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Мальчик, который хотел быть вертолетом
Written by a recipient of a MacArthur award, gained for her pioneering work on the storytelling technique and its use in the classroom, this book focuses on the challenge posed by the isolated child to teachers and classmates alike in the community of the classroom. It is the story of Jason - the loner and outsider - and his ultimate triumph and homecoming into the society of his classmates.
Unknown Binding
First published January 1, 1990
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About the author
Vivian Gussin Paley
19 books61 followersVivian Gussin Paley was an American pre-school and kindergarten teacher, early childhood education researcher, and author.
She taught and did most of her research at the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools and was the recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship. Despite her status in the field today, she has described the first thirteen years of her teaching career as being an "uninspired and uninspiring teacher."
She taught and did most of her research at the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools and was the recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship. Despite her status in the field today, she has described the first thirteen years of her teaching career as being an "uninspired and uninspiring teacher."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
January 20, 2010
This is the teacher I've been looking for: full of doubt and humility before the thing that is the Classroom, a teacher who listens (with a tape recorder, yow) and understands the weight her questions have in steering activity and talk, and the awesome leaps of poetry and profundity that are presented in the children's play.
It would be so easy to sentimentalize this -- to turn it into a "kids say the darndest things" -- but that's the farthest from what happens.
The questions and conversations in this slim book could launch a year's worth of seminars that I would want to take.
And if I were Queen of All Teachers I would ask everyone to read this, to help us each of us ask again: what learning am I trying to make happen here, what am I saying "no" to, how can I make this day meaningful.
It would be so easy to sentimentalize this -- to turn it into a "kids say the darndest things" -- but that's the farthest from what happens.
The questions and conversations in this slim book could launch a year's worth of seminars that I would want to take.
And if I were Queen of All Teachers I would ask everyone to read this, to help us each of us ask again: what learning am I trying to make happen here, what am I saying "no" to, how can I make this day meaningful.
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April 19, 2023Vivian Gussin Paley, PhB’47
Author
Read the adaptation published in our Jan–Feb/12 issue:
http://mag.uchicago.edu/education-soc...
Author
Read the adaptation published in our Jan–Feb/12 issue:
http://mag.uchicago.edu/education-soc...
January 13, 2019
I read the Russian translation, didn't feel like a good book at all. Especially the way it ends (or rather doesn't).
August 5, 2023
I needed to read this to remember how to interact with children's play in a meaningful and reflective way.
February 11, 2012
A deep dive into teacher Vivian Paley's method of fantasy play by preschool children that she stumbled into by accident but was theorized about long ago by Soviet psychologist Vygotsky. She has what appears to be an impressive corpus of actual fantasy play conversations which she has woven together to form a cohesive story, narrated by her thoughts and reflections.
I especially love Paley's meta reflections on her past and how, as a new teacher, she once was Jason, the loner child who does not understand the unspoken rules of fantasy play and cannot hear what is going on around him despite it being obvious to all present. Likewise, I am impressed by her conclusion that the timeout chair is actually a violation of children's sense of fair play and that children's construction of a fantasy narrative with its hidden sense of fair play and rules is sufficient to self-police the world of preschool. I suspect only someone truly immersed and accepting of this fantasy world would allow their rules to question the fairness and appropriateness of her own methods. One interesting part of children's sense of fair play is the right of any child to suddenly require attention and be disruptive.
It is interesting how the children consider fairy tales and books read by the teacher to be "real", and therefore potentially scary, but anything happening in their self-made fantasy stories can be extreme and include self death etc but is not considered scary to the participants.
Therefore, fantasy play allows the children to go places that they do not go in "real" activities under teacher rules.
Conversations are retold by her verbatim, with poor child grammar and all. A wonderful "deep dive" into this classroom's ongoing fantasy world, as children's characters and stories maintain continuity and themes through the year. Main focus of Paley is Jason, who does not seem to understand the concept of cooperative fantasy play and its rules. Slowly he is inexorably socialized by his peers through their relentless efforts to include him in stories on terms he can accept. The children pick up on the teacher's constant attempts to include him and make it their own cause, and ultimately only the children succeed on their own terms.
I especially love Paley's meta reflections on her past and how, as a new teacher, she once was Jason, the loner child who does not understand the unspoken rules of fantasy play and cannot hear what is going on around him despite it being obvious to all present. Likewise, I am impressed by her conclusion that the timeout chair is actually a violation of children's sense of fair play and that children's construction of a fantasy narrative with its hidden sense of fair play and rules is sufficient to self-police the world of preschool. I suspect only someone truly immersed and accepting of this fantasy world would allow their rules to question the fairness and appropriateness of her own methods. One interesting part of children's sense of fair play is the right of any child to suddenly require attention and be disruptive.
It is interesting how the children consider fairy tales and books read by the teacher to be "real", and therefore potentially scary, but anything happening in their self-made fantasy stories can be extreme and include self death etc but is not considered scary to the participants.
Therefore, fantasy play allows the children to go places that they do not go in "real" activities under teacher rules.
Conversations are retold by her verbatim, with poor child grammar and all. A wonderful "deep dive" into this classroom's ongoing fantasy world, as children's characters and stories maintain continuity and themes through the year. Main focus of Paley is Jason, who does not seem to understand the concept of cooperative fantasy play and its rules. Slowly he is inexorably socialized by his peers through their relentless efforts to include him in stories on terms he can accept. The children pick up on the teacher's constant attempts to include him and make it their own cause, and ultimately only the children succeed on their own terms.
December 31, 2016
I really enjoyed reading all of the stories about Jason and the other children. However, I really took issue with Paley as a teacher. I give her props for writing so publicly about her mistakes, but her judgments about Jason and the way she sometimes handled situations with children or her co-workers was aggravating.
How could she think that Jason was not part of the classroom community just because he chose to be a helicopter and play by himself a lot? Why did she talk so rudely to her co-workers? Why did she seem to be so uncomfortable in certain situations with the children if she was an experienced teacher? Again, I understand every teacher makes mistakes (I make tons of them!), but Paley's mistakes seemed more like judgments than errors. I hope she really did learn a lot through this experience because otherwise, I fear for her students and co-workers.
How could she think that Jason was not part of the classroom community just because he chose to be a helicopter and play by himself a lot? Why did she talk so rudely to her co-workers? Why did she seem to be so uncomfortable in certain situations with the children if she was an experienced teacher? Again, I understand every teacher makes mistakes (I make tons of them!), but Paley's mistakes seemed more like judgments than errors. I hope she really did learn a lot through this experience because otherwise, I fear for her students and co-workers.
January 7, 2009
One of my favorite books of all time. A great model of what preschool should be, written by a master teacher (and a great writer!).
April 30, 2013
This is a must read for anyone who works with children; especially children that learn or socialize in a different way.
December 20, 2018
Vivian Paley is a teacher who really, deeply listens to what her pre-school students have to say in their stories, fantasies and questions. I found myself continually surprised at her thoughtful reflection on how little moments of play and unassuming conversations between the children shine such a bright light onto their personalities, desires and fears.
Some open questions / reflections:
- What is the role of a preschool teacher (or anyone who interacts with a very young child) in separating "reality" from "fantasy"? How does behavioral motivation that stems from fantasy transfer to real life situations? Does it need to?
- Paley notices that her children have a different view than her on fairness - their concept of equality being the equal opportunity to demand special treatment. Each child may at a different point need to be disruptive or make demands. Paley counters the "but if I allow this, all children will want to do it" fear, with the observation that only some children at certain points of time truly need to be disruptive, and that it is the teacher's job to listen and care for this need. What can I take from this in understanding equity and justice in a world where people have different needs?
"The natural order in a preschool classroom rules against any plan that sidesteps fantasy or friendship. The children do not fathom her premises or follow her logic. Had the teacher said, "Simon, since you were Joseph's dad before in the bear cave, you must move to his table," then everyone would understand and approve. Or, had a child suggested, "Pretend a robber stealed the table and then we finded a different one," the new plan would come alive."
Some open questions / reflections:
- What is the role of a preschool teacher (or anyone who interacts with a very young child) in separating "reality" from "fantasy"? How does behavioral motivation that stems from fantasy transfer to real life situations? Does it need to?
- Paley notices that her children have a different view than her on fairness - their concept of equality being the equal opportunity to demand special treatment. Each child may at a different point need to be disruptive or make demands. Paley counters the "but if I allow this, all children will want to do it" fear, with the observation that only some children at certain points of time truly need to be disruptive, and that it is the teacher's job to listen and care for this need. What can I take from this in understanding equity and justice in a world where people have different needs?
"The natural order in a preschool classroom rules against any plan that sidesteps fantasy or friendship. The children do not fathom her premises or follow her logic. Had the teacher said, "Simon, since you were Joseph's dad before in the bear cave, you must move to his table," then everyone would understand and approve. Or, had a child suggested, "Pretend a robber stealed the table and then we finded a different one," the new plan would come alive."
January 4, 2018
Купила книгу, послушав восторженные отзывы знакомых - на полку в детском центре или в подарок коллеге. Предварительно, конечно, очень хотела прочитать сама - и несколько разочаровалась. Мне книга показалась плохо структурированной; описания детских игр разбавлены редкими комментариями автора и её коллег.
Бесспорно, очень много интересных мыслей, но всё слишком вперемешку: нельзя назвать исследованием и нельзя назвать художественной литературой.
Можно прочитать для определённого вдохновения и свежего взгляда на детей, если его вдруг не хватает, но читается очень тяжело.
Бесспорно, очень много интересных мыслей, но всё слишком вперемешку: нельзя назвать исследованием и нельзя назвать художественной литературой.
Можно прочитать для определённого вдохновения и свежего взгляда на детей, если его вдруг не хватает, но читается очень тяжело.
May 22, 2021
I chose to read this book after it was mentioned in an online workshop I listened to. I do believe that play-based learning is the way to go with Early Childhood Education. This story resonates so much with me, particularly with my 3 year old class this year. I have spent a lot of the year trying to describe my class by saying, “They are very into pretend play. We have “family picnic,” “puppies and kitties,” “werewolves and zombies.” Vivian Paley would have loved this! I wish that I had listened more and moved into story telling and dictation of their pretend play.
April 17, 2019
Vivan Paley tells many different stories in this book about the importance of play and storytelling. IT focuses on Jason's story and his interaction with his toy helicopter. This book is a great book for teachers and students who want to become teachers to read. This book allows people to think about new things when developing their classroom.
April 17, 2019
This is a great book for teachers to read. It talks about the importance of story telling and play. It is good for teachers because then they can see another perspective. This can be used in the classroom (in this case older students, like college students) by having them create a presentation on what they got out of the story.
December 18, 2017
A master teacher who pays attention to what her young charges say. Their statements help her comprehend the way they are understanding the world which helps guide her questions. Children need to discover and explore in order to make sense of their environment.
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October 30, 2020An inspiring book that encourages teachers to invite children’s storytelling into their lesson plans. Accepting children’s different ways of playing, relating, behaving, imaging with labels, so touching!
February 17, 2020
Read for Theatre For Young People, Queen Mary University of London, 2020.
October 11, 2021
Interesting book about the impact of play and storytelling in early childhood classrooms.
January 19, 2024
don’t let the cover fool you! this is an education book i read for one of my classes, very sweet. i like the idea of telling things like a story especially in regards to history
March 26, 2016
I read this book while teaching Montessori preschool, and it could not have been more timely. The book is amazing for its compelling vision of the child (all the more because of its contrast to Montessori's own vision).
Paley's child is the myth-maker, the story-teller and story-actor. The child's primary activity is play. Montessori's child is the "man-maker," he who works to perfect himself through meaningful work and become the self-actualized adult. Both teachers see the child as occupying her own developmental world, but on the emphasis of particular aspects of that world, the two visions could not be much different.
Paley's teaching style in her Kindergarten classroom is unlike anything else I have heard of, and it is sad that no one (undoubtedly) does this any more. Even in the days in which she wrote, Kindergarten was under great pressure as a "preparation for first grade." How much more-so now! The innocence of the very young is obliterated immediately in September of their sixth year on Earth. Paley fought against this pressure and tried to keep her environment a place where children could act out their personal stories through relationship and social interaction; where they could achieve a sense of wholeness through their symbolic expression in play; where they could act out stories for each other and live through them, and interpret them for each other. Her environment was a place that fully honored children for who they are, maybe more-so than Montessori's?
I am indebted to Paley for her perfect introduction to the importance of creative play. For those interested in the topic, this is an important book. It was further evidence to me that Montessori is not the end-all-be-all of the education world.
Paley's child is the myth-maker, the story-teller and story-actor. The child's primary activity is play. Montessori's child is the "man-maker," he who works to perfect himself through meaningful work and become the self-actualized adult. Both teachers see the child as occupying her own developmental world, but on the emphasis of particular aspects of that world, the two visions could not be much different.
Paley's teaching style in her Kindergarten classroom is unlike anything else I have heard of, and it is sad that no one (undoubtedly) does this any more. Even in the days in which she wrote, Kindergarten was under great pressure as a "preparation for first grade." How much more-so now! The innocence of the very young is obliterated immediately in September of their sixth year on Earth. Paley fought against this pressure and tried to keep her environment a place where children could act out their personal stories through relationship and social interaction; where they could achieve a sense of wholeness through their symbolic expression in play; where they could act out stories for each other and live through them, and interpret them for each other. Her environment was a place that fully honored children for who they are, maybe more-so than Montessori's?
I am indebted to Paley for her perfect introduction to the importance of creative play. For those interested in the topic, this is an important book. It was further evidence to me that Montessori is not the end-all-be-all of the education world.
October 18, 2015
An excellent book, and a really quick read. Paley, a preschool teacher whose curriculum focuses on storytelling, discusses the case of a boy in her class who doesn't quite fit in and how he ends up becoming part of the classroom community. In the process, she reveals important wisdom about the nature of play as both literature and therapy for children. I was fascinated to learn about the way a literary culture of sorts develops in the preschool classroom, with certain archetypes and repeated motifs developing among the children, and about the purposes literature serves in the microcosm of the preschool classroom.
January 3, 2010
Paley's account of The Boy Who Would Be A Helicopter has stuck with me because it upsets the apple cart of special needs labeling in the very best way. A poetic glimpse at how symbolic imagery and language are used to achieve expression, connection and self-understanding by the unlikeliest child in her classroom. Through Paley's eyes, a boy who would be a helicopter is a metaphor for the confused and veiled attempts to cope through self-narration done by the rest of us.
May 21, 2009
read excerpts only: pg 1-26 151-163
Quite good at bringing your knowledge of story-telling to a child-like level, and not in a bad way. Paley does not try to dissect every single bit of what children say in their storytelling, but simply presents it in a way so that one can gain insight in to how important telling stories really is to her students.
Quite good at bringing your knowledge of story-telling to a child-like level, and not in a bad way. Paley does not try to dissect every single bit of what children say in their storytelling, but simply presents it in a way so that one can gain insight in to how important telling stories really is to her students.
January 22, 2011
This was my favorite of Vivian Paley's books. She describes in more detail exactly what she thinks about and how she uses stories and acting with preschool. Her insights into children's behavior and motivation are so interesting to me. I agree with so much of her thinking about listening to kids and figuring out why they do what they do.
January 5, 2014
In this one, the slow path of a boy from playing only his own game, by himself, to how he gradually lets his classmates stories into his story. I recommend this book for parents of young children, although anyone interested in play would enjoy it.
October 13, 2015
It was interesting, but I had a hard time reading the stories of young children because I get lost in their dialect. She made some create points about the learning in small child-centered communities.
March 10, 2009
My students (UNC preservice teachers) really enjoyed this one too.
February 21, 2010
It's a good look into how children develop problem solving skills through fantasy play in the classroom. Recommended read for any one that is studying child psychology.
August 10, 2012
I liked it much better the second time around. Still kept wishing I could have seen the whole classroom myself without her interpretation. Did like the way she resisted labels.
January 9, 2013
My personal favorite of all Paley stories...
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February 18, 2013Interesting insight at times - I'm still not sure how I feel about the book as a whole. I need to re-read this.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews