“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:
In Chrissie’s Reception classroom, children had a wide range of communication styles and abilities. It could sometimes be a struggle to identify each child’s individual needs, especially when issues around speech and language were not immediately obvious. Chrissie was determined to find an approach that would help her listen deeply and tailor her support to every child.
What They Did:
Chrissie’s school joined a programme funded by The Paul Hamlyn Foundation, giving staff access to Helicopter Stories On Demand for a full academic year. Nursery, Reception, and Year 1 practitioners were supported to use Helicopter Stories regularly, alongside The Poetry Basket and The Story Basket, to create a language-rich environment.
Through scribing and acting out stories, Chrissie found time to pause and truly listen to her children in a way that isn’t always possible in a busy classroom.
The Results:
Scribing stories revealed patterns in children’s communication that might otherwise have been missed. For five-year-old Ellie, Chrissie began noticing that her dictated stories were often muddled and hard to follow. This prompted her to share the scribed stories with the Speech and Language Therapist, who later diagnosed Ellie with a disordered speech pattern.
Chrissie reflects, “It was only through scribing verbatim that I realised there was an issue. Helicopter Stories gave me a new lens to really see and hear my children.”
For Chrissie, Helicopter Stories has become more than an approach to storytelling. It’s a tool for unlocking insights into her children’s development and ensuring every voice is understood.
