I am in the midst of reading a wonderful new book on Shakespeare by James Shapiro entitled A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare: 1599. During that year Shakespeare wrote four great plays including Henry V, Julius Caesar and Hamlet. During that year, in addition, the Globe Theatre was constructed, Queen Elizabeth and Essex became embroiled in a quarrel which shook the court, the English sent an army to Ireland to quell a major rebellion and Spain threatened to send another Armada. Shapiro weaves all of the different pieces together showing how one influenced another. While I have always enjoyed and appreciated Shakespeare's plays, Shapiro's book has provided me with much greater context and insight into the works than I had ever had before. I know that I will see these plays in a new light the next time I see them produced or read one of them.

Over a decade ago an international study of science and math education pointed out that U.S. curriculum covered many more topics than most countries and in doing so U.S. teachers were forced to cover many areas in less depth than was the case elsewhere. U.S. curricula were characterized by the authors as "a mile wide and an inch deep."

I was reminded of this while I was reading the Shapiro book on Shakespeare. Great English teachers make a tremendous effort to teach literature in depth and in context just as great math and science teachers try to bring depth and context to their subject areas. Unfortunately, they have to fight against general practice as frequently exhibited in various state and national tests. Great teachers with dedicated students seem to be able to both cover the breadth of material required for various tests and delve deeply so students get a real understanding. Sadly, at-risk students who may have the most difficult time grasping the material are often forced to race over topics at such a pace that they end up not remembering much a year or two later.

Much of the fun of learning comes from the odd stories and interesting sidelights and anomalies. These are the details which bring topics to life. They bring enjoyment and with greater enjoyment, greater understanding. As parents we can supplement what is taught in school by encouraging our children to read, taking them to plays or museums and by talking with them about what excites us. As teachers and parents we can overcome the shortcomings of our texts both in the classroom and at home by adding the kind of life that Shapiro brings to Shakespeare.