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Read-Aloud Revival

Shakespeare is NOT a school subject! 🎭

Published 2 months ago • 1 min read

Hello Reader,

When most of us hear the name “Shakespeare,” we probably think back to a high school classroom, fluorescent lights buzzing overhead, while we struggled through Romeo and Juliet line by line—“wherefore art thou” and all that.

But here’s 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.

While Shakespeare’s plays are part of a rich literary heritage, I want to make a case that Shakespeare is not a school subject at all.

Instead, 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, you'll hear:

  • What traditional classrooms often get wrong
  • Why Ken recommends having kids start with reciting passages
  • How Shakespeare provides an entry point to learning complex language

Listen to the episode here: RAR #265: Shakespeare Is Not a School Subject. You can also watch the episode on YouTube here.

xo, Sarah Mackenzie

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Read-Aloud Revival

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