Teaching Shakespeare

[wiziliz]

Can someone recommend me some books ,resources etc on how to teach Shakespeare to my 11+ daughter. (Home ed)

[ScipioAfricanus]

'Shakespeare - The Animated Tales' are good.
Royal Shakespeare Company should have some educational resources for schools/home ed.
Which play(s) were you thinking of doing? A Midsummer Night's Dream works well for 11-13 in my experience and I have also used this to teach ESL adults English through drama.
For enjoyment of the plays I prefer a summary and then the original text rather than using 'modern' translation alongside original text. If you don't need detailed understanding of each scene, it is a much better introduction to Shakespeare to just have the original language and then you tend to get the gist of the scene, and reassure that it doesn't matter if you understand every word.
'Hamlet' is fun in terms of all the phrases which we now use from that play (but not fun in most other ways, of course!)
I also have a book of Shakespearean Insults which is great fun.

[GrainOfSalt]

You tube is a great intro to some of the plays, not only full versions but summaries etc made by others - we found a great version of 'A comedy of errors' done by some home educators . Another great resource is the Cbeebies version of A Midsummer Night's Dream - absolutely excellent and I know teacher friends who have used with with their high school classes. Also go and see to see really GOOD Shakespeare - e.g. Royal Shakespeare Company etc. We have booked to see Twelfth Night in November. DS is 8 so we will prep for it by watching summaries, reading key speeches, making mini puppets etc, talking about language etc - this is very much 'him' led - he got into Shakespeare through the Cbeebies Midsummer Nights Dream which he watched on repeat until he could recite many of the speeches, we followed it up by making puppets, seeing the RSC touring version etc etc. The RSC website has good resources too.

[wiziliz]

Thank you very much. Really appreciate it.

[mom17]

GrainOfSalt ,
can u pls. give me the URL of that youtube channel.

[MammaTJ]

My DD is 12, year 8, we are starting on Macbeth, which is what her friends will be studying on school.

We have done a timeline of Shakespeare's life as a gentle introduction. We have the CGP book on Macbeth, aimed at KS3. That has a cartoon version of Macbeth, and loads of study guidance. I also found this. [http://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/macbeth/themes.html].

I have bought the play in modern English from Amazon for not very much, as well as the 'real one'. Not too much too soon, just gradually stepping up, little by little.

[MammaTJ]

www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/macbeth/themes.html

Clicky link.

[Knusper]

The Marcia Williams Shakespeare comic books are brilliant. You can find them on Amazon.

[grasspigeons]

My advice is remember they are plays so really try to see one - looks what's coming up locally and work from there?

[BossWitch]

Google 'No Fear Shakespeare'. You get the original text and a modern translation alongside. Really helpful.

Also - if you can possibly afford it - GO SEE IT ON STAGE. Totally different experience to studying it on the page. It is often a total game changer when kids see the play on stage.

[RozTheSchnoz]

Keep an eye on National Theatre Live performances. You can watch them at the cinema, for the price of a cinema ticket. Saw Hamlet ft Benedict Cumberbatch last week for £8 😊

[wheresthel1ght]

The arden Shakespeare books are great as they offer notes and translations on the opposite page.

However, I did English for my degree and love Shakespeare, it is not meant to be read, it is meant to be performed so I would take her to see a stage play of you cam or if not the Kenneth brannagh dvds are very good. It needs to come alive. My dp hated English and Shakespeare T school, I made him watch a performance of Macbeth not long after we started dating and whilst I had to explain bits he got lost of it and really enjoyed it.

Try and start with some of the more entertaining ones, at her age "A Midsummer Night's Dream", "Romeo and Juliet" or "Othello" are good ones to start with. If she struggles you cam also try using the modern day adaptations to help her get the concepts. So for Taming if the Shrew look at 10 things I hate about you, Othello look at Save the Last Dance and for Romeo and Julies there is West Side story or the Baz Lurhman version is very good.

Feel free to pm me if you want some help

[millifiori]

Good, colour graphic novel versions with the original text are great. There's a lovely Macbeth one, and Midsummer Night's Dream. The images help the language make sense.
Also cartoon versions on Youtube with the original language. My DC enjoyed both of these.
And yes, good live stage and film versions. But check reviews first. You could put them off for life if it's a dull production.

In terms of making sense of it, with the long speeches, try getting them to read out only the verbs or only the descriptive words. the verbs help with what's happening and the descriptors with the mood of the speech.

[Lessstressedhemum]

Manga Shakespeare. They are the real text but in manganese novel form. My teens all loved them.

[GrainOfSalt]

Hi Mom17 sorry - I've only just seen your request -The comedy of errors home ed kids link is and the cbeebies midsummer night'd dream is