Descriptosaurus is a brilliant creative writing resource which will definitely expand children's descriptive vocabulary. The activities outlined enable the children to experiment with language and sentence structure and build up narratives based around the following three areas: Settings (landscapes, settlements, atmospheres), Characters (appearance, emotions and personality), Creatures (appearance, abilities and habitats).
The book has been created as a result of feedback from children about the resources they required to inspire and assist them with their writing. The interactive whiteboard-compatible CD-Rom contains all of the main elements of the book as well as planning sheets to help the children organise and structure their descriptions and useful exercises on adverbs and connectives. I personally think that this book is brilliant for reluctant writers or those faced with “blank page syndrome".
The words and phrases that the author lists give clear ideas of how to describe settings and characters. She challenges the children to answer the question: does your sentence paint a vivid picture for the reader? The children are then invited to use the words in the book to search for vocabulary to paint a more detailed picture.
I feel that using Descriptosaurus will not only inspire children – it will build their confidence and dramatically improve the content of their writing. A first class resource.
Descriptosaurus: Supporting creative writing for ages 8 to 14
By Alison Wilcox
ISBN: 9780415640862
www.routledge.com/education.
£29.99
Review: Tom Donohoe