confident

4. confident Do you remember another WOW that had the rootfidin it? CONFIDENT. When we debutedconfident,we mentioned thatfidfrom fideremeans faith or trust... so since we all now know thatconmeans with, confident means with trust. So what aboutperfidy? Sinceper meansthrough, and fid means trust. perfidytranslates todeception through trust! Pretty sinister, eh??!!!! And there you go…

5. MEC Weekly Bulletin

6. First Grader Melvyn: “I concur” “The real success is in hearing students throughout the school, from kindergarten through fourth grade, using these words in conversation. The WOWs have become part of everyday language at MEC and throughout our community.” --Linda Grace Fourth Grade Teacher

7. Resemble 1st Grade WOW Sentence Readers "Vocabulary is one of the skills I focus on as a speech therapist. As the WOW words are directly taught and supported in my sessions, my language delayed students have the chance to learn along side their peers and feel a sense of belonging. The look on their faces when they use a WOW word independently is priceless. It is especially rewarding because it is usually unprompted and done with such confidence in an area where they have had limited success in the past."  --Marcia Baer Speech/Language Pathologist 

8. Carl’s “Glistening” Head “Having worked in the public school system since 1991, I have NEVER witnessed an initiative that has so grabbed the attention, fascination, and participation of students , faculty, and support staff! (And anyone who can make a reference point of my glistening head is OK by me!)” --Carl Wolfe Custodian

9. “Yesterday one of the outside maintenance employees used the word plethora when speaking to us. This program is making an impact throughout the district as well as the community. My hat goes off to all the people involved in making the commitment to educate our students as well as everyone they touch.” --Priscilla Faller Cafeteria Manager

10. “Students who once exhibited little interest in literacy are now proudly proclaiming that they discovered a WOW word in a book, on a sign or on TV. The adults in the school are not immune to the enthusiasm. We have all become WOW detectives, pointing out a WOW word when we hear it, or crafting an e-mail carefully so that it includes a WOW word.  The WOW initiative has transformed what was once thought of as a dull concept - vocabulary - into an exciting, enriching adventure that has captivated us all and encouraged us to speak with APLOMB, using an enriched vocabulary.” --Karen Madeira Guidance Counselor

11. “It's amazing to see our English Language Learners include the WOW words in their daily oral language and also in their writing.  We have students taking ownership of the words and using them naturally.  For example, one of our second grade students recently wrote a journal response mentioning a plethora of butterflies.  Plethora was a WOW word introduced last school year.  How wonderful it is to see our English Language Learners using these words even a year later!" --Amy Bright and Aimee Colindres ESL Teachers at MEC

12. "It is a pleasure to see students' faces light up when reading a newly checked out library book and discovering a WOW word--they are quick to show their classmates and teachers the word and read the sentence to all. They have also discovered that they can count on certain authors to use robust vocabulary and they rush to borrow their books. Who knew that the silly and exciting Dragonbreath series was also chock full of WOW words!“ --Theresa Diaz Librarian

13. “We firmly believe that education is the key to personal advancement and hence societal advancement and know the key to education is reading. The clever use of our town’s name and local Reading leaders to promote reading was a fabulous idea to energize the kids, teachers, parents, and community to encourage reading, learning, and community.” --Dr. Denny DiRenzo Rēading Pediatrics

14. “One word at a time, the Word of the Week has truly manifested itself to have transformed what literacy and vocabulary look like in our school and in the greater Reading community.” -- Steve Baylor Principal, MEC

15. “The WOWs are unforgettable: multiple exposures – school-wide focus – community involvement – student friendly definitions – motivates children to find words in multiple context – transfers vocabulary research to best practice.” --Dr. Beth Puschak Reading Supervisor Muhlenberg School District

17. “As a key component of our literacy program, the WOW provides our children with opportunities to acquire “deep” knowledge of words and the ability to understand and use words appropriately and flexibly in various contexts. We are delighted with the community and business support for our WOW Initiative and are looking forward to becoming the Reading Capital of the World.” --Dr. Vlacia Campbell Assistant Superintendent Muhlenberg School District

18. “My daughter Rachel is in 1st at MEC. I just want to express how pleased I am with the education my daughter is receiving at MEC. Last night as we were leaving the Dr. Seuss event she used the word cacophony in a sentence to describe the noise from all the people at the event. I don't remember the exact sentence because I was in complete shock that she used that word. I never heard it before so I asked her what it meant. She proceeded to explain it to me. She has used the words of the week on several occasions already. I love that they are learning these challenging words and she is able to use them in conversations. “ --Naomi Negron, Parent

19. Our MEC students are learning about word roots, prefixes, and suffixes.  Students are utilizing the WOW words throughout their daily language and writing.  In addition, they can not wait to let you know about a WOW word sighting from a book, commercial, or TV show which in turn, becomes something that expands and deepens over time.  --Leslie Boyer Third Grade Teacher

20. “WOW words have become a virtual lingua franca at our school.  As I use them in a demonstration lecture, students' eyes brighten, hands go up and anticipatory fidgeting begins as students recognize the WOW.  WOW words  light up the classroom dialogue; students are excited and have completely ‘bought in’.” --Maureen Yoder Art Teacher

21. “I think that building word root knowledge has helped my kids to expand their vocabulary and become more aware of the words around them. A few weeks ago, we were reading a passage on a transcontinental railway. One of my students raised his hand and said trans means across so does it mean across the continent? He was very excited that he could figure that out using his word knowledge. “ --Tara Nelson Fourth Grade Teacher

22. WOW Sighting! “My students can't wait to show me a WOW in their books, magazines, on TV, and even on a box of Mac-n-Cheese! They show me variations of the words and ask, "is this okay?" Of course it is! (Which leads to a mini-lesson on word roots, suffixes or prefixes.) This year, we have used the WOW program for our second year. It's amazing when the students find a word from LAST year, that they still remember and know, and ask to show it to their first grade teacher. The words are sticking. The children are learning!” --Crystal Chwatek Second Grade Teacher

23. “An effective teacher has a positive impact on her students' learning and on their dispositions toward learning. The "WOW" project has exceeded the normal expectancy for making a positive impact: the whole community is involved in expanding the knowledge of vocabulary based on roots. Businesses, medical offices, and radio stations have adopted the "WOW" philosophy. What a tribute to the teacher who planted the seed, and the school who helped nurture its growth. How fortunate for the children (and all community members) who have the opportunity to be "wowed" with this authentic learning experience.”Annemarie B. Jay, Ph.D.Associate ProfessorDirector of Reading ProgramsWidener University

26. These slides represent the enthusiasm and dynamic engagement of our students, staff, and community around vocabulary development. At our presentation we look forward to sharing with you a plethora of information and the tools you will need to incorporate this initiative into your educational setting as well.