[smile 1973]

I am wondering should I purchase the trait crate, because it has the books included and it also has lessons. I would like to know if anyone else owns it and how useful is it.

[kelbel]

I have the second grade one and was not impressed with it at all. Some of the lessons are just not good. I felt it started out without building a lot of background. Like jumping right into writing paragraphs.

Just my opinion though. I am sure others have had success with it. I didn't.

Good luck!

[westwitch]

All I really can say I used was the posters, the book labels (for which there are no replacements once they're used up) and the books, which I added to my book boxes.

I purchased mine on Ebay for short money. With the exception of the labels, I could have saved even more-there are plenty of posters (right here on PT). Overall, I was disappointed!

[J.Elaine]

I find the Trait Crate useful because it helps keep me organized (I add resources as I find them.) and on task. Without it, I didn't really know how to start. The lessons are not necessarily impressive but not altogether useless either. It's a lot of money for what you actually get! Right now, I'm using lists of pic.books (found here on PT!) hoping to find some other choices to use. I'm planning to focus on each trait for about 3 weeks. The one book (for each trait) provided in the crate is just not enough.

[smile 1973]

Thank you everyone for your input. What are PIC books?

[stretchberry]

What are PIC books?

picture books

I think the crate is okay. A good resource but overpriced. I think you could spend the money better. I would buy Culham's Using Picture Books to Teach the Traits book. It's good and cheap. You can find so many resources online that you don't really need the rest of the crate's contents. You might want to get Culham's other book or Spandel's book.

The picture books in the crate are paperbacks. If you can't get titles you need from the library (or want to have your own copies), you can probably get the books you need for $6 each on Amazon. They have a running 4-for-3 special that applies to many, many children's paperbacks. I've gotten gently used hardback books for as little as $3 each on Amazon or betterworldbooks.

[smile 1973]

I tossed and turned last night worrying about writing and the trait kit and I decideed it would be OK if I just used the other books you mentioned. We put out so much of our own money, I just don't have the extra 125 for this kit. I just bought the Lucy Calkins books.