Parents' Guide to The Sonnets by William Shakespeare

Although a bit scholarly in its appearance and approach, kids get the opportunity to see Shakespeare's sonnets outside the pages of a traditional textbook. Rather than struggling to read the poems themselves, they can first hear the poems read by actors who have performed in numerous productions of Shakespeare's work, acclaimed authors, and those who have dedicated their lives to studying Shakespeare and his works. As they hear the words pronounced by these scholars and read the notes and commentary connected with each sonnet, kids will begin to gain a general understanding of each sonnet. This will in turn help improve their understanding of Shakespeare's language as a whole, particularly because many of the Bard's sonnets appear in his plays. Unfortunately, to truly get kids interested in all this resource has to offer, parents will have to encourage kids to get past the pretty academic vibe and focus on the poems themselves.