Taken from the Times Educational Supplement.
Curriculum Special : ‘Music and the Arts’- 17.11.2000

Theseus and the Minotaur/ Romeo and Juliet £34.99 each By Beverley Rees

More schools and centres than ever before are discovering that literature
and drama offer opportunities for learning, social interaction, and enjoyment
to students across the ability range. Resources that are truly inclusive should
indicate some differentiation and adaptations - for example, for pupils with
sensory impairments, specific language difficulties, profound and multiple
disabilities or severe physical disabilities.

Given the pressures on classroom staff, it should also be crystal clear what
skills the activities promote and their relationship to the curriculum ; and
the activities should be practical, easy to understand and implement, cheap and fun.

These two publications offer narrative verse dramas, paired with a series of
15 workshops designed to teach drama skills to all students. They are packed
with creative ideas that are referenced to particular skills.

A somewhat uniform approach to special needs is adopted. The resources seem
mainly to be aimed at pupils with mild to moderate learning difficulties, reasonable
understanding of language and some basic literacy skills. There are occasional
nods in the direction of pupils with more complex difficulties- one mention of
sensory activities (Friar Lawrence’s herb garden) and one or two references
to Makaton signs.

This said, I think any competent teacher would find the activities easy to adapt.
I particularly liked the way warm-up activities are related to the main story line,
and the links made to the personal experiences of pupils. The narrative verses
offer a rollicking way to tell the stories - though personally I would rather try
to make Shakespeare’s wonderful language accessible to all pupils, instead
of rendering it into verse that does not always simplify and can seem a little pedestrian.

The resources are very well designed and produced, particularly Theseus, which
has helpful worksheets, and impressionistic colour illustrations. These will be
useful and enjoyable additions to the library for teachers both in primary and
secondary sectors - I am going to put some of the ideas into practice right away.

Nicola Grove

Nicola Grove is a senior lecturer in the department of languages and
communication science at City University.