Beginning Our Journey With Shakespeare

To teach or not to teach...that is the question.

I really want to be one of those people who admires and appreciates the writings of Shakespeare.  Honestly, that's the case with most of the Classics.  But when it comes right down to it I often find it tedious and a bit hard to understand.  I feel uneducated even admitting this, but I have a hunch I am not alone.

But, all of you bloggers out there are so compelling and convincing with the benefits of reading and learning the Bard's works that I decided it might be worth a second look.  We may never sit down and read all of his writings, but I want us to know the basic storyline and main characters of each of the plays.  If along the way we develop a passion for his work, all the better.

To begin our study I purchased the book Shakespeare for Kids his life and times.  It has been a gentle introduction into his life and what it would have been like to live during that time period.  There are activities for every age group, some being easy and some more time consuming.

We started this book before Christmas, so we decided to make the Pomanders first. They were a lovely, scented addition to our table.  When you walked by them you could smell the spices and citrus.  It was interesting to learn that people of this time period believed that disease could be spread by fowl odors, so they made these spiced oranges to place all over their homes.  They also wore them around their necks, or kept them in their pockets.

We made our family tree, and created individual Coat of Arms.  I think those in Shakespeare's day would have wondered what some of those symbols were, especially the Minion :) The older boys wrote a brief biography on Shakespeare's life.

We read a few lines from a Mid-Summer's Nights Dream, and the kids drew their interpretation of what they read.

Overall I feel this was a very good beginning to our journey.  All of the kids joined in on the reading, and it kept their interest if I kept it short.  The book is divided up nicely, and makes this an easy read.

Another book I purchased was How To Teach Your Children Shakespeare by Ken Ludwig.  I first heard of this book while listening to a podcast at Amongst Lovely Things that was very inspiring.  He talked about the years he spent with his daughters reading and memorizing Shakespeare's work.  So, I think we are going to tackle this one next.

Edith Nesbit is a name I come across often when I am reading articles concerning Shakespeare.  She was born in England in 1858 and was the youngest of six children.  "Miss Nesbit simplifies many William Shakespeare's masterpieces for young readers by delighting them with stories of misunderstandings, generosity, sadness, humor, courage and love."  This was taken from the back of the book Beautiful Stories From Shakespeare.  These quick, fun reads will give us the basic story and build on our Shakespeare foundation.

I have also heard really good things about the series from Lois Burdett, Shakespeare Can Be Fun.  All these resources have given me the courage to wade in and begin what I consider an intimidating subject.

So there you have it.  Our 'mostly' comprehensive plan to tackle one of the most famous writers in history.  How do you teach and enjoy Shakespeare?  I would love to hear your thoughts and suggestions.

Follow Sunshine by Channon's board Learning about Shakespeare on Pinterest.

There are affiliate links included in this post.  If you make a purchase through my blog I receive a small commission.  Thank you!