Shakespeare in Three Steps Questions

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  • September 14, 2017 at 8:05 am
    Tristan
    Participant

    Hi SCM Team and anyone else reading this! I’m planning to dive into teaching one Shakespeare play to my children using Shakespeare in Three Steps. My kids range from age 1-16 (official students this year are K, 1st, 3rd, 4th, 6th, 7th, 11th). The 11th grader has studied Romeo and Juliet. Everyone else has had minimal exposure to Shakespeare. Here are my quick questions:

    Which play should I start with if I want to include everyone 3rd grade and up? From what I can see the Shakespeare in Three Steps plays for that age range are: As You Like It, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Twelfth Night.

    Would it be beneficial to separate my older 3 (6th, 7th, 11th) and do a different play? This age range could also try The Taming of the Shrew (for 6th-12th) or maybe just do Macbeth with the 11th grader (it’s for 9th-1th) and keep the 6th and 7th grader with the younger kids play.

    Is there a ‘not to be missed’ Shakespeare play to get in for my 11th grader before she graduates?

    Thanks for your thoughts everyone!

    September 14, 2017 at 11:09 am
    Karen Smith
    Moderator

    Your oldest has already done one of the Shakespeare plays considered to be one of the “not to be missed” ones. Macbeth and Hamlet are probably the other two. Why schools only expose us to Shakespeare’s tragedies has always baffled me! I think it is good for our children to be familiar with Shakespeare’s comedies and tragedies.

    I think Shakespeare is more enjoyable when done with a group, so I would do one of the comedies with all of my students. Twelfth Night was a favorite with my children.

    You can always do Macbeth another term with just you and your oldest. Together you could listen to the audio dramatization while following along in the script. I would still take it in small chunks spread out over the term so there was time to digest what was happening.

    I hope that helps!

    September 14, 2017 at 2:55 pm
    Tristan
    Participant

    Thanks! That helps.

     

    September 15, 2017 at 3:46 pm
    Tristan
    Participant

    I thought I would update: I decided to start everyone together with A Midsummer Night’s Dream. I’m excited! Also, for those wondering about getting the Arkangel audio – do it! We don’t use CDs much so I got mine from Audible instead (downloads are my thing!) and took a few minutes to listen. I really like it.

    September 15, 2017 at 5:06 pm
    sarah2106
    Participant

    I agree 100% about the audio. We just started Midsummer Nights Dream this week, and the audio is perfect. The kids wanted to keep going, not stop after 1st act. I never enjoyed Shakespeare, never really understood it because I had to read it myself and reading the style as well as not modern English… I never enjoyed it. Hearing it read with feeling/emotion it came together for me and the kids (6th, 4th and 1st graders). So glad I invested in the audio!!

    And yes, we really enjoy 3 easy steps. It works!!

    September 15, 2017 at 6:52 pm
    Monica
    Participant

    Hope you all enjoy it, Tristan.

    There is a homeschool theater guild here in my area that performs a Shakespeare play every spring, so we wait to find out what we are going to read until we hear what they will be performing.

    Last year as Twelfth Night, the year before was Midsummer Night’s Dream.  A group of about 25 of us go each year to watch it.  So fun.

    Be sure to keep your eye out for a live performance afterward.  Even my youngest ones enjoy the performances.

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