Enhance reading abilities with an activity that enriches and expands children's language and emergent literacy skills.
Download
Page 1 of 2

The Dinosaur Who Lived in My Backyard by B. G. Hennessy

Summary of the Story

A little boy describes the dinosaur who lived in his backyard a long time before the town was even built. The boy tells what the dinosaur ate, how big it was, and how heavy it was. He tells about the dinosaur's friends and the games they played.

Introducing the Story
  • Read the title of the book on the cover, pointing to each word as you say it. Have children repeat the title as you point to each word.
  • Point to the picture on the cover. Ask: What do you think this story is about? What do you think is happening in this picture? (Accept any responses.)

Reading the Story for the First Time

  • Read the story, moving your finger under the words as you read.
  • After reading, ask: Does the dinosaur live with the boy and girl now? (No, the dinosaur lived a long time ago. The boy wishes it still lived there.)

Recalling the Story

  • After you have finished reading, ask children the recall questions below. Continue to ask these questions when you reread the book, until he or she knows the answers.

Reading the Story Again and Again

  • Give open-ended prompts on each page. For example, ask: What is happening in this picture? Where is the dinosaur in this picture? Do less reading of the words to the story each time you read, leaving more and more of the "reading" or retelling to the child.
  • Give prompts about objects or activities in the pictures. For example, ask: What do the children have in their backyard? (They have swings, a slide, a birdbath, trees, grass, a fence, and so on.) Use your finger to point to what you are asking about. Evaluate the child's response. Expand it and ask children to repeat it. If he or she needs help in answering a question, ask that question again the next time you read the book.

Extra Activities

  • Children can demonstrate how the different dinosaurs walked.
  • Some children may be able to name some of the dinosaurs. Write the names of the dinosaurs children know and have everyone say them.

Recall Questions
Ask the following questions to check the children's understanding of the story.

  1. Who lived in the boy's backyard? (A dinosaur lived in his backyard a long time ago.)
  2. How was the dinosaur hatched? (It hatched out of a big egg.)
  3. How big did the dinosaur grow to be? (First, it was as big as a car, and then it grew bigger than the school bus and the house.)
  4. What did the dinosaur eat? (He only ate vegetables.)
  5. What did the dinosaur do with his dinosaur friends? (They played hide-and-seek and had fights.)
  6. What did the boy's town look like when the dinosaurs lived there? (The town was a big swamp.)
  7. At the end of the book, what does the boy wish for? (He wishes the dinosaur still lived in his backyard.)
  8. Why do the boy and girl save all their lima beans? (They save them in case the dinosaur comes back.)

Excerpted from

Read Together, Talk Together
By Pearson Early Childhood

Excerpted from Read Together, Talk Together, the Pearson Early Childhood research-based program that makes reading aloud even more effective!

Featured Kindergarten Resources

Comparative Subtraction Lesson Plan & Worksheet for Kindergarten

LESSON PLANS

Comparative Subtraction: Kindergarten Lesson Plan & Worksheet

Dive into the world of early math with our engaging Comparative Subtraction Lesson Plan & Worksheet for Kindergarten, fe...

Add to Folder
creative writing
children's book
activities
classroom tools
language arts and writing
vocabulary
Create new folderCREATE NEW FOLDER
Odds and Evens Lesson Plan and Printables for Kindergarten

LESSON PLANS

Odds and Evens Kindergarten Lesson Plan & Printables

Engage kindergarteners with this fun and interactive Odds and Evens Lesson Plan that makes learning early math concepts ...

Add to Folder
creative writing
children's book
activities
classroom tools
language arts and writing
vocabulary
Create new folderCREATE NEW FOLDER
Ten More or Ten Less Place Value Lesson Plan for Kindergarten

LESSON PLANS

Ten More or Ten Less: Place Value Lesson Plan & Printables

Dive into the world of place value with this engaging lesson plan for kindergarteners, designed to make learning numbers...

Add to Folder
creative writing
children's book
activities
classroom tools
language arts and writing
vocabulary
Create new folderCREATE NEW FOLDER

Related Resources

BOOK GUIDES

The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter

The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter Summary of the Story Peter Rabbit disobeys his mother and goes to Mr.

Add to Folder
creative writing
children's book
activities
classroom tools
language arts and writing
vocabulary
Create new folderCREATE NEW FOLDER

BOOK GUIDES

Peace at Last by Jill Murphy

Peace at Last by Jill Murphy Summary of the Story Mr. and Mrs. Bear and Baby Bear go to bed. Mr.

Add to Folder
creative writing
children's book
activities
classroom tools
language arts and writing
vocabulary
Create new folderCREATE NEW FOLDER

BOOK GUIDES

The Day the Goose Got Loose by Reeve Lindbergh

The Day the Goose Got Loose by Reeve LindberghSummary of the Story A goose gets loose and causes havoc on the farm.

Add to Folder
creative writing
children's book
activities
classroom tools
language arts and writing
vocabulary
Create new folderCREATE NEW FOLDER

BOOK GUIDES

Pigs Aplenty, Pigs Galore! by David McPhail

Pigs Aplenty, Pigs Galore! by David McPhailSummary of the Story A man is sitting quietly reading a book, when he hears t...

Add to Folder
creative writing
children's book
activities
classroom tools
language arts and writing
vocabulary
Create new folderCREATE NEW FOLDER

BOOK GUIDES

Rabbits and Raindrops by Jim Arnosky

Rabbits and Raindrops by Jim Arnosky Summary of the Story A mother rabbit takes her five babies out of the nest for the ...

Add to Folder
creative writing
children's book
activities
classroom tools
language arts and writing
vocabulary
Create new folderCREATE NEW FOLDER

BOOK GUIDES

The Father Who Had 10 Children by Benedicte Guettier

The Father Who Had 10 Children by Benedicte Guettier Every day the father who has 10 children gets up and makes breakfas...

Add to Folder
creative writing
children's book
activities
classroom tools
language arts and writing
vocabulary
Create new folderCREATE NEW FOLDER

About the author

TeacherVision Staff

TeacherVision Editorial Staff

The TeacherVision editorial team is comprised of teachers, experts, and content professionals dedicated to bringing you the most accurate and relevant information in the teaching space.

loading gif