A
Year 4 class. We’re tackling The
Tempest as part of a themeweek
and I amthoroughly enjoying
the challenge of presenting
Shakespeare to children at
primary age.
During a class discussion,
I pose the question:
“So howdo you thinkAriel became
imprisoned in a tree?”
Obviously, I knowwhat the answer should
be. We have already explored the characters
and their relationships and I amexpecting
themto remember fromthe previous lesson’s
freeze-frame activities the role of the unseen
witch, Sycorax. Someonewill answer in the
affirmative and I can then patmyself on the
back at seeing howmuch they
have remembered.
A handflies up. It belongs to a child
whose feet were kicking in excitement as
wewatched the BBC’s Shakespeare: The
Animated Tales. Shewas transfixed by the
magical story ofmischief andmayhemon a
forgotten, unknown island.
“Yes, go on. Have a go! Why do you think
Ariel is in a tree?”
“Because hewanted to be!”
Sniggers fromaround the class and
the children shake their heads. I take a
deep breath.
“Well…if you think about it, the tree is a
prison for Ariel, isn’t it?Youwouldn’t want to
IAN EAGLETON
is a teacher and English consultant with Just Imagine
be trapped, all squashed up in a tree, would
you? Has anyone else got an idea?”
But the handflies up again.
“No I wouldn’t want to be in a tree,
butmaybeAriel is punishing himself for
something…”
Nowat this point, I can either end this
exchangewith, “That can’t be right…” – after
all, time is precious in a classroom. Instead, I
choose a different tack.
“Go on….” I say.
“Maybe a spell went wrong and he
feels bad, like in the story you told us, when
we did theRomans, about Boudicca poisoning
herself. Shemight have felt she had let the
Celts down and so she killed herself and
IanEagleton
sawbig improvementswhenhehelped
childrentotakecontrol of theirwriting–downtothevery last
semicolon.Here’showyoucandothesame...
Whydidyoudothat?
TEACH READING & WRITING
37
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