[chalkdusty]

We just adopted this series as well. In the 4th grade level, I've noticed that there isn't enough practice with the vocabulary words. I've also noticed that there are no skill oriented worksheets in the workbooks. There is a LOT of material included. Just like other basals, there is too much to take in. We have not had any training from the company yet.

I like the stories. I like the questions in the teacher's edition that guide discussion of the story. I like the decoding strategies and the vocabulary strategies (ie - word study - affixes, homophones, etc.) to help my struggling readers. The six pack books are pretty good too.

There are too many grammar skills to teach in one week. It's hard to fit in both the grammar and the writing every day.