MEmama Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 How much Shakespeare do you require for your middle schooler, and how do you approach it? Do they read abridged versions, watch movies, see a play, enjoy cartoon versions on YouTube? How much historical background do they have first? My DS doesn't care a bit for Shakespeare or theater (and frankly, neither do I), and I'm thinking there's no need to press it. I'd like for him to have a general sense of some of the plays, but he'd rather poke his eyes out than watch a performance. His history program suggests reading over a dozen plays, some more obscure than others, and I feel like that's overkill for a disinterested student. Obviously I won't make him suffer through all that, but I think I want some reassurance that Shakespeare is hardly the be all, end all of a decent middle school literary education. ;) Thanks for gentle input. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverMoon Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 My teens read several of them in Shakespeare Stories I & II by Leon Garfield, and watched some of the movies. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 Reading plays can be zzzz... Watching is better usually. If he doesn't have any interest I don't see the point of "dozens". So far we've only read Julius Caesar because there was an interest. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmos Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 We have done one play per year, starting around 6th grade. We read a summary first. Then we read the play aloud, taking parts and stopping occasionally to discuss. Usually he memorizes a key passage or two as well (he's a theater geek, so he enjoys that). Then we watch a performance, either live or film. That's it. This year in 9th, ds wrote a paper after we read Romeo and Juliet, but he didn't do that in middle school. My key goal is for ds to be able to enjoy Shakespeare and to look forward to reading and watching his plays. So far we have succeeded in that goal. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TracyP Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 Last year we read several of Coville's Shakespeare books just to get our feet wet. This year we used How to Teach Your Child Shakespeare to memorize some lines from Midsummer Night's Dream. We watched the BBC cartoon version on youtube and then the Michelle Pfieffer version on DVD. My dd then read the original on her own (her choice). I am hoping to make it to a live performance this summer. I plan to follow this pattern with one or two plays next year: Coville and HtTYCS to overview and memorize some bits of the play. Watch 1-2 movie versions. Have the original available for anybody who wants to tackle it. I like the idea of reading it aloud taking turns for different parts. I will suggest that as an option too. I am hoping this will at the very least give some familiarity in a fun way - and so far it is working. That is my main goal before high school. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justasque Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 Reading a dozen plays in middle school is overkill unless you're a huge fan of the Bard. However, that said, most of the middle school boys I know *think* they don't like Shakespeare, until they go and see a well-done performance, and realize that there's a lot of humor (some a bit bawdy if you're savvy enough to get it), a lot of action, and a lot of swordplay and fighting. Shakespeare, done well, is like a teen soap opera / sitcom with some epic video game battles thrown in. I have talked people into seeing our local troupe's productions for many years, and parents and kids alike are surprised that they really enjoy the show.I suggest you keep an eye out for local productions, and SEE a few plays. Start with a comedy (Midsummer is good) then try a tragedy (Othello, maybe). Read a summary of the play before you go, otherwise you will be totally lost. (Lamb's summaries are good, and free online.) You'll want to know the characters and the basic story line. If you can go with some friends, that would be even better. Chat about the play in the car on the way home. Explore the character's motivation for their actions. Then, once you've seen a few shows, you'll be ready to read/study the text of one, either towards the end of middle school or the beginning of high school. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoJosMom Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 My DD is a devoted follower of the Bard, so there's no such thing as "too much Shakespeare" around here. I think the key to enjoying and appreciating his works is to perform them, however. They are plays and the lines are meant to be spoken, not read. Here, the spark was DD's participation in a Shakespeare troupe. If your DC find the language to be challenging, I would suggest informal family productions. Also, look for modern "translations" online; truly, one may as well be reading a foreign language. (FWIW, this approach works well here for any of the older classics with antiquated language [read "Dickens"].) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 While it's great to have a little exposure to some of Shakespeare's major works since allusions to his works pop up everywhere, reading 12 plays -- esp. in middle school! -- seems like an awful lot. I'd set your own goals of what is important Literature-wise in your DC's education. The other posters have given you some good ideas about very gentle non-pushing ways to introduce Shakespeare. Honestly, I didn't require any formal study of Shakespeare until high school, and then we only read/discussed 2 plays, watched a live production, watched several filmed productions, and watched several movies that were very loosely based on specific Shakespeare plays. DSs enjoyed all of that, but weren't pushing for more, and we had to so much other Literature we also wanted to cover, so that's what worked for us. As far as accessibility -- when it comes time to read/analyze a play, I'd suggest Macbeth as a great first play to read -- it is really straight forward, ghosts / witches / and blood 'n' guts for high interest :tongue_smilie: , and the big questions raised are really straight forward and of interest to boys. And Throne of Blood is a great black & white film adaptation of Macbeth (it's the story, but not the words) -- set in Japanese samurai times! Much Ado About Nothing has lots of sparky verbal sparring and a straight forward storyline to follow, as a good first comedy. Two really good film versions, too, both of which make the dialogue really comprehensible. For a fun resource to get used to Shakespearean language, check out William Shakespeare's Star Wars (Doescher) -- the story of the original Star Wars movie done in play format and in the writing style of Shakespeare. BEST of luck, whatever you decide! Warmest regards, Lori D. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MEmama Posted March 16, 2015 Author Share Posted March 16, 2015 Thank you all SO much! I'm not sure why I was doubting myself this morning, but I'm feeling much better now. You ladies have such great ideas! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reefgazer Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 My intent for my middle schooler was to read one Shakespeare play a year, after seeing the corresponding play or movie. But her co-op class has done two plays in depth this year, so we just caught a Shakespeare in the park play this past summer. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twoxcell Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 My 6th grader is reading Tales From Shakespeare by Lamb this year. He also went and saw 12th Night at a local community college. Other than studying some history of Shakespeare this year as well, I don't have plans for any more until high school. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ALB Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 I agree that over a dozen is too many for a middle schooler! My ideal plan would be 1-2 a year, hitting the most famous ones at some point during either middle or high school. I've just been getting into Shakespeare myself as preparation, and it is hard work. I would definitely second the recommendation to read a summary first, and maybe even a picture book, just to be familiar with the story line before attacking the actual play. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 My 11 year old is doing Heart of Dakota's Resurrection to Reformation program this year, and they schedule Shakespeare study. She has been reading through Tales from Shakespeare by Charles and Mary Lamb. There is a student notebook page for each play with a beautiful picture to color, and she does copywork under the picture. It took her a few weeks to get used to the readings at first, but now she loves it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allearia Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 My Ds just finished the Gareth Hinds graphic novel of Macbeth, he loved it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4ofus Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 Gareth Hinds Macbeth?!?! Off to Amazon.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalphs Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 How much Shakespeare do you require for your middle schooler, and how do you approach it? Do they read abridged versions, watch movies, see a play, enjoy cartoon versions on YouTube? How much historical background do they have first? My DS doesn't care a bit for Shakespeare or theater (and frankly, neither do I), and I'm thinking there's no need to press it. I'd like for him to have a general sense of some of the plays, but he'd rather poke his eyes out than watch a performance. His history program suggests reading over a dozen plays, some more obscure than others, and I feel like that's overkill for a disinterested student. Obviously I won't make him suffer through all that, but I think I want some reassurance that Shakespeare is hardly the be all, end all of a decent middle school literary education. ;) Thanks for gentle input. Dd was introduced to the Bard as a preschooler with Bruce Coville's books. http://www.amazon.com/Midsummer-Nights-Dream-Bruce-Coville/dp/0803717849/ref=sr_1_9?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1426692410&sr=1-9&keywords=bruce+coville Next came Marsha William's books. http://www.amazon.com/Tales-Shakespeare-Marcia-Williams/dp/0763623237/ref=sr_1_fkmr2_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1426692465&sr=1-1-fkmr2&keywords=marsha+ http://www.amazon.com/More-Tales-Shakespeare-Marcia-Williams/dp/0763626937/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_y Along with the BBC's "Shakespeare Animated Tales" available for viewing on You Tube. Then came Lamb's Tales from Shakespeare http://www.amazon.com/Tales-Shakespeare-Puffin-Classics-Charles/dp/0141321687/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1426692650&sr=1-4&keywords=lambs+tales+from+shakespeare Stories from Shakespeare http://www.amazon.com/Stories-Shakespeare-Marchette-Chute/dp/0452010616/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1426692709&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=marchette+chut Shakespeare Stories http://www.amazon.com/Shakespeare-Stories-Leon-Garfield/dp/0395861403/ref=sr_1_19?ie=UTF8&qid=1426692916&sr=8-19&keywords=stories+from+shakespeare http://www.amazon.com/Shakespeare-Stories-II-Leon-Garfield/dp/0395708931/ref=pd_sim_b_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=0NSBR0FPA3QB5EDTRGW8 For viewing the plays, we chose BBC Shakespeare http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=bbc%20shakespeare&sprefix=bbc+sha%2Caps Opus Arte http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_0_13?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=opus+arte+shakespeare&sprefix=opus+arte+sha%2Caps%2C174&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Aopus+art 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalphs Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 Dd has enjoyed Shakespeare just as she has Aesop's Fables. In the earlier years, we didn't focus on the historical time period. However, when Dd reached the "logic stage" we connected the stories to the historical time periods.If you have the opportunity to attend a "live" performance, I highly recommend it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mystie Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 We do about 2 a year, starting in 4th (ish). I am of the "Shakespeare was meant to be seen" camp. :)Here's how I do it: www.simplyconvivial.com/2014/shakespeare-kids-easy-5-step-plan 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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