English Reception Spring Non-Fiction Texts and Stories

1. Research questions
2. Dinosaur words
3. Dinosaur information books
4. Exploring dinosaur fact files

1. Dinosaur research
2. Dinosaur investigation
3. Labelling dinosaurs
4. Dinosaur fact files

1. Museum role play
2. Dino art
3. Model dinos
4. Fossil making

1. Read Owls and Dinosaurs (Hamilton Group Reader). Display the illustrations of the dinosaurs. Can anyone recognise any of these/have a go at reading the names using some of the sounds?
2. Enjoy dinosaur raps (see websites)
3. Display and reread Owls and Dinosaurs, asking children to join in with the words they can read. They already know lots more about dinosaurs than when they first shared this book! Pick out some of the questions and practise saying them with ‘question-voices’, e.g. “What are dinosaurs?”. Can we answer some of little owl’s questions?
4. Follow children’s interests in sharing further pages from one of the dinosaur non-fiction books. Have we answered any more of our questions? Are there any other words which we could add to our vocabulary list?

Poetry/Rhyme of the Week: Dinosaur Roar by Paul Stickland
Introduce on Monday, reading this fun rhyming book to the class. Reread during the week, encouraging children to join in with the text as they begin to learn it. Add actions and intonation. Share with an audience on Friday.

Group Reader: Owls and Dinosaurs
Do you know your Ankylosaurus from your Iguanodon? Join Baby Owl as he discovers more about all kinds of dinosaurs and how they are closer to him than we might think.

Essential texts
Owls and Dinosaurs (Hamilton Group Reader)
Dinosaur Roar by Paul Stickland

Websites
Dinosaur facts: Owls and Dinosaurs Group Reader from Hamilton Trust
Dinosaur raps from bbc.co.uk/cbeebies
Fossil dough instructions from littlepassports.com or Fossil dough instructions from smallstepforstem.com.

Resources
Dinosaur museum role play props.
A range of textured materials, e.g. feathers, fabrics, tissue paper.
Construction materials, junk for modelling.
Salt dough ingredients (see recipe in resources), plastic dinosaurs, clay tools.

1. Dino break-in
2. The Dirty Great Dinosaur
3. Beginning, middle, end...
4. Dino tales

1. Digital dinosaurs
2. Dinosaur signs
3. Dinosaur movement
4. Dinosaur stories

1. Time travellers
2. Doyouthinkhesaurus?
3. Dino dancers
4. The bones of an idea

1. Remind children how information books helped us find out about dinosaurs. Show a fiction and non-fiction book. How are they different? Fiction books tell stories/they are made up. Ask children to imagine what might happen if they met a storybook dinosaur. What might happen at the beginning? What would they do? What would happen in the end?!
2. (After AL2) Show The Dirty Great Dinosaur, flicking through the pages or rereading to remind children of the plot. What did children think? Was it real or made up? Did they like the story? Why? What sort of dinosaur might it have been? What did children think of the ending? Would a dinosaur really eat spaghetti? Do all stories have to be realistic?
3. Share Linus the Vegetarian T. Rex. What happened in the beginning, middle and ending? What was surprising about the dinosaur?
4. Share Saturday Night at the Dinosaur Stomp. Pick out some of the movement words. Can children ‘plod’, ‘bounce’ or ‘amble’ etc.? What might a dinosaur dance be like?
5. Share children’s favourite dinosaur story. What makes it their favourite?

Poetry/Rhyme of the Week: The Dino Hokey-Cokey (see resources): Introduce on Monday (send a copy home). Develop actions. Enjoy performing in the class dinosaur den

Essential text
The Dirty Great Dinosaur by Martin Waddell

Desirable text

Linus the Vegetarian T. Rex by Robert Neubecker

Websites
Dinosaur facts: Owls and Dinosaurs Group Reader from Hamilton Trust
Dinosaur raps from bbc.co.uk/cbeebies
Fossil dough instructions from littlepassports.com or Fossil dough instructions from smallstepforstem.com.
Dinosaur hats from lalymom.com

Resources
Time machine role play props.
Sticks, leaves, branches, rocks.
Stompy ‘dinosaur’ music, instruments.
Art straws