Word Trek

The Story of Word Trek
Language Arts Lessons/Specialized Vocabulary

During my teaching career, the needs of my gifted students grew more apparent with each passing year. Their enthusiasm for a challenge, especially vocabulary, stirred memories of high school Latin classes where I absorbed an abundance of English vocabulary through Latin prefixes and root words.

I wrote a few lessons featuring Latin base words for them. Their request for more set an idea in motion—a full year vocabulary/spelling program based on Greek and Latin bases and etymologies, specifically for gifted kids. But with a full teaching load, there just wasn’t enough time to do the writing.

Then my job description changed. For three years I was a Facilitator for Gifted Education, which presented the opportunity to work with advanced 4th-8th grade students and their teachers throughout the county. This experience inspired me to finally do something special for these youngsters.

For two years, my weekends and summer breaks turned into a writing frenzy. The rough draft of what became Work Trek Book Two—thirty-six, no-prep spelling/vocabulary lessons featuring Greek and Latin base words and etymologies—came first. Five fifth-grade teachers tested it with gifted and motivated students. It was a big hit, even with parents.

The next year I completed Word Trek Book Three for 6th graders. Then, at the insistence of a determined 4th grade teacher, I wrote Word Trek Book One for 4th graders. Much to my delight, the county school system printed all three books and distributed them for free to any teacher who wanted to use the program. By the time I retired from the classroom, Word Trek had been tested, approved, and improved by several hundred students and their teachers.

Since then, Word Trek has been retested in California, Texas, and Louisiana in both public and parochial classrooms. All feedback has been positive.

Interested teachers can download and print full sample lessons from each Work Trek by clicking on the Preview Page tab in the product descriptions.