Princesses, Dragons, and Helicopter Stories

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Covering everything from introducing the idea of storytelling, to scribing children’s words and bringing their ideas to life through acting, this second edition of Princesses, Dragons and Helicopter Stories provides a practical, step-by-step guide to using the Helicoper Stories approach with young children.

Storytelling and fantasy play are central to how young children make sense of their world, build relationships, and express themselves. Developed and championed by MakeBelieve Arts, Helicopter Stories is a simple yet powerful way to harness these natural impulses. Rooted in the storytelling and story acting work of Vivian Gussin Paley, and adapted for UK classrooms by theatre director Trisha Lee, this inclusive approach is now used in thousands of early years settings across the country, and increasingly in classrooms around the world.

Tried, tested, and proven to have a significant impact on children’s literacy, communication, confidence, and social-emotional development, Helicopter Stories offers a unique combination of creativity and structure, allowing every child to become a storyteller, an actor, and an engaged member of a collaborative classroom community.

This second edition of Princesses, Dragons, and Helicopter Stories provides a practical, step-by-step guide to using the approach with young children. Covering everything from introducing the idea of storytelling, to scribing children’s words and bringing their ideas to life through acting, this book includes:

• Clear guidelines for scribing stories, creating a stage, and acting out children’s narratives
• Support for exploring taboos and sensitive themes in children’s stories
• Strategies to engage children who are reluctant to speak or act
• Advice for supporting children with English as an Additional Language
• Reflections on how the approach supports holistic child development across the early years

Full of real-life examples and practical ideas, and featuring a foreword by Vivian Gussin Paley, this updated edition also includes new insights, photographs, and lessons learned over a decade of practice. It is essential reading for anyone working with young children who believes in the power of stories to unlock language, imagination, and connection.

Obsah

Dedication and Foreword

Introduction

SECTION 1 The how: Helicopter Stories: The four stages of introduction

1 Where stories take flight: The four stages of Helicopter Stories

2 A sense of anticipation: Stage 1: Introducing Story Acting

3 Would anyone like to tell me a story? Stage 2: Scribing a story around the stage

4 Creating a community of storytellers: Stage 3: Private Stories – scribing stories throughout the day

5 The vital last step: Stage 4: Acting out every story

6 Answering your questions: Practical guidance

SECTION 2 The who: Making Helicopter Stories work for all children

7 Finding a voice: Helicopter Stories for children with SEND

8 More than words: Helicopter Stories for children with EAL 9 The glorious anarchists of the early years: Helicopter Stories with two-year-olds

SECTION 3 The why: Understanding the impact of Helicopter Stories

10 The enchanted place: Why story is so important

11 Stories we may not want to hear: Guns, superheroes and taboos

12 Facing the monsters: Solving problems from a safe space

13 Shush, don’t tell anyone: The big secret

14 She Bumped, and she Pow, and she landed, Bang: To scaffold or to model?

15 Onwards and upwards: Adapting Helicopter Stories to new audiences

SECTION 4 Where next? Resources, ideas, and inspiration

Growing your Helicopter Stories practice

Additional books by Trisha Lee

Books by Vivian Gussin Paley

Bibliography