After school and a play date, a quiet activity was needed to unwind. These Usborne sticker books were perfect.
Resources
- Usborne Build Your Own Dinosaurs Sticker Book
- Usborne First Sticker Book of Dinosaurs
Method
Ioan was keen to start this book. We flicked through the pages and I covered up the dinosaur’s name, to see if he could identify them from their skeletons. He did really well!
Then, I made sure he was confident with reading the ‘Contents’ page and using it to find the dinosaur he wanted.
He started with the spinosaurus, the boys are both fascinated with it at the moment. He loved the sticker showing the scale of the dinosaurs, compared to a human.
Next he moved onto the T-Rex.
Ioan paused sticking the euoplocephalus, as the dinosaur on top of the skeleton emerged. He was so excited, and ran to get his dinosaur that we had assumed was an ankylosaurus. He pointed out the spikes behind the neck made it an euoplocephalus, not an ankylosaurus. We paused sticking and got researching, finding that:
“A prominent feature of Ankylosaurus was its armor, consisting of knobs and plates of bone known as osteoderms, or scutes, embedded in the skin. These have not been found in articulation, so their exact placement on the body is unknown, though inferences can be made based on related animals, and various configurations have been proposed. The osteoderms ranged from 1 cm (0.4 in) in diameter to 35.5 cm (14.0 in) in length, and varied in shape. The osteoderms of Ankylosaurus were generally thin walled and hollowed on the underside.”
“Compared to Euoplocephalus, the osteoderms of Ankylosaurus were smoother. Small osteoderms and ossicles probably occupied the space between the larger ones. The osteoderms covering the body were very flat, though with a low keel at one margin.”
Happy that his careful observations had lead to a new discovery, he then flicked to the glossary to check the pronunciation of the name, carefully sounding it out.
Ioan was also interested in the fact similarities between the pteranodon and one of his favourites, the pterodactyl.
Finn happily worked through his dinosaur book, telling us the ‘real’ dinosaur name as he worked. Then going and finding the dinosaur from his collection. He was just disappointed there was no sticker page for his ‘bathosaurus’!
DfES Early Learning Goals (2017)
Physical development
ELG 04 – Moving and handling:
Children show good control and co-ordination in large and small movements. They move confidently in a range of ways, safely negotiating space. They handle equipment and tools effectively, including pencils for writing.
Literacy
ELG 09 – Reading:
Children read and understand simple sentences. They use phonic knowledge to decode regular words and read them aloud accurately. They also read some common irregular words. They demonstrate understanding when talking with others about what they have read.
