This session introduces the Helicopter Stories method of developing language and literacy in Early Years. It involves a talk with Gail Alder, the author of an English 4-11 article on Helicopter Stories, and Alison Stead and Cathryn Twine, representatives from a nursery who incorporate this new method in their settings.
Helicopter Stories is a scheme which was developed by MakeBelievearts, based on Vivian Gussin Paley’s storytelling approach. Explore MakeBelieveArts’ new podcast, Growing Storytellers.
The event will present two case studies of Helicopter Stories being used in a school and nursery. Why does it matter? And how does it transpose to the classroom? How do you set it up? What challenges might you might face, and what next steps can you take? We’ll then have a discussion with the speakers, chaired by Kirstie Hewett and Sonia Carvell. We’ll also be joined by Trisha Lee, Artistic Director of MakeBelieve Arts, the small charity behind Helicopter Stories.
Gail Alder is an Early Years Consultant currently working for North Somerset Council. She has been working in Early Years Education for 33 years and is a passionate advocate for the voice of the child. Gail’s work is also strongly influenced by the work of Vivian Gussin Paley and the importance of story in healthy human development. The two words that sit at the centre of Gail’s practice in Early Years Education are hope and joy.
Sonia Carvell is an experienced primary school teacher having worked in a variety of schools in Coventry, Warwickshire, Birmingham, Reading, and Slough. She specialised in Key Stage 2 but has worked in both phases One and Two. She has a background in business especially Human Resource Management. While working in personnel she had experience of working in the Education Department of Bristol City Council where she gained experience in the management of schools. Her specialist interests lie in the teaching of Literacy throughout the primary school. She is currently working in Early Years.
Kirstie Hewett is a school improvement specialist for the University of Chichester Academy Trust, and a senior lecturer in Initial Teacher Education at the University of Chichester, specialising in the teaching of English across the primary age phase. Prior to this, she spent twenty years working in a number of roles in primary schools, including class teacher, deputy head teacher and SENDCo. She is Chair of the English Association’s Primary and Early Years Committee, and supports the editorial board of the UKLA & EA’s English 4-11 magazine. She is currently working with teachers from the University of Chichester Academy Trust to develop their professional practice with a specific focus on oracy, and has a particular interest in the use of visual research methods within qualitative and mixed-method research as part of her doctoral studies.
Trisha Lee is the author of the best selling publication, Princesses, Dragons and Helicopter Stories. Her latest book The Growth of a Storyteller looks at the impact of Helicopter Stories on children aged 2 to 7 years old. Trisha pioneered the work of Vivian Gussin Paley in the UK, developing training and mentoring in the approach. She first met Vivian in 1999, a meeting that led to a deep friendship. Trisha was mentored by Vivian through letters and face to face conversation over a 20 year period until Vivian’s death in 2019. Trisha is an advocate for the role of storytelling and story acting within Early Years Education. She is passionate about the need for a creative, story rich enviroment in the early years. As Artistic Director of MakeBelieve Arts, the small charity behind Helicopter Stories, Trisha has developed The Poetry Basket and The Story Basket to support EYFS practioners in sharing a diverse range of poetry and audio only stories with their children supporting their growth as storytellers. Trisha has spoken at numerous EYFS conferences, as well as sharing Helicopter Stories with children across the world, including townships in South Africa, local schools in Vietnam, and with kindergarten children in America, Australia and New Zealand.
Alison Stead and Cathryn Twine:
Bognor Regis Nursery School has been serving the local community for over 70 years and is one of four Maintained Nursery Schools in West Sussex. In 2010 Alison Stead, (Head of School) was introduced to the Helicopter Story approach when attending a local conference where Trisha Lee was delivering a workshop. Excited by the potential of this form of storying, it was shared through an INSET day with the rest of the team and so the journey began. Cathryn Twine, (Keyworker) particularly enjoyed Helicopter Stories and after working for some time in this way with the children, saw that Make Believe Arts had created Centres of Excellence to share this approach more widely. As a passionate advocate for Helicopter Stories she wanted the school to apply. Bognor Regis Nursery School became a Centre of Excellence in 2018, and Alison and Cathryn became Helicopter Champions. As well as maintaining high quality practice in the Nursery School, they offered training for other practitioners interested in using the approach in their own schools or settings. All Nursery School children are engaged in Helicopter Stories and key workers work together once a week to scribe and act out their stories. There are many positive outcomes from working in this way and most importantly of all it is fun!
