Join us for Shakespeare Summer!
When most of us hear the name âShakespeare,â we probably think back to a high school classroom, fluorescent lights buzzing overhead, while we struggled through Romeo and Juliet line by lineââwherefore art thouâ and all that.
But hereâs the truth:
Shakespeare was never meant to be dissected like a frog under a microscope.
His work, in fact, was never meant to be read AT ALL. He meant for his plays to be experienced. To be performed, seen, heard, and felt.
We tend to think of Shakespeare as a school subject. Or that we should read it as part of a rich literature curriculum in order for our children to be well-versed academically.
While Shakespeareâs plays are part of a rich literary heritage, I want to make a case today that Shakespeare is not a subject at all. Itâs not a thing you âshouldâ do in your homeschool to have well-educated kids.
Today, I want to talk about why experiencing Shakespeare with your kids might be one of the most joyful things you ever do together. And one of my very favorite people, Ken Ludwig, celebrated playwright, fellow Shakespeare nerd, and author of How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare, joins me to help me make my case.
In this episode, youâll hear:Â
- What traditional classrooms often get wrong when introducing Shakespeare
- Why Ken recommends having kids start with reciting and memorizing passagesÂ
- How Shakespeare provides an entry to point to learning and loving complex language
Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie:
Find the rest of the show notes: readaloudrevival.com/shakespeare-is-not-school