Teaching Romeo and Juliet: A Differentiated Approach

Delia DeCourcy, Lyn Fairchild, and Robin Follet offer a differentiated approach to teaching Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, including lesson plans focused on key scenes, close reader handouts geared toward different levels of readiness, and scaffolded reading activities. Romeo and Juliet is one of the most-taught plays of Shakespeare, yet teachers are always looking for new and effective ways to make the material engaging and adaptable for all students–from those struggling to read to those able to analyze complicated sonnets. By using the concept of differentiated instruction, authors Delia DeCourcy, Lyn Fairchild, and Robin Follet provide a practical, easy-to-use guide for teaching the play that addresses a wide range of student readiness levels, interests, and learning styles. This differentiated approach helps students develop a deep understanding of Romeo and Juliet through activities such as cinematic interpretation, creative writing, dramatic interpretation, and Socratic discussion. An entire curriculum for teaching the play, the book features lesson plans focused on key scenes; scaffolded reading activities that address the different needs of novice, on-target, and advanced learners; quizzes, mini-lessons, and compacting guidelines; and close reader handouts geared toward different levels of readiness.