Oxford Tree Oxford Level 4 My Dinosaur Author: Charlotte Raby Teacher s Notes author: Becca Heddle Text types: explanation; recount Curriculum link: Geography Synopsis This book explains how seven-year-old Diego from Chile found the first bones of a new kind of dinosaur, the Chilesaurus. The book also provides information about this dinosaur, comparing it to a Tyrannosaurus rex. Group/Guided reading Introducing the book Together, read the title and look at the picture of the dinosaur. Ask: Have you read any books about dinosaurs before? Discuss what the children already know about dinosaurs and then say: I wonder what sort of dinosaur that is. (Predicting) Look at the other pictures on the front cover. Ask: What do you think this book will tell us about? Discuss the children s ideas. Now read p4. Ask: Who is the I in the sentence? Who is speaking? Draw out that I refers to Diego and that he is speaking. Ask: Does anyone know where in the world Chile is? Find it on a map of the world. Strategy check As they read, encourage the children to sound out and blend new words, e.g. f-o-ss-i-l. This book includes many decodable words, providing lots of opportunities for children to practise the skill of sounding out and blending new words. There are also some high-frequency tricky words in the book. Support the children with these words, explaining that they are tricky but also very common and useful. If a word is too difficult, simply read the word for them: come when some what were there like one said There are a number of topic words used in the book. These include common words that may not conform to the phonics teaching that children will have learned at this point, and subject-specific vocabulary that may be unfamiliar. They are listed and defined on the inside front cover. Explain to the children that these words may be challenging but they are important for the topic. Read these words for the children if necessary, to help build familiarity before they read the book independently: Chile Diego dinosaur plants Chilesaurus
During reading Ask the children to read the book aloud and help them where necessary. Praise and encourage them as they read. On p5, ask: Does anyone know what a fossil is? Read p6 and discuss the diagram that shows how fossils are formed. (Questioning) Ask the children to pair up with someone else. Ask them to make up questions about the stages of fossil formation, taking it in turns to ask and answer the questions. (Predicting) After reading p7, ask: Does anyone know what we might find out from looking at fossils? Take in any suggestions and then say: Let s read on and see if we find out. Looking at the photo on p8, ask: What do you think it would feel like to be there? Prompt the children to look for clues to back up what they say. (Summarizing) After reading p11, encourage the children to retell the events of finding the dinosaur to a partner. Say: I wonder why Diego calls it my dinosaur. Invite the children to make suggestions. Returning to the book Turn to p16. Tell the children that the Glossary explains the meanings of certain words. These words appear in bold in the book. Tell them to look out for these words when they read the book independently and encourage them to use the Glossary when they read the book again. (Clarifying) Draw the children s attention to the Index on p16. Tell the children that an index is an alphabetical list of words that can be found in the book, with references to the pages they appear on. Say that you would like to find out more about T. rex and challenge the children to use the Index to turn to a page that will help you with this. Independent reading Introduce the book as in the Group/Guided reading section above. Encourage the children to look through the book as independently as possible, looking carefully at the pictures. Remember to give them lots of encouragement and praise. As they read, encourage the children to sound out and blend new words, e.g. s-e-v-e-n, t-ur-n, i-m-p-or-t-a-n-t, ch-u-n-k. This book also contains a number of topic words, which children may need more support with at this stage, but which enrich the book. They are listed and defined on the inside front cover. If a word is too difficult, simply read the word for them. Remind the children to use the pictures to support their comprehension when reading the text. Speaking and listening As a class, brainstorm questions for a newspaper or TV reporter to ask Diego. Then, in pairs, get the children to role-play a short interview, with one of them being the reporter and the other being Diego. You could model this for them by acting out an example exchange, e.g. say: Diego, how did you feel when you found the dinosaur? I felt excited! Ask the children to divide into pairs, and to look back at pp12 15 together. Ask them to describe the dinosaurs to each other, with one child describing the Tyrannosaurus rex and the other describing the Chilesaurus. Ask the children to tell their partner which is their favourite dinosaur the T. rex or the Chilesaurus and why.
activity Ask each child to pick an event from the book and draw a picture to show it. Imagining they are Diego, ask the children to write a simple sentence to say what is happening in the picture they have drawn. Encourage them to talk to a partner first about what they are going to write. Encourage them to look again at their picture and add some labels, using the book to help them. Cross-curricular activity Geography Say: I wonder why Diego s dinosaur is called a Chilesaurus. If necessary, ask: What is the name of the country where Diego found the dinosaur? Support the children to use books or the Internet in small groups to find out some facts about Chile. They could make a poster or do a presentation to the class to share what they have found out.
My Dinosaur Curriculum links and assessment Links to Oxford Criterion Scale Reads familiar words with growing automaticity. This includes the YR and some of the Y1/2 high frequency words which are easily decodable and some common exception words. (READ) (Standard 2, 2) Can talk about texts, expressing opinions about things they like and dislike in stories, poems and non-fiction texts. (E) (Standard 2, 3) Can use growing knowledge of vocabulary to establish meaning when reading aloud. (D) (Standard 2, 7) Letters and Sounds: Phase 4 infact Level 4 books are designed to support children with the transition from phonic readers to richer reading with highly decodable non-fiction. These books cover non-fiction topics using natural language, with a high proportion of phonically decodable words and a selection of high-frequency words. Each book also has a limited number of non-decodable or unfamiliar topic words to enrich the language and ensure that children learn something new. ENGLAND The National Curriculum in England: English programme of study, Year 1 Spoken Language National Curriculum objectives maintain attention and participate actively in collaborative conversations, staying on topic and initiating and responding to comments (SpokLang.6) read accurately by blending sounds in unfamiliar words containing GPCs that have been taught (Y1 ReadWord.3) explain clearly their understanding of what is read to them (Y1 ReadComp.4) saying out loud what they are going to write about (Y1 WritComp.1i) beginning to punctuate sentences using a capital letter and a full stop, question mark or exclamation mark (Y1 WritVoc.1iii) the group and with their partner. Check the children stay on topic. Check the children sound out and blend unknown words when they read them. Check the children say their sentences before they write them. SCOTLAND Curriculum for Excellence: Literacy experiences and outcomes, First Level Listening and talking Experiences and outcomes When I engage with others, I know when and how to listen, when to talk, how much to say, when to ask questions and how to respond with respect. (LIT 1-02a) I can use my knowledge of sight vocabulary, phonics, context clues, punctuation and grammar to read with understanding and expression. (ENG 1-12a) To show my understanding, I can respond to different kinds of questions and other close reading tasks and I am learning to create some questions of my own. (ENG 1-17a) I enjoy creating texts of my choice and I regularly select subject, purpose, format and resources to suit the needs of my audience. (LIT 1-20a / LIT 2-20a) I can write independently, use appropriate punctuation and order and link my sentences in a way that makes sense. (LIT 1-22a) Check the children sound out and blend unknown words when they read them. Check the children can ask and answer questions to show they Check the children can compose an appropriate sentence about their drawing.
WALES Curriculum for Wales: Foundation Phase Framework, Year 1 Oracy Framework objectives contribute to conversations and respond to others, taking turns when prompted (Y1_OracColl.1) apply the following reading strategies with increasing independence phonic strategies to decode words (Y1_ReadStrat.5i) recall details from information texts (Y1_ReadComp.3) talk about what they are going to write (Y1_WritMean.4) use capital letters and full stops with some degree of consistency (Y1_WritHGPS.2) Check the children sound out and blend unknown words when they read them. Check the children say their sentences before they write them. NORTHERN IRELAND Levels of Progression in Communication across the curriculum: Level 1/2 Talking and listening Levels of Progression follow discussions, make contributions and observe conventions of conversation (L2_com_talk.2i) understand that words are made up of sounds and syllables and that sounds are represented by letters (L1_com_read.2i) talk about what they read and answer questions (L1_com_read.5) talk about what they are going to write (L1_com_writ.1) use basic punctuation (L2_com_writ.4i) Check the children sound out and blend unknown words when they read them. Check the children say their sentences before they write them.