Wednesday, February 15, 2017

Wednesday with Words: Shakespeare's Storybook

I might have quoted from this little book before, but it is a fun one and I am reading it again with the younger set.  Shakespeare's Storybook is a collection of tales that are similar to or might have inspired the Bard's plays.  We just finished listening to Taming of the Shrew last week so I thought I would read the story associated with it.  The tale is different enough that my younger ones didn't pick up the connection but they loved the story.  This is the theme:



After reading the story we attempted quiet time.  My 7 yo was a bit over tired and crazy and letting everyone know how he really felt about it.  I finally just sent him to his room.  When he came out he told me that he was thinking about the story and how using soft words might work better than being mean.  You don't say??  I was shocked that he was thinking about the story.  This is what I hope for but I have given up planning for it - I can't control what will speak to a child and when - just lay the feast. Of course, The Taming of the Shrew has a bit of the opposite approach. A local high school drama company is doing Much Ado About Nothing soon so that might be the first live performance my oldest will see of a Shakespeare play.  We have done well Shakespeare this semester but fell behind on Plutarch.  We'll try him again soon though.

See what others are reading at ladydusk.





3 comments:

  1. Wise words! Reminds me of Louisa Mae Alcott's Little Men. Professor Bhaer and Jo are great examples of this quote in action. Have a blessed day!

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  2. So good! You're right. You can't plan for this. Sometimes I really don't think anything is making an impression because I don't see any outward signs of it, then I'm shocked when seemingly, out of the blue, one of my children mention something & I realise that it obviously did.

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  3. I am STILL trying to read through Little Men. I have been for a while. Yes, today, the same kiddo explained that he finally figured out why the play was called "Taming of the Shrew". We finished it 2 weeks ago and he has been thinking about it. I love that laying the feast allows them to work on it in their own time. They are learning.

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