Starting kids out on Shakespeare

A few questions we have got before and after the workshop were from parents interested in introducing Shakespeare to their children in ways that would make it stick.  Their fear is fair because the Bard’s language isn’t easy reading for a beginner to his works.

Since this post relates to the workshop we conduct for teens, our suggestions are specifically tailored to this audience.  We assume zero exposure to Shakespeare, meaning grade level and reading level might not always match.  In the interest of advancing on the Shakespeare front, kids might be asked to read something ‘too baby’ for them in the beginning.  Every book has something for many ages: the other lesson that kids internalize reading below their grade levels.

Our suggestions:

1.  Please start with abridged versions, books that excite kids, with illustrations.

Recommendations:  Marcia William‘s illustrated classics (retold).  She has also illustrated Greek tales like the Illiad and Odyssey, highly recommended.  There are a couple of books that have many favourite plays retold and there are some like The Tempest that have their own book.  Reading level is higher primary to lower middle school level for basic understanding.  Like many graphic versions though, there is a lot for all age groups, you are likely to ‘get’ more details as you read and re-read these books.

Orchard (Hachette) Books’ series by Andrew Mathews and Tony Ross on the various plays.  These are 60+ page versions with some illustrations.  These are summaries written interestingly, including most characters but some minor ones might be omitted.  Reading level Grade 3 and up if the reader is precocious, Grade 4/5 and up otherwise.

Classics with Ruskin is a series that has a set of famous plays by Shakespeare.

2. At this level, kids have an idea of the plot lines.  Our goals are to introduce them to the language used by Shakespeare with some scaffolds and have them read the entire story retold, in more complex language (even if not in sonnet form).

Recommendations:

Charles and Mary Lamb‘s Tales from Shakespeare is a classic retelling of Shakespeare’s works and is the starting point for many authors retelling the works for children.

Stories of Shakespeare by Geraldine McCaughrean.

The No-Fear Shakespeare series of books.  These books use ‘you’ and ‘I’ instead of ‘thee’ and ‘thou’.  We are no purists but are all about learning.  Books like these are used instead of the originals and that is a real pity.  But for children gearing towards reading Shakespeare in the original, unabridged and wanting an introduction to his language in ‘plain English’, these are options.  Not a stopping point, not even every play, just a couple to get into the groove before advancing to the original.

3.  We are now up to the original unabridged versions.  We suggest that parents read aloud the plays with their kids.  Reading aloud isn’t only for kids who don’t know to read yet.  It is a powerful way to stay engaged in children’s lives, explore more complicated works of literature as well as get to know your kids and their thoughts.  These are young adults here, brimming with opinions, wanting to be heard.

The sullen teenager doesn’t have to be our stereotype and many of the teens we got in the workshop were anything but that!  As adults, we suggest going in with a facilitator’s hat…looking at this as we might a work assignment, a bit more professional than a parent, a bit more caring than a strict professional: balance is key.  Also, the text has to be read together with the notes.  Even the words we use today had different meanings in those days and needs to be read in that context for the play to be meaningful.

Recommendations:

Shakespeare Made Easy series that has modern day English side by side with the original.

Folger Shakespeare Library series of plays which have notes/meanings on one side and the original dialogue on the other.

Any textbook version of the play available in the local bookstore will also work.  We like a good edition, binding and appropriate/engaging font size, all of which make reading a more pleasurable experience.

4.  Do watch movies made on these plays with your kids.  For example, Shylock is played by the ever so-talented Al Pacino in a film of the same name.  The movie does have some nudity and you will have to take your parental calls on what you are comfortable with.  But watching the movie after reading the book is a good idea – you delve deeper and discuss differences between how you might have visualized the character to how the movie showed him/her.

Do consider using indie book stores like Funky Rainbow and Lightroom.

Happy immersion into the Bard’s works!  Please do comment and let us know what you think of this post, of your experiences with Shakespeare, et al.  We would love to know.