Recently, students in English 9 read Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. Students picked roles based on who they wanted to portray. For the students, reading a play is a fun way to improve reading skills and comprehension. “It’s a tricky text, so in order to comprehend the text in general, it will require a good bit of summarizing and rephrasing for each period we are reading” said English teacher Mrs. Bell. Though the vocabulary may be difficult, students still enjoy the plot and cheesy romance that has made Romeo and Juliet famous.

Students would agree that acting out a play or reading one would be more enjoyable than reading a regular novel “It’s fun to see how different writing back then was than how it is now,” said Jackson Sorenson (9). Even though reading one of Shakespeare’s plays might be difficult for a freshman, students still glean much insight into one of the greatest playwrights in history.

The core of 9th grade English is to transition writing and reading abilities from the junior high to high school levels. Mrs. Bell explained, “Our next unit will be a novel. However, the focus there will be to continue growing and expanding in our abilities to read higher-level texts, which will prepare students further for sophomore year English.” As students read various genres across multiple forms of literature, they are preparing themselves for the future.

Reading isn’t just about learning, though- it’s also about the fun. Ninth grade English classes have enjoyed reading Romeo and Juliet. Scenes with action and funny parts seem to be the most enjoyable. For example, the first scene shows two people from different families fighting each other in the streets. Freshmen particularly liked the scene where Romeo and Juliet first met.

In their English classes, students are developing critical thinking and comprehension skills. Yet, beyond just learning, students are falling in love with the world of literature.