1st Edition
Teaching Shakespeare in Primary Schools All the World's a Stage
Teaching Shakespeare in Primary Schools offers guidance and practical ideas for teaching Shakespeare’s plays across Key Stage 1 and 2. It demonstrates how the plays can engage young readers in exciting, immersive and fun literacy lessons and illustrates how the powerful themes, iconic characters and rich language remain relevant today.
Part 1 explores the place of classic texts in modern classrooms – how teachers can invite children to make meaning from Shakespeare’s words – and considers key issues such as gender and race, and embraces modern technology and digital storytelling. Part 2 presents Shakespeare’s plays: The Tempest, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Romeo and Juliet, Julius Caesar, Macbeth and The Winter’s Tale. For each play, there is a suggested sequence of activities that will guide teachers through the process of inspiring children, incubating ideas and making connections all before responding to it through drama, writing and other subjects.
You don’t need to be an actor, a scholar or even an extrovert to get the best out of Shakespeare! Written by experienced teachers, this book is an essential resource for teachers of all levels of experience who want to teach creative, engaging and memorable lessons.
Acknowledgements Introduction Encountering Shakespeare Part 1: Shakespeare and 21st century education Chapter 1 Why teach Shakespeare? Chapter 2 Shakespeare and 21st century education Chapter 3 Words and deeds: exploring Shakespeare’s plays through reading, drama and writing Part 2: Teaching Shakespeare Chapter 4 Year 1, The Tempest Chapter 5 Year 2, A Midsummer Night’s Dream Chapter 6 Year 3, Romeo and Juliet Chapter 7 Year 4, Julius Caesar Chapter 8 Year 5, Macbeth Chapter 9 Year 6, The Winter’s Tale Appendix 1 National Curriculum objectives Index
Biography
Stefan Kucharczyk is the founder of ARTiculate Education, an independent creative consultancy for schools. He is an experienced primary school teacher, and his research interests include creativity in education, digital literacy, Star Wars in the classroom and filmmaking. He is an associate lecturer at the Open University.
Maureen Kucharczyk is a highly experienced primary school teacher from Wolverhampton. Over three decades as senior teacher and literacy leader, she has specialised in creative approaches to children’s literacy and writing. Her teaching interests include engaging boys with writing, Shakespeare, drama and poetry.
"This engaging and accessible text will bring Shakespeare’s plays to life for teachers and children across the next decade. Rich, varied and highly stimulating, Teaching Shakespeare in Primary Schools: All the World’s a Stage is packed with practical advice and structured ways to explore the work of the bard in their classrooms. The energy, tone and creativity evident in the Kucharczyk’s text will support both experienced and less assured primary practitioners."
Professor Teresa Cremin, The Open University, UK
"This is not simply a book about Shakespeare but one that sponsors a love and lustre for those who wish to promote a love of learning and language. The text looks at the relevance of word play and linguistic analysis, providing practical and accessible examples of how to develop a passion for literature and ignite the imagination of children when introducing them to a range of Shakespeare’s plays. Packed with ideas for teaching, we see how to expertly deconstruct, reassemble, infer meaning from, identify key themes within and deliver language with passion, purpose and gusto!
The relevance of the works for a 21st century audience is examined in an accessible and entertaining format. This book is engaging from the off, inviting the reader to re-evaluate their previous experiences of Shakespeare; always through our authors’ expert reimagined eye."
Megan Stephenson, Leeds Trinity University, UK
