Here's an article I wrote for the parents of our homeschool co-op's musical theater students, a class I'm teaching next school year:
Introducing Shakespeare
(Almost) Painlessly
Just the thought of introducing Shakespeare into your homeschool can be intimidating at best, and downright frightening to some. The language is difficult, some of the themes make you blush, and all the talk of witches and fairies and death can be hard to explain to youngsters. But there is a way to introduce the Bard to your children, and explore these plays that have had such a powerful impact on our world, our language, and our art, in a fun and easy manner.
Step 1. Pick your play
Starting with Macbeth or Hamlet or King Lear is not a good idea. Comedies are easier to understand for newbies, especially kids who are sensitive to scary elements in stories. A Midsummer Night’s Dream is an excellent place to start, followed by something like The Taming of the Shrew or Twelfth Night.
Step 2. Children’s version of Shakespeare’s plays
I recommend either Charles Lamb’s version (Tales From Shakespeare which can be found online here: http://shakespeare.palomar.edu/lambtales/LAMBTALE.HTM) or Edith Nesbit’s Beautiful Stories From Shakespeare (which can be found at the Baldwin Project online: www.mainlesson.com ). Read the children’s version of the play out loud. Then, if you can find it, get it on tape or CD. Jim Weiss reads some great ones, including A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Listen to it in the car and talk about it. Children’s versions are generally edited for content, and kids get the plot line fixed in their heads this way.
Step 3. Video adaptations
My family likes to rent movies, so naturally we gravitate toward the Shakespeare movies by Kenneth Branagh or whatever we can find on Netflix or at the library in the video section. Often these films have current TV and film actors in them. We turn on the closed-captioning so we don’t miss anything, and follow along. Sometimes we still miss things, but knowing what is happening from reading the children’s versions keeps the kids focused and in the loop. Many times the kids will pause the movie to ask me about what’s going on, or I’ll pause it to discuss something, and occasionally I have to fast forward through an inappropriate romance scene or something. I’ve found the kids will understand the meaning of unfamiliar words simply from the context, but often we’ll pause to look things up in the ever-present dictionary.
Step 4. At last! We’re ready for a live performance!
Knowing what is going on is key to keeping the kids engaged in the action of a live stage performance of Shakespeare. We can’t pause, rewind, or turn up the volume. We can’t turn on the captions. If someone can’t follow along with the story they will lose interest very quickly. Don’t attempt a live show without going through the preceding steps! Especially if the kids are young, it has great potential to end up being a disastrous waste of time. On the other hand, if done right, this is one of the things your kids will look forward to year after year. My kids love “Shakespeare Summers,” and we literally devote our summer months to this process of learning to appreciate the Bard.
Jodi O’Dell
Comments
Posted by mommajo94 www.greenstage.org
www.woodeno.org
Posted by WashingtonState I just posted about this post on another of your posts as I scrolled down to read more. That's what I get for being distracted. Adult ADD which is AADD. Ha!
I was listening to a spelling tape buy Susan Anthony. She said that in Shakespeare's day it was 'in' to be a creative speller and see how many different ways one could spell words and their own name. She was giving a brief history of the wild and wacky English language. It is surely that!
Okay, I have a posting question from you on the other post I typed. Just let me know and I'll post the way you want me to. No problemo and this is fantastic information to share.
Marie
Posted by TroopersForChrist I also added you as a friend to TroopersForChrist. That's my personal/family blog. The one I've been neglecting lately but I did finally post on this week. I thought I'd tell you in case you wondered who it was befriending you.
In Him,
Marie
Posted by blessedwith2angels Marie sent me by to check out your Shakespeare post. It is awesome! Would you mind if I posted it on my Homeschool Helper blog? (www.homeschoolblogger.com/homeschoolhelps) I would give you full credit of course.
I enjoyed your blog this morning,
Pam
Posted by SuzyScribbles Believe it or not, I have (had) a Shakespeare lover in the house. Ryan (from ages 11-15) went to the White River homeschool (alt. ed) program 2 days a week, and his literature teacher did a number of things with reading Shakespeare (a whole lot of going up to Seattle to see the plays, which Ryan enjoyed immensely). He liked reading the plays, too! Amazing, as I find Shakespeare very dull, and I had to memorize Portia's speech (The quality of mercy...) from Merchant of Venice when I was in h.s. and I've never forgiven the teacher for forcing that upon me. LOL
So I really think it is the WAY in which you present S that makes a difference. Your ideas are good. (The videos especially). Ryan saw The Shakespeare Stealer at about age 12 (at the Children's Theater in Seattle) and loved it. I went, too, and it WAS good. Perhaps that's what got him interested in S. The book, Shakespeare Stealer, is good, too. I've read it.
I friended you!
Posted by britashmom I checked my homeschool helps blog tonight and found the link wasn't working again. I think I finally have it corrected the right way! Aargh, I think I am operating on to little sleep, since I am caring for my dad after his cancer surgery.
If you happen by and the link doesn't work again, please let me know!
Thanks for letting me post---I'll get it right eventually. : )
Blessings,
Pam