DPS Students Building Vocabulary, Taking On World Record

DETROIT (WWJ) - A magnificent goal to take on a world record! Hundreds of Pre-K students from more than a dozen Detroit Public School classrooms participated with thousands of others from across the country to achieve a world record involving vocabulary.

Sharon Beach brought her Pre-K kids from Schultz Academy to the event because she says at this age they absorb everything and are ready to learn anything and everything - Thursday she wanted them to walk away with one new word.

"Magnificent," said Eric, 5. "My boots (are magnificent)," he told WWJ's Marie Osborne when asked to describe something magnificent in his life.

"And when they came in none of them knew the word magnificent," said Beach. "At the end of the lesson I asked them -- 'what's magnificent in your life?' I got my shoes are magnificent, my bed is magnificent, you're magnificent, my mom is magnificent."

A recent study found that at risk kids hear 30 million fewer words by the age of four than kids from more affluent homes.

By the end of the event -- 1,031 people participated.

PNC made the event possible through a program called Grow-Up Great.