comments:
A combo of things works for me, when I do Shakespeare with 6th grade: -Start with a summary of the play- I put a cast of characters up, and tell the story. As characters die, I cross them out. -Then, Stick Figure Shakespeare. https://goodticklebrain.com/romeo-juliet -Then, something vaguely akin to the Folger Method, because getting parts and props and costumes is fun, and it connects them with a play even if they only understand their own lines; https://www.amazon.com/Shakespeare-Set-Free-Teaching-Midsummer/dp/0743288505 (I think they're putting out new editions, so this might not be the latest version) -I also use a shortened (but not "translated") version for the acting: https://archive.org/details/shakespeareincla0000cull -As we work through the play, I adapt the Folger method a bit and watch movie clips of dramatic parts to give them acting ideas. -Then we watch a full version of the play -Then we analyze. A shortened version of this method worked when I brought my 3rd grader to my HS's performance of midsummer night's dream, too; the combo of Summary, Stick Figure, and then I watched the movie version with frequent pauses for explanation, then we went to the play, and she got it!
Buy this right now: https://www.amazon.com/Shakespeare-Set-Free-Teaching-Midsummer/dp/0743288505 Use it to pick.