The British Government has announced a new initiative to teach Shakespeare to students aged 5 to 16. Are five-year-olds too young to learn about Shakespeare?

On my blog I've spoken often of the fact that I introduced my kids to Shakespeare at the age of 3. Of course I don't read them original text - but I can certainly tell them the stories. They learn plot and character, and when I can find acceptable movies for them, they see those. When the time comes that they do sit down with the actual text, they will have already crossed the biggest hurdle, namely understanding what the heck is going on. If somebody told you ahead of time that Romeo and Juliet starts with an argument and a fight between the Montagues and Capulets, it's much easier to understand it when you read it than to be left reaching for the glossary and trying to figure out what a "collier" is. http://www.shakespearegeek.com