepts.
Strengths of Fix It! Grammar
Is Fix It Grammar effective? Yes! This is the first program we finally landed on that produced success.
One of the biggest strengths of Fix It! Grammar for homeschool families is its simplicity and consistency. The daily lessons are short and manageable, making it easy to build grammar into your routine without feeling overwhelmed.
It literally only takes 10 minutes per day to complete a Fix It! Grammar lesson. My 6th grader does the fixing, then opens the teacher’s book to correct her work. This immediate feedback is great and generally clears up any misunderstandings. Of course, I’m always here to talk through a lesson if she doesn’t understand. And the teacher’s book gives you as the parent all the information you need to explain the grammar concept.
The following image of the teacher’s book may look complex – but your student really will be capable of marking and fixing all of these passages! The curriculum walks them through each step in a very logical way. And if you’re ever in doubt as to the correct markings, the teacher book gives complete explanations.
Because students learn through editing a continuous story, they stay more engaged—and actually retain what they’re learning. It’s not just grammar in theory; they see it in action. I think this engagement is one of the best characteristics of this program. It really does produce results. An engaged and active learner is retaining what they learn.
Plus, the incremental approach means you can start at the right level and move forward with confidence, even if your child hasn’t had a strong grammar foundation before. You don’t need to worry about “falling behind” or “not keeping up” with a graded curriculum that lays out 180 days of school for you. Instead, you are free to work at your child’s pace for a flexible and customized learning plan.
Tips for Using Fix It! Grammar
After using Fix It! Grammar for several kids over several years, here’s what I would say you need to know as a homeschool parent for finding success with this curriculum.
Start at the right level
Don’t worry about grade numbers—IEW recommends starting at Level 1 unless your child already has a solid grammar foundation. It’s better to build confidence than to rush into more advanced concepts.
This is really great for homeschool families! Because we know that our kids aren’t standardized – they don’t always complete every subject at the same grade level. So now, you don’t need to worry about putting Level 1 Fix It! Grammar in front of your 6th grader – they can start with a great foundation and work up from there at their own pace.
Make it part of your daily rhythm
Fix It! is designed for just 15–20 minutes a day. Doing a little each day keeps it low-stress and consistent, and helps concepts stick better over time. Daily consistency with short lessons is better than slogging through long grammar lessons that lead to tears. Personally, we’ve found that most days’ lessons can be completed well in as little as 10 minutes. On the days with more instruction, you might need the 15-20 minutes. But in our experience, we hardly ever have needed 20 minutes with Fix It!
Use the teacher’s guide
The Teacher’s Manual is gold! It walks you through each lesson, explains grammar concepts clearly, and shows the correct edits. Even if you don’t feel like a grammar expert, it gives you everything you need to teach with confidence.
My students use the Teacher’s Manual to correct their own lessons. This puts them in an active learner role and leads to more success.
Let your child do the thinking
This is so important! And this is why Fix It! Grammar works so well for homeschoolers who want their child to be an active and engaged learner. Encourage your child to try identifying the errors first before correcting them together. It builds independence and strengthens editing skills.
Plus, as I’ve already mentioned before, if your child can also use the Teacher’s Manual to double-check his work, then that’s even better.
Don’t skip the rewriting
I’ll admit – this one is easy to let slide! The rewriting step may seem optional, but it’s where the magic happens—grammar, spelling, punctuation, and handwriting all come together as your child rewrites the corrected sentence. Because we all know that the more senses that are involved – visual, kinesthetic – the better. Writing always helps cement things into your brain.
Review as needed
Each lesson builds on the last, but it’s okay to pause and review if your child struggles with a concept. Use the glossary and reference cards to reinforce learning. This is the beauty of homeschooling! And this is the beauty of using a resource that is made with homeschoolers in mind.
Again, you don’t have a curriculum that is divided into 180 school days where you feel like you’re behind if you need to pause and review. This resource is extremely flexible and customizable to fit your unique child’s learning pace.
I have found over and over as a veteran homeschool mom that the best resources are those that are created with an understanding of how homeschooling works. And IEW’s programs are created with homeschoolers in mind.
Final Thoughts on Fix It! Grammar
We’ve used so many resources over the years, but I would say that IEW’s Fix It! Grammar is the best grammar program for middle school.
Fix It! Grammar has been a breath of fresh air in our homeschool. It strikes a rare balance—solid grammar instruction that doesn’t feel overwhelming or boring. The story-based format keeps kids engaged, and the step-by-step lessons make it approachable, even for parents who don’t feel like grammar experts.
Whether you’re just starting out or looking to strengthen existing skills, Fix It! offers a flexible, effective, and low-prep way to build lasting grammar confidence. It’s one of those rare curricula that actually works—and sticks.
And I love that IEW offers the first few weeks of Fix It! Grammar for FREE so you can try it out before you buy.
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