“The words and the language of Shakespeare’s plays can be intimidating for kids, and let’s face it, most adults as well.
Do not let that stop you from tackling this subject with your younger students. They can learn to appreciate, enjoy, and perhaps even fall in love with the world of Shakespeare.
“Experiencing the wit and beauty of Shakespeare (whether in reading, reciting, or memorizing) is one of my favorite things to do with my children. I hope this post encourages you to incorporate some Shakespearean delight in your own home!”
“I believe that Shakespeare, the greatest artist whose medium was the English language, can and should be introduced to children. The deep discussions about betrayal, cowardice, truth, love, and piety can wait for high school, but the enjoyment of the plots, the characters, and the language doesn’t have to wait. Introducing children to the world of the plays will help them feel more at home and navigate those deeper waters later in a more knowledgeable and understanding way, because they’ll already know the lay of the land.”
“Are you a Fen-sucked Dull-Eyed Canker-blossom? Do you know how many sonnets the Bard wrote, or which phrases we use that he coined? Have you any idea what an oxlip looks like? If you’re curious about answering any of these questions, then this Ultimate Guide to Teaching Shakespeare might be for you!”
“There is no reason to dumb down our children’s education. Just because the words may be difficult, doesn’t mean to omit them. Homeschooling is an opportunity to challenge our kids to stretch their minds and see beyond themselves. Plus, if they can grasp Shakespeare, anything else should come easily.”
“I typically end our school year by spending time with William Shakespeare. Not literally. Obviously. Because he died in 1616. But I introduce my kids to his life, his plays, and his words using picture books and easy chapter books.
We also read one of his plays. We keep our time with Shakespeare very light-hearted and fun, but I know they are establishing a great foundation in Shakespeare that will serve them well in high school and beyond.”
“What do you think of when you hear about Shakespeare? Though many of us are familiar with his plays, my guess is we might find the language intimidating and consider it pretty sophisticated. Certainly, it would be tough to teach to children. In high school, I took a whole semester my senior year on Shakespeare. It was a great time! But, it took time to understand. We teach Shakespeare in high school literature in our homeschool as well, but teaching it to all of our kids was a new concept for us. It’s been lovely!”
Ken Ludwig is a playwright and father who has an infectious love of Shakespeare. He began sharing his love with his children at a very young age. Recently he published How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare, a book detailing this surprisingly simple way to teach the Bard’s great works to our children.
Come and enjoy as Ken tells us why and how we should teach Shakespeare, as well as how we can handle the harder concepts. Most importantly, Ken encourages us to push past our fear and enjoy Shakespeare in our Morning Times.
If your education was anything like mine, hearing the word “Shakespeare” can make your heart race as you imagine yourself in front of your English class trying to recite scenes from Macbeth with everyone staring at you.
But you’re the teacher now. That means that you get to introduce Shakespeare to your children when and how you want! They can learn to love his works, instead of stressing out when hearing his name.
When Shakespeare lets you blow out the candles on his birthday cake and play games in his honor then you know he has to be one cool guy. That’s what my kids think, anyway. Having a Shakespeare party is lots of fun and not really all that difficult to do. Includes printable Shakespeare Mad Libs.
No Ultimate Guide to Shakspeare would be complete without this fun kit from Renee. The Shakespeare teaching advice in this collection is spot on and the Pick A Play diagram takes the guesswork out of finding the perfect play for your family. (Email required for download.)
Other Fabulous Shakespeare Online Resources for Your Homeschool
Mary is a writer and mother to four kids ranging from elementary to high school.
She believes that creativity, laughter, and fun are the backbone for engaging and inspiring homeschools. You can find encouragement and tips on her blog, Not Before 7.
She is an enneagram 7 and an extrovert. She enjoys traveling, tea (iced or hot), good conversations, and books. You can connect with her on Instagram and Facebook.
Thank you! This is a big list of useful articles!
I am not a fan of Shakespeare, although I do recognize his talent and the need to study his work. For me, the best way to convince my daughter to read Shakespeare was to go to the theatre with her. Her favorite actor was just playing “Richard II”. What can I say, she has read a lot of Shakespeare’s plays since then and even knows some fragments by heart.
Thank you! This is a big list of useful articles!
I am not a fan of Shakespeare, although I do recognize his talent and the need to study his work. For me, the best way to convince my daughter to read Shakespeare was to go to the theatre with her. Her favorite actor was just playing “Richard II”. What can I say, she has read a lot of Shakespeare’s plays since then and even knows some fragments by heart.
Do you have a list of recommended versions of plays to watch? I am specifically looking for A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the moment.
Check out Mystie’s lesson plans linked above. She gives recommended versions of the plays there.
Thanks! Is there any way to still access the Shakespeare Fear lesson plans?