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Welcome to
Helicopter Stories
- Letting Imagination Fly
Here you will find both our Online Learning programmes and our Helicopter Stories blogs.
We are delighted to introduce Helicopter Stories On Demand. This brand new training course consists of a series of videos, presented by Trisha Lee, taking you through the entire Helicopter Stories process and the ethos behind it.
Alongside this, in Online Learning, we have The Poetry Basket, consisting of thirty-six poems, created to support speech and language development in a fun and creative way.
About Helicopter Stories:
Helicopter Stories is based on the Storytelling and Story Acting curriculum of renowned Early Years practitioner Vivian Gussin Paley. Vivian was patron to MakeBelieve Arts until her death in July 2019. MakeBelieve Arts is a small education charity and we have been pioneering her work in the UK since 2002.
During a Helicopter Stories session, children dictate their stories to an adult scribe. Later that same day, the whole class gather around a taped out stage and the stories are acted out. The approach is suitable for children aged 2 to 7 years old.
In 2015 Trisha Lee published Princesses, Dragons and Helicopter Stories (available to buy in our online shop), to support teachers and practitioners to incorporate the approach on a regular basis. The book includes a forward by Vivian Gussin Paley.
This Helicopter Stories site has been created to share our thoughts and ideas about the approach and to respond to questions we have been asked during training sessions.
You can get in touch with us here, or email us at info@helicopterstories.co.uk We can also be reached on 01249 714 607.
Helicopter Stories
Blogs
With many schools and nurseries closed, or remaining open for only a small section of their community, we’ve had several...
One of the Lucky Ones: Poetry for Children with Additional Needs Guest Blog: Nadine Jones The children that stand out are...
Guest Blog: Amanda Belbin ‘Chop Chop, Choppity Chop.’ Since my Nursery Class signed up to The Poetry Basket, the words...
Guest Blog: Sally Veale Vice Principal – Ashgrove Academy Cheshire Sally is one of MakeBelieve Arts Helicopter Stories Champions I...
“Brrrrrm, Brrrrm, Brrrrm, Brrrrm, Brrrm, chhhhugg chhhuggg chhhugg chhhuuuggg chhuuugg Chuggg chhhhhh eeeeeeeeeeeeeeekkkkk ahhhhhh…” Hamir aged 5 Hamir is a...
Guest Blog: Kathryn Stevens Pre-school Teacher, Watermead Day Nursery, Leicestershire “Do a Nativity,” they said.“The parents will love it,” they...
One of the questions I am asked the most about Helicopter Stories is how can we enhance children’s language acquisition...
Guest Blog: Bonnie Mendoza Head of EYFS – Ark John Keats Academy Bonnie is one of MakeBelieve Arts Helicopter Stories...
Vivian Gussin Paley January 25th 1929 – July 26th 2019 Vivian Gussin Paley, world-renowned author, pre-school and kindergarten teacher sadly...
There are very few rules for Helicopter Stories. It can be adapted to fit within any early years setting and...
Guest Blog: Shernice Donovan Year 1 Teacher, Rusthall St Paul’s, Kent Back in June 2018, when I found out I...
Ggggggrrrrrh, Ggggggrrrrrh, Ggggggrrrrrh, Ggggggrrrrrh, Ggggggrrrrrh, Ggggggrrrrrh, Ggggggrrrrrh, Ggggggrrrrrh, He scares the people away. He scares the people in the garden....
Guest Blog: Isla Hill Education Director MakeBelieve Arts Chelsea’s Story* Once there was a little boy called Oscar. He went...
I am often asked about List Stories, and how to act them out. Naming a list of characters or objects...
At the beginning of a new academic year, I am often asked, ‘When is a good time to start Helicopter Stories?’...
The Ofsted Bold Beginnings report stated a need for children in Reception to be taught proper pencil grip and how...
Bella sat beside me. I wrote her name at the top of my A5 sheet of paper, and she started...
One of the questions that is often asked about Helicopter Stories is why both Isla Hill and I scribe verbatim,...
There is no hard and fast rule about how to keep a record of the children's stories you collect during...
Yesterday I visited a nursery where the Helicopter Stories approach had not been working. The moment I got the email...
Now Available
Helicopter Stories On Demand
The most comprehensive training MakeBelieve Arts has ever offered.
Helicopter Stories On Demand gives you a year of online access to over four hours of videos presented by Trisha Lee. The course goes into detail about the four stages of Helicopter Stories and how to introduce it in your setting. Additional units will be added throughout the year. The course is packed full of anecdotes, video footage of children engaging in Helicopter Stories and is rooted in sound educational philosophy.
Cost: £360 per individual school or setting.
If you are a small setting you can apply to info@helicopterstories.co.uk for a 50% discount.
To find out more…
Helicopter Stories Resources
Testimonials
Amazing and inspirational with a great ethos.
EYFS TeacherDudley
One of, if not the best training day I’ve ever attended.
P1 TeacherEdinburgh Thank you. You gave me a bit of my heart back.
EY Senior LeadMilton Keynes Can’t wait to get back and start.
Nursery TeacherLewisham Fantastic training, a practical how to guide with plenty of inspiration, very interactive.
EYFS TeachersNewcastle Wonderfully inspirational course rooted in storytelling philosophy. I’ll use it as soon as I get back to class.
Reception TeacherCroydon Previous
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