Dinosaurs as a Term Topic for EYFS
In the EYFS classes the teaching team strives to develop lifelong learning skills. At this stage in the child’s education, gaining confidence with reading and writing will be at the top of the educational agenda. Dinosaurs as a half-term or full-term teaching project can really help to stimulate the interest of the pupils in literacy and numeracy. As our dinosaur expert states during briefings with teachers, prior to a dinosaur workshop, when teaching about prehistoric animals the teachers are “pushing at an open door.”
Most children love to learn about dinosaurs, these long extinct reptiles that once dominated our planet. During the EYFS years children need to develop good listening and attention skills along with understanding. Helping to encourage children to speak in front of one another to explain thinking and understanding. EYFS children generally love talking about dinosaurs and expressing views about their favourite prehistoric animals.
A Dinosaur Display at a Reception Class
Lots of literacy and numeracy activities displayed.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
Help the pupils to form their own sentences, encourage writing, trying to incorporate finger spacing, capital letters and full stops. At this stage in the educational programme the children will be encouraged to read and write words using phonic knowledge. Dinosaur stories as fiction stories can help this and the children can be exposed to non-fiction texts about dinosaurs as well. Challenge the children to write their own non-fiction page about a dinosaur that can then be incorporated into a class topic book all about prehistoric animals.
To view the range of dinosaur themed toys and gifts available from Everything Dinosaur: Prehistoric Animal Models, Toys and Gifts.
Dinosaur Workshops in School
Everything Dinosaur provides a range of dinosaur workshops and our experts deliver tailor-made lesson plans to support the teaching team with their learning objectives. We also provide plenty of extension activities and other resources to help support the scheme of work for the classroom.
For more information about Everything Dinosaur’s work helping to teach about dinosaurs and prehistoric animals: Contact Everything Dinosaur.
Dinosaurs as a term topic can really help EYFS develop lifelong learning skills.