Shakespeare in the Primary Classroom: Literacy and Learning

• In Event: Relationality and Pedagogy in A/r/tography

Abstract

1. Objectives
This paper examines a primary class’ journey of engaging with Shakespeare through literacy-based activities. The research builds on work conducted by the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), where scholars are studying what happens when young children are introduced to Shakespeare.
2. Theoretical Framework
The case study focuses on one teacher and her primary class during a three-month period, April-June 2009, while they explored Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing. The research used a phenomenological approach, seeking to describe what happened during the children’s engagement with Shakespeare.
3. Methods
The study took place in a multi-age Montessori classroom (6-9 years) in a Canadian public school. Document collection included: Participant reflective and creative writing, journaling, newspaper writing; student focus groups; and semi-structured interviews. To prepare her children for the oral and physical engagement with Shakespeare, the teacher used several literacy-based strategies. The selected strategies explored below highlight moments where the pedagogical approach, student learning and the research were crystallized (Richardson, 2000). Five literacy-based strategies: Word Wall, Journals, Character Masks, Letters, and Newspapers were interwoven in complex, non-linear, and layered ways in the process of exploring, and eventually performing, Shakespeare with young children is the focus.
4. Data
Case studies combine a range of data sources including but not limited to direct observation, interviews and collections of writing samples (Donmoyer, 1990). Collectively the 23 children in class created over 600 pieces of reflective and creative writing/drawing about their work with Much Ado About Nothing through journals, newspaper writing, response leaves and letters. Eight parents, along with the teacher., participated in semi-structured interviews. Focus groups were held with the children during the project and once again two years later in February 2011. Other research artifacts include Mrs. B.’s lesson plans and two adaptations of Much Ado About Nothing: Lois Burdett (2002) and Richard Carter (2009)
5. Results
These five literacy-based strategies became foundation work as well as springboards for the drama and theatre-based phases in the Shakespeare exploration. The multiple writing tasks provided the children with opportunities to express their understanding of the play and became markers of their learning. The preparation that was generated by the literacy strategies allowed the children to then take greater risks as they moved towards doing drama-based activities. Evident from the focus group comments, the experience of performing a Shakespeare play lives on in their memories as they recall the language, the set, costumes, rehearsing and performing. The foundational, building blocks generated through the literacy-based activities prepared them for the experience and have become artifacts to revisit in years to come.
6.
Significance
This case study suggests that young children are not intimidated by Shakespeare, in fact most of them become highly engaged with the rich and playful language, the stories, and the complex characters. This engagement with Shakespeare at an early age exposes students to a worldliness, a cultural literacy (Hirsch, 1987) to be built upon throughout their education and lives. Shakespeare’s plays offer a bridge to discover and discuss some of the great questions in life.

Author

• George Belliveau, The University of British Columbia