Why Shakespeare?

There is a great benefit to introducing students to Shakespeare in the latter Grammar School years. Academically, it prepares students for engaging with his text when they move to the Upper School and it helps them with reading comprehension. After all, not only does one have to remember what the lines are but one has to understand what Shakespeare is saying and communicate that meaning clearly to the audience. Beginning Shakespeare in the fifth and sixth grades also helps students begin to spot and understand the use of similes, metaphors, and themes in a text–skills that will be important as they progress through their literature and writing studies. 
 
But, the benefits of this earlier introduction go beyond the classroom. By having students’ first experience with the Bard’s work be in performance rather than for a book report, it captures their imagination in a different way. While they might not admit it, fifth and sixth grade students still like playing pretend and still possess a childlike wonder. The realm of “pretend” is an excellent canvas to encite that wonder. By taking advantage of this aspect of their development and introducing them to the world of Shakespeare—the fairies, the quarrels, the duels, the mixed up identities—it makes a lasting impression. It fosters a desire in the students to be exposed to more stories like the ones Shakespeare wrote and to be winsome in their speaking. As Ken Ludwig writes in his book, How To Teach Your Children Shakespeare, “It gives them the tools, as Falstaff might say, to be witty in themselves and be proud of it” (12).
 
The saying is cliched, but it is true: “Shakespeare wrote for the stage and not the page.” While the study of Shakespeare’s writing in literature class is certainly appropriate, the best way to develop an appreciation of Shakespeare’s work is to get up and perform it! Shakespeare wrote some fascinating characters across his canon of works–characters that make us laugh, make us cry, make us think, and combinations of all three. The heroes inspire us and the villains make us shudder. In the fifth and sixth grade Drama classes, students get to step into the shoes of these characters who transport us to locations far away and long ago while also reminding us of ourselves. What better playground is there?
                                                                          -Kara Faraldi, Music & Drama Teacher