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Teacher’s Guide

Dinosaurs Reading Adventure

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How To Make Learning To Read Fun For Every Child In The Early Years

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DinosaursReading Adventure

How To Make Learning To Read Fun For Every Child In The Early Years

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© 2017 by Wriggly Readers. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any written, electronic, recording, or photocopying without written permission of the publisher or author. The exception would be in the case of brief quotations embodied in the critical articles or reviews and pages where permission is specifically granted by the publisher or author.

Although every precaution has been taken to verify the accuracy of the information contained herein, the author and publisher assume no responsibility for any errors or omissions. No liability is assumed for damages that may result from the use of information contained within.

Publisher: Wriggly ReadersFirst Edition

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ContentsIntroduction 7

How It Works 9

1. Say Hello To Dotty! 10

2. Story Time 10

3. Play The Game 12

4. Reward Reading 14

5. Extend The Learning 14

Classroom Resources 15

Triceratops Hat 16

Prehistoric Puppets 17

Colouring Pictures 18

Song Book 19

Label the Dinosaur 20

Tricky Word Fossils 21

Dinosaur Dig Role Play 22

I Spy With My Little Eye 23

Sentence Sorters 24

Fossil Flash Cards 25

Swamp Game 26

Bone Paper 27

Home Learning 29

Reading Adventure 30

Level 1 - Reading Cards 31

Level 2 - Reading Cards 32

Level 3 - Reading Cards 33

Dinosaur’s Dinner 34

Egg Rescue Reward Chart 35

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Introduction

Dear dedicated teacher,

Congratulations for joining the Wriggly Readers Club and welcome aboard!

I’m excited to say that you’re one of the lucky teachers to be holding this magic ‘key’ in your hands - a book bursting with creative reading resources so that you can use easily to unlock jaw-dropping progress for every little reader in your class, even the ones who struggle or show little interest in wanting to read at school or at home.

As a teacher myself with over 10 years experience in Early Years and Key Stage One education, I know how important it is to teach phonics from a young age so that children can develop their letter and word recognition, comprehension skills, fluency and confidence in reading. I also know how impotant it is to make this as fun, play-based and enjoyable as possible so that children can reach life’s ultimate reading goal: to choose to read for pleasure and find reading fun.

The practical activities I’m going to share with you will change the attitude that your children and their parents have towards reading, creating so many happy memories together along the way. By following my tried and tested strategy, you’ll be able to help each and every child in your class, not only to read, but to love to read.

I can’t wait for your children to get started!

Hannah Angrave

Founder of Wriggly Readers

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How It Works

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2. Story Time

Dotty has come to your school to deliver a shiny golden envelope. It contains an urgent letter for you to read out loud to the children, either in a small group or 1:1, and asks for the children’s help to rescue all of her eggs.

You must read the letter before you do anything else because it will give the learning a context and motivate them to read.

1. Say Hello To Dotty!

Meet Dotty the Diplodocus. She’s feeling very upset because a naughty pterodactyl has stolen all of her eggs.

This dinosaur hand puppet is specifically designed to be used as a teaching prop at the beginning of the session to engage with the children, capture their imagination and promote speaking and listening skills.

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Storytelling Tips

Develop your children’s listening and comprehension skills by asking them a few questions about the story at the end, for example...

How many characters were there?

What was the setting like? Where did the story take place?

Who was the letter from?

How did you feel when the eggs were stolen?

Why didn’t Tim want to help?

Was Sid a good friend? Why/why not?

What word can you think of to describe the pterodactyl?

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3. Play The Game

Next you will need to play the game with the children to help Dotty rescue all of her eggs.

Game Instructions

1. Give each player a dinosaur mat.

2. Choose which reading level you need (there is more information on the next page to help you to decide).

3. Spread out the cards, making sure that the eggs are facing up.

4. Take it in turns to pick a card. The child has to read the word and place it on the picture of the nest on the dinosaur mat. Then let the next player have a go.

5. The aim of the game is to collect all of the eggs.

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Put word card here after the child reads it!

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There are 3 different levels of word cards so you will need to choose which one matches your children’s reading ability.

Take a look at the coloured boxes below to help you decide which level is right for your child or group.

1 2 3

It’s important to work at the right level in order to consolidate existing phonic knowledge, give them an appropriate challenge and boost their confidence and enjoyment of reading. But more importantly, the main thing is to have fun and create happy memories of playing and learning together!

Here are a few examples of the learning included in each level.

Reading with increased fluency and expression Complex words and sentences to develop comprehension skills

Yellow banded books or higher

Working within phase 4 phonics taught in schools

Secure at reading pink cards in Level 1 Vowel digraph recognition (e.g. sh, ai, ee)

Reading longer words and sentences

Red banded books

Working within phase 3 phonics taught in schools

Beginning to learn to read

Letter recognition Reading simple words and short sentences

Pink banded books

Working within phase 1 or 2 phonics taught in schools

1

to

2

was

3

some

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5. Extend The Learning

The fun doesn’t have to stop when the game finishes. This Reading Adventure is full of so many other hands-on activities to make learning to read a happy and memorable experience. Take a look at all the other classroom activities and irresistable home learning challenges on the next pages...

4. Reward Reading

Don’t forget to reward your child’s brilliant reading at the end with a prehistoric certificate! You can personalise it by writing their name on the top line, as well as who it’s from and the date at the bottom.

There are also some super-saurus stickers included to make them feel extra proud of all their hard work. You could use them during the game or at the end. Giving your child regular praise will really do wonders for their self confidence and willingness to read.

Children will make accelerated progress if they continue to practise reading on a regular basis, at home

and at school.

To:

A Big Dinosaur

Well Done!

Signed:

Date:

super-saurus

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Classroom Resources

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Triceratops Hat

This creative resource will encourage children to act out their own dinosaur stories in the role play area. It’s so simple to make and it’s a great way to practise cutting skills too.

Activity Type: CreativeUsed For: Independent, 1:1 or group

workApprox Time: 15 minutesSkills: Fine motor, cutting skills,

imaginative play.

You will need:

• Printable ‘Triceratops Hat’ templates

• Pencil crayons or felt tips

• Scissors

• Sellotape or glue

Why don’t you play the ‘Dinosaur Swamp’ game to put your Triceratops

hat to good use? Take a look at the instructions on page 26.

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Prehistoric Puppets

This simple stick puppet activity is so much fun to do and helps to develop a wide range of skills, both during the making stage and during the playing afterwards. Can your children think of their own dinosaur-stomping stories and put on a puppet show for an audience to watch?

Activity Type: CreativeFor: Independent, 1:1 or group

workApprox Time: 10 minutesSkills: Fine motor, cutting skills,

language development, imaginative play.

You will need:

• Printable ‘Prehistoric Puppets’ sheet

• Scissors

• Lollipop sticks or straws

• Sellotape

It’s a good idea to print the stick puppets on card or laminate them to make them stronger.

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Dinosaur Stick Puppetsreaders

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Colouring Pictures

Children love colouring in, so that’s why we’ve even included some special pictures for them to decorate. There are lots more to print out in the online member’s area which include all the characters from the story.

Activity Type: CreativeFor: Independent, 1:1 or group

workApprox Time: 5 minutesSkills: Fine motor skills,

communication and language development

You will need:

• Printable ‘Colouring Pictures’ sheets

• Pencil crayons or felt tips

These detailed pictures will get your little ones talking about all the things they can see. It’s the perfect starting

point to improve communication and language skills.

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Song Book

Singing does wonders for children’s Literacy skills as they develop an awareness of the sounds in spoken words, such as rhyme and alliteration. So get your singing voices ready and give your class a lifetime love of language with our roar-some song book!

There are 5 catchy songs to learn and each one is to the tune of a familiar Nursery Rhyme:

• Long, Long Ago

• A Little Baby Dinosaur

• If You’re A Tyrannosaurus

• Once There Was A Dinosaur

• Mr Dinosaur

Activity Type: CreativeFor: Small group or whole classApprox Time: 10 minutesSkills: Language skills, speaking

and listening skills

You will need:

• Printable dinosaur ‘Song Book’

• Instruments (optional)

Long, Long Ago

Dinosaurs lived on the Earth,

On the Earth, on the Earth,

Dinosaurs lived on the Earth, long long ago.

T-Rexes were meat eaters,

Meat eaters, meat eaters,

T-Rexes were meat eaters, long long ago.

Stegosaurus had prickly spikes,

Prickly spikes, prickly spikes,

Stegosaurus had prickly spikes, long long ago.

Triceratops had big sharp horns,

Big sharp horns, big sharp horns,

Triceratops had big sharp horns, long long ago.

Pterodactyls flew in the air,

Flew in the air, flew in the air,

Pterodactyls flew in the air, long long ago.

All the Dinosaurs disappeared,

Disappeared, disappeared,

All the Dinosaurs disappeared, long long ago.

Tune: London Bridge Is Falling Down

A Little Baby

Dinosaur

A little baby dinosaur

Climbed up to the top

Of a volcano

Ready to pop!

Out came the lava,

So very, very hot

The little baby dinosaur

Ran home without a stop!

Tune: Insey Winsey SpiderIf You’re A

Tyrannosaurus

Tune: If You’re Happy And You Know It

If you’re a T-Rex, show your teeth,

Roar, roar!

If you’re a T-Rex, show your teeth,

Roar, roar!

If you’re a T-Rex and you really want to show it,

If you’re a T-Rex, show your teeth,

Roar, roar!

If you’re a Diplodocus, swing your tail…

Swish, swish!

If you’re a Diplodocus, swing your tail…

Swish, swish!

If you’re a Diplodocus and you really want to show it,

If you’re a Diplodocus, swing your tail,

Swish, swish!

If you’re a Triceratops, point your horns…

Watch out!

If you’re a Triceratops, point your horns…

Watch out!

If you’re a Triceratops and you really want to show it,

If you’re a Triceratops, point your horns,

Watch out!

If you’re a Pterodactyl, flap your wings,

Flap, flap,

If you’re a Pterodactyl, flap your wings,

Flap, flap,

If you’re a Pterodactyl and you really want to show it,

If you’re a Pterodactyl, flap your wings,

Flap flap!

Mr Dinosaur

Tune: Frere Jacques

Mr Dinosaur, Mr Dinosaur,

Wave your tail, give a roar.

Stomp your feet on the ground.

Make a very loud sound.

Mr Dinosaur, give a roar!

Mr Dinosaur, Mr Dinosaur,

Wave your tail, give a roar.

When you give your tail a shake

You could cause an earthquake!

Mr Dinosaur, give a roar!

Dinosaurs

1. Long, Long Ago

2. A Little Baby Dinosaur

3. If You’re A Tyrannosaurus

4. Once There Was A Dinosaur

5. Mr Dinosaur

Song Book

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Can your children help you to make up some

actions for the lyrics?

Once There Was A Dinosaur

Once there was a dinosaur,And all he did was roar, roar, roar.He roared high,And he roared low,He roared fast,And he roared slow,Once there was a dinosaur,And all he did was roar, roar, roar!

Tune: Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star

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Label the Dinosaur readers

Label the Dinosaur

For this cut and stick activity, your children can enjoy labelling the different body parts. Can they use non-fiction books to see if they can look for information about each dinosaur?

Activity Type: Non-fiction writingFor: IndependentApprox Time: 10 minutesSkills: Pencil control, phonics,

letter formation, cutting skills

You will need:

• Printable ‘Label the Dinosaur’ sheets

• Pencil

• Scissors and glue

Choose from two differentiated sheets depending on the ability

of each child. Either cut and stick the words in the right place or use

exciting adjectives to write their own labels as a challenge.

Label the Dinosaur readers

tailhornlegs

mouth nails spikes

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Activity Type: Physical, ReadingFor: Small group, independent

or partner workApprox Time: 10 minutesSkills: Gross motor skills, team

work, letter and word recognition

You will need:

• Laminated ‘Tricky Word Fossils’ sheets

Instructions

1. Login to the online member’s area and print the ‘Tricky Word Fossils’ sheets (you will need to print 2 sheets - one has a coloured dinosaur fossil on it and the other is a black and white outline with tricky words inside).2. Use the photocopier to combine both images onto one piece of paper (back-to-back, enlarged to A3).2. Cut around the outline of the dinosaur and along the dotted lines to make jigsaw pieces.3. Laminate each jigsaw piece.4. Shuffle the pieces or hide them in the outside area and put them back together in the right place. On your marks, get set... dig!

Tricky Word Fossils

This reading game is a Wriggly Readers’ favourite! It’s designed especially for your children to work together as a team to ‘dig up’ all the missing bones and rebuild the dinosaur fossils.

There is a blank version of the black and white outline incase

you want to write your own words or letters and sounds on

each piece.

the

into no

to

go

I

front back

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skull

Dinosaur Dig Role Play

Activity Type: ReadingFor: Role PlaySkills: Letter recognition,

segmenting and blending, language and communication.

Create exciting opportunities to read by turning your outside area into a fossil mining train. This unique role play pack comes with posters, photographs, writing challenges and more.

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brusheggs foot print

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I Spy With My Little Eye

This game is just the thing for developing children’s language and communication skills. It will stir their curiosity and spark conversations as they explore the tiny pictures with their friends.

Activity Type: Language and communication

For: Independent or 1:1Approx Time: 5 minutesSkills: Speaking skills,

language development, observational skills

You will need:

• Printable ‘I Spy With My Little Eye’ sheet

• Magnifying glass

I Spy With My Little Eyereaders

You could also use it as a one-to-one activity to help EAL children or those that

are below average with their speaking skills. Use it to broaden vocabulary, boost

speaking confidence or follow simple instructions, e.g. find me something

green/beginning with the letter ‘b’ etc.

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Sentence Sorter

Cut out the words and stick them in the right order underneath the picture.

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3Level

little

There

footprints. some

are

Sentence SorterCut out the words and stick them in the right order underneath the picture.

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is

2Level

biggerthan He

ahut.

Sentence Sorters

Our Sentence Sorters help children to orally rehearse a sentence and put the words in the right order. It can be used in so many different ways, either independently on the writing table, during a focused Literacy lesson with a teacher or teaching assistant or even sent home as home learning for extra practise.

Sentence Sorter

Cut out the words and stick them in the right order underneath the picture.

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I

tap

1Level

rock.

can the

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Fossil Flash Cards

These fossil flash cards cover all the letters and sounds that your children are learning in phase 2 and phase 3 phonics. Perfect for a speedy sounds recap at the beginning of a phonics lesson or in the sand tray ready to be dug up!

How about playing our dinosaur ‘Swamp Game’ on page 26? Your

little ones will love it!

Letters and Sounds

Phase 3

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This game is a really fun and active way to sneak in some extra reading practise while the children are playing and having fun. It’s definitely one that they will want to play again and again!

Swamp Game

Instructions

1. Login to the online member’s area, print off the ‘Fossil Flash Cards’ and laminate to make them long-lasting.2. Find a large space to play the game, e.g. in the hall, on the field or playground.3. Place a sheet of blue fabric on the ground (the swamp) with the flash cards spread out on top.4. Choose one child to be the ‘dinosaur’ in the swamp, where they have to stand on the blue fabric.4. The other children have to sit facing the blue fabric and they all chant... “Dinosaur, dinosaur, may we cross your slimy swamp?”5. The child who is the dinosaur replies “Yes, but only if you know this sound”. They have to hold up a flash card of their choice. The person who gets it right can go to sit on the other side of the swamp.6. The aim of the game is for all the other ‘dinosaurs’ to safely cross the swamp!

Activity Type: PhysicalFor: Small groupApprox Time: 10 minutesSkills: Letter and sound

recognition, listening skills, gross motor skills.

You will need:

• Printable ‘Fossil Flash Cards’

• Blue fabric

• Triceratops hat for the child in the swamp to wear (page 16, optional)

Once you’ve modelled it, you could leave the resources in the outside

area for your children to initiate the game themselves.

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Bone Paper

Children need lots of opportunities to practise their writing skills in new and exciting ways. Our dinosaur bone paper will get them writing with interest and enthusiasm. Whether it’s guided by a teacher or completely child initiated, your children will love using the themed paper to write their own dino-tastic stories, lists, invitations and more.

Activity Type: WritingFor: Independent, 1:1 or guided

workSkills: Pencil control, letter

formation, phonics skills, creative writing

Three writing templates for children with

different abilities and handwriting sizes! Children are more eager to write

if they choose to do it themselves.How about putting the paper on clipboards in the fossil hunting

role play?

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Home Learning

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Reading Adventure

It’s so important for children to practice reading at home, that’s why our Dinosaur Reading Adventure comes as a handy printable for every child to play with their family too. We know how much children love playing games and having fun, so we’ve made learning to read just as fun. This irresistable home learning activity will motivate even the most reluctant reader and will amaze you and your parents with how much more they want to read at home.

Activity Type: ReadingFor: Home learning (small group

or 1:1)Approx Time: 20 minutesSkills: Listening and concentration

skills, rhyming words, comprehension skills, phonics, blending and segmenting

You will need to send home:

• Printable dinosaur ‘Reading Adventure’ for home learning, including tricky word egg cards as shown on pages 31 - 33.

Your parents will know exactly what to do with all the resources because they come with a set of instructions.

We recommend that you send everything home in a plastic wallet

to keep them altogether.

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Black and white printable to save ink... your children can colour them in too!

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Level 1 - Reading Cards

You will need to choose the right level of ability that matches the child’s

individual needs.

an and as at back

big but can dad get

1Level

Word Cards

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got had him his if

in is it mum not

1LevelWord Cards

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Level 2 - Reading Cards

down for look now see

that them then this too

2Level

Word Cards

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will with all are be

he her me my she

tricky word! tricky word! tricky word!

tricky word! tricky word! tricky word! tricky word! tricky word!

2LevelWord Cards

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Level 3 - Reading Cards

children from help it’s just

went come do have liketricky word!tricky word!

tricky word!tricky word!

3Level

Word Cards

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there were what when

tricky word! tricky word! tricky word! tricky word!

little one out said so

some

tricky word!

tricky word!tricky word!

tricky word!tricky word!

tricky word!

3LevelWord Cards

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Dinosaur’s Dinner

At Wriggly Readers, our mission is to make learning to read fun for children so that they can make leaps of progress, and this phonics game ticks all those boxes!

This engaging activity is designed especially to help children working within phase 2 phonics. It comes with a handy instruction sheet so that your child and their parents know exactly what to do at home.

Dinosaur’s Dinnerreaders

s a t p i n

Instructions

1. Cut out the cards.2. Feed the dinosaur some letters by arrange them in the dinosaur’s belly to make a word.3. Read the word by segmenting and blending each sound.

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Egg Rescue Reward Chart

Some children find reading difficult or don’t enjoy it, which can often mean that they struggle to find the motivation to read at home. This can be a worry to both teachers and parents as they are missing out on invaluable learning opportunities to consolidate their reading skills.

Our reading reward chart is the perfect way to encourage your reluctant readers to practise outside of school so they can keep making the progress that they deserve.

The naughty pterodactyl has hidden the dinosaur’s eggs up a tree. Can your child read 10 times to rescue them?

Cut out the dinosaur below and stick it on the first foot print with blu tac.

Every time your child reads their book, they can move one step closer to the nest!

Start here

Keep going!

Nearly there!

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Well done!

The child is able to personalise it with their name and choose a reward

to work towards too.