Pre-reading with panache!

  Many of us English teachers live in constant fear of ‘killing' Shakespeare, ‘demolishing' Dickens or ‘crucifying' the classics (is this subconsciously linked to how we experienced the classics in school?). I've found that using drama as a pre-reading activity, before learners grapple with the actual text itself, can generate a buzz and make youngsters more receptive. 

    I am currently creating and teaching units of work on ‘Macbeth' and ‘Frankenstein' with two of my classes (12-14 year olds). I instructed the students to get themselves into small groups. Each group was given a set of cards that contained key words/symbols/ideas from the text. They had to create a drama around these words. To incorporate challenge and differentiation, each group was given a quotation from the novel/play too.They had to interpret this (without my assistance) and incorporate it in any way they saw fit. Those of a higher ability got to grips with more complex quotes and vice-versa applied to those who needed more assistance with their learning. 

    The students got to flex their creative muscles while engaging with important concepts and themes. Some of the learners were miles from the direction of the original text but that really doesn't matter. They were able to connect with these classic stories and make them their own in some way. They were enthused before they'd even read a word of the original, which made them far more receptive. 
     In others words, a job well done!