What is Helicopter Stories?

Helicopter stories: Bringing every child’s story to life

This reflective piece explores the power of Helicopter Stories to unlock children's thinking, imagination and emotional expression. Through real-life examples, it illustrates how storytelling can offer deep insight into children’s inner worlds, build community, and provide an inclusive, child-centred approach where every voice is valued and every story matters.

Read the article here:
https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/...

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Listen to more:
If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like:
• Stories that connect us: How books foster belonging in the early years, by Laura Henry-Allain MBE – https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/...
• The value of storytelling, by Olivia Corbin-Phillip – https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/...

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Episode break down:
00:00 – Welcome and introductions
02:18 – What Helicopter Stories is and where it comes from (Vivian Gussin Paley)
04:40 – The magpie story and You can’t say you can’t play
06:31 – How Trisha met Vivian and their correspondence/friendship
09:04 – Why Trisha wrote the “how-to” book and the aim for global reach
10:30 – Key benefits: belonging, community, and knowing children more deeply
15:02 – Higher order thinking: representing characters without adult modelling
16:47 – Example story: “cake… house… eating…” and what acting-out reveals
18:50 – Mosaic approach / “hundred languages”: communication beyond words
20:15 – Why verbatim matters & one-word stories (“Dog”)
22:26 – Celebrating the poetry of children’s language (Andre’s story)
24:21 – When adults over-correct: protecting children’s confidence as storytellers
25:36 – Challenging themes and possible disclosures: responding appropriately
28:35 – Story as processing: why storytelling can feel therapeutic
30:42 – Age range: who Helicopter Stories works for
32:04 – Getting started: practical steps, frameworks, and resources
34:03 – Growth of Helicopter Stories: where it’s being used
35:10 – Closing reflections

For more episodes and articles visit The Voice of Early Childhood website: https://www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com