Remembering Vivian Gussin Paley (Jan 1929 – July 2019)
“She was always seeing the best in a person, and that starting point usually began with curiosity and excitement about what someone was imagining.” –…
Category: Guest Blogs
It Takes A Village: The Poetry Basket in North Somerset
Gail Alder, Early Years Consultant, North Somerset ‘We’ve just had a report come out from one of our childminders who has maintained outstanding. I think…
Helicopter Stories: Giving Nursery Children a Voice
Helicopter Stories are exciting. Acting them out is magical. Stories are a window into the minds of our children and bring to life their stories…
The Power of the Poetry Basket for Children with Additional Needs:
I am one of the lucky ones. I work with children with additional needs. It can bring a roller-coaster of emotions, but the overall emotion…
Since using The Poetry Basket, Poetry is Happening Everywhere
‘Chop Chop, Choppity Chop.’ Since my Nursery Class at Bincombe Valley Primary School in Dorset signed up to The Poetry Basket, the words keep echoing…
It’s Just Pretend: Crossing the Gender Boundary with Helicopter Stories
I am in the very privileged position of being a school-based Helicopter Stories practitioner at Ash Grove Academy in Macclesfield, as well as a MakeBe…
Let The Children Do It: Helicopter Stories helped our Nativity
“Do a Nativity,” they said. “The parents will love it,” they said. And so we did. We bought a script and rehearsed for hours and…
Helicopter Stories: A tool for showing progress
What do Hulk, Paw Patrol, a Unicorn, Mummy, Black Spiderman, a Gorilla, and Goldilocks have in common? Answer: They are all popular features of children’s…