“Helicopter Stories allows me the time to sit and listen to children in a way that isn’t always possible in a Reception classroom.”
Chrissie, Reception Teacher, Croydon
The Need:
The children in Chrissie’s classroom had varying communication styles and abilities and it could sometimes be a struggle to identify each child’s individual need. There were issues around speech and language that needed support and Chrissie was aware of the struggles many of her children were having to overcome barriers in communication.
What They Did:
Chrissie’s school was part of a programme funded by The Paul Hamlyn Foundation. This meant that for a full academic year we were able to support practitioners in Nursery, Reception, and Year 1 to use Helicopter Stories regularly with their children via Helicopter Stories On Demand. The school was also given access to The Poetry Basket and The Story Basket to support the creation of a language-rich environment and enhance children’s experience of poetry and story.
The Results:
Using Helicopter Stories on a regular basis helped the teachers in Chrissie’s school to identify children’s individual communication needs. When Chrissie started scribing 5-year-old Ellie’s stories she began to notice a pattern that had previously gone under the radar. The way Ellie dictated her stories was often muddled and difficult to understand and it was only through scribing verbatim that this was recognised. Realising there was an issue, Chrissie shared the stories with the Speech and Language therapist and Ellie was diagnosed with a disordered speech pattern. It was as a direct result of the listening skills required when scribing a child’s story that Chrissie was able to quickly identify the specific needs of the children in her care.
