In loving memory…
Vivian Gussin Paley January 25th 1929 – July 26th 2019 Vivian Gussin Paley, world-renowned author, pre-school and kindergarten teacher sadly died on the morning of…
No’s and All’s – the very few rules of Helicopter Stories
There are very few rules for Helicopter Stories. It can be adapted to fit within any early years setting and is suitable for children aged…
A Class of Thirty Authors: Helicopter Stories in Year 1
Guest Blog: Shernice Donovan Year 1 Teacher, Rusthall St Paul’s, Kent Back in June 2018, when I found out I would be teaching Year 1…
My Monster is Raaah: How Helicopter Stories Supports Children with Delayed Language Development
Ggggggrrrrrh, Ggggggrrrrrh, Ggggggrrrrrh, Ggggggrrrrrh, Ggggggrrrrrh, Ggggggrrrrrh, Ggggggrrrrrh, Ggggggrrrrrh, He scares the people away. He scares the people in the garden. My monster is Raah. Then…
Helicopter Stories – Helping Children Make Sense of the World…
Guest Blog: Isla Hill Education Director MakeBelieve Arts Chelsea’s Story* Once there was a little boy called Oscar. He went to the park with Riley.…
List Stories: How do we act them out?
I am often asked about List Stories, and how to act them out. Naming a list of characters or objects is often one of the…
Hearts beating as one…
At the beginning of a new academic year, I am often asked, ‘When is a good time to start Helicopter Stories?’ As schools and settings are…
A celebration of the many positions children adopt when they engage with writing
The Ofsted Bold Beginnings report stated a need for children in Reception to be taught proper pencil grip and how to sit correctly at a…
Scribing Verbatim Part 2 – Creating an Exact Record
Bella sat beside me. I wrote her name at the top of my A5 sheet of paper, and she started to dictate her story. Like…
Scribing Verbatim: Part 1 – Creativity
One of the questions that is often asked about Helicopter Stories is why both Isla Hill and I scribe verbatim, exactly what each child dictates,…