Read Sound of Pen's essay about Maggie Lindemann's 'SUCKERPUNCH' and fuel your own investigations into the literature of love.
MUSIC FOCUS: Maggie Lindemann... Read More...
Think about where your favourite songs are 'located' and develop your understanding of setting within your GCSE and A-Level texts.
MUSIC FOCUS: Calvin Harri... Read More...
Bright Star is locked in her manager’s office, Cynthia is locked in a friend’s basement and Ayley is locked in her bedroom. Sound of Pen’s ‘fTrE’ novel explore... Read More...
Read Sound of Pen's essay about YUNGBLUD - and prepare to get very excited about the links between 'weird!' and Shakespeare's 'Sonnet 116'!
MUSIC FOCUS: YUN... Read More...
Read Sound of Pen's essay about Against The Current's 'That Won't Save Us'. The song underlines ideas that will feel so relevant to your A-Level Lit study.
... Read More...
Our brainstorm activities don't so much focus on one idea as collate a whole stack of thoughts - all of which will feel absolutely relevant to one or other of ... Read More...
Read Sound of Pen's essay about Taylor Swift and develop your ability to make interesting points + to address context/typicality + to incorporate critical quot... Read More...
While you may well be working on a Sound of Pen activity at home, I do run classes in school. We are thinking about how to make these live sessions more widely... Read More...
Think about where your favourite songs are 'located' and develop your understanding of setting within your GCSE and A-Level texts.
MUSIC FOCUS: Trophy Eyes;... Read More...
Following our work on the 'Location, Location, Location' series, the amazing Chiara wrote a truly beautiful song. She thought carefully about the setting and h... Read More...
It's impossible to read 'Where The Crawdads Sing' or listen to Taylor Swift's 'Carolina' and not feel inspired! Our aim today is to write a description that so... Read More...
Looking at writers' use of colour is a worthwhile exercise - how many pieces of writing don't refer to a colour of one sort of another at some point?! Today, w... Read More...
In most stories, there's a letter being posted... or a phone ringing... or an email being sent. Characters are communicating and - whatever the era - they're u... Read More...
A lot of songwriters make use of colour in their lyrics - and some of those artists employ blacks, whites, greens, pinks etc. as potently as actual painters. H... Read More...
Is there anything more fun that writing about the things you REALLY love? And is there anything any of us love more than going to a festival?!
MUSIC FOCUS:... Read More...
Get ready for the best hour of your day. A class soundtracked by the beautiful Years & Years. What more could you ask for?
MUSIC FOCUS: Years & Year... Read More...
Listen to lots of artists inc. Olivia Rodrigo, Maggie Lindemann, MGK, Holding Absence - and secure your ability to analyse any text (seen or unseen) about love... Read More...
If you’re looking to finetune your use of letter sounds, you’re in the right place. This class works brilliantly all on its own, but you might also want to thi... Read More...
If you’re looking to finetune your use of symbols, you’re in the right place. This class works brilliantly all on its own, but you might also want to think of ... Read More...
Special thanks to my Year 8 class for providing the musical inspiration for this class!
Check out their favourite songs here.
You may wish to download th... Read More...
Review writing can be tricky. You might love a record or a film or a book soooooo much - but how do you possibly pack all the positive energy you're feeling in... Read More...
NOTE: THERE IS ONE MOMENT OF SWEARING DURING THE TRAILER.
Review writing can be tricky. You might love a record or a film or a book soooooo much - but how d... Read More...
If you’re looking to develop your vocabulary, you’re in the right place. This class works brilliantly all on its own, but you might also want to think of it as... Read More...
If you’re looking to develop your understanding of allusion, you’re in the right place. This class works brilliantly all on its own, but you might also want to... Read More...
Here's a selection, not just of our favourite songs of the year, but of our favourite similes and metaphors EVER!
If you're looking to finetune your creativ... Read More...
MUSIC FOCUS: Machine Gun Kelly, LOLO, Maggie Lindemann and Proper.ACTIVITY FOCUS: Look at how some of these brilliant songwriters use rhyme and then have a go ... Read More...
Start today's poetry writing class by watching this tribute to the superstar DJ/humble songwriter...
https://youtu.be/FhWDZExRacE
TASK 1
Watch the '... Read More...
Yes, we do know it's the school holidays, but as far as fun activities go, it's hard to think of anything more enjoyable than listening to Creeper, Against The... Read More...
We love Against The Current because they’re fighting the same problems that we're battling with too. In order to ensure we understand this, the band make such ... Read More...
Imagine you're living in the 12th Century, chatting to your friends in Latin and someone uses the word 'monstrum'. You know immediately that they're taking abo... Read More...
Examiners love students who write with personality and passion. Read the question (in orange) and response (in green) below, then have a go at writing about yo... Read More...
Unbelievably, Billie Eilish's 'Ocean Eyes' song is now more than half a decade old! But it remains as fresh-sounding and relevant as ever...
TASK 1
Read ... Read More...
Swiftogeddon
Belgrave Music Hall & Canteen, Leeds
18th February 2022
Outside Belgrave Music Hall & Canteen, the queue stretches up the hill. T... Read More...
Hello, GORGEOUS people. It's time to study our list of 2021's BEST albums and EPs. Once you've done that, crank the playlist up loud and get ready to take your... Read More...
From number 50 to number 1, here are the songs we loved most this year.
50. While She Sleeps, Nervous
49. Doll Skin, Control Freak
48. Creeper, Midnig... Read More...
CLASS FOCUS:
Understanding how context impacts on the significance of key vocabularyIdentifying key themes/messages within course textsCollecting quotes tha... Read More...
Let's be clear: you want your analysis of a writer's alliteration to SPARKLE! Okay, so it's fair to say that a writer often uses the technique to draw our att... Read More...
CLASS FOCUS:
Making clear pointsEstablishing three points per essay Collecting quotes that evidence the family theme
When Avicii died in 2018, we lost an... Read More...
CLASS FOCUS:
Identifying key themes within course textsIdentifying vocabulary used for effectExploring use of language techniques in relation to theme
Sl... Read More...
The 3 purple links below serve as wormholes. They'll take you straight into the pages of the texts you're studying at school. Use YONAKA's ideas to develop you... Read More...
And so we reach the end of another school year. Where did the time go?!
It's been an amazing first twelve months for Sound of Pen. It started with a collect... Read More...
As you read through the below, you'll find our model ideas in orange and green. There are tasks for you to complete in purple.
We always love the summer te... Read More...
The purple links in this article serve as wormholes. Click on them and you'll find yourself walking through the pages of Oscar Wilde's 'The Picture Of Dorian G... Read More...
We've heard so much amaaaaazing music in 2021 already! Here are the songs we've enjoyed most. Each mini-review includes a word that you can try to use in your ... Read More...
Finding the words to describe that feeling our favourite music gives us is never easy. And so we repeat ourselves in the hope that someone will get what we're ... Read More...
A story isn't just a story. It's a message. From the writer to US. But what exactly is the message? Well, let's find out...
Watch: Video
Watc... Read More...
Iago gets to Othello because the eponymous 'hero' has got a head full of voices. The men in charge of Gilead are absolutely ruled by the chattering that only t... Read More...
It's time for us to YELL about our favourite songs of recent times. Have a read of the four reviews below, and remember: it's not always about using BIG words ... Read More...
There are a lot of activities already available at Sound of Pen. And, yes, they'll help you develop the skills you'll want to sharpen in advance of any GCSE an... Read More...
Your voice is EVERYTHING. But how to say all the things you need to? Well, it's so funny that you should ask! Enter Shikari's impassioned frontman Rou Reynolds... Read More...
Because work and play can be exactly the same thing, here are 3 more reviews that will introduce you to the best music of recent times AND improve your confide... Read More...
The music we listen to keeps us afloat and fills us with good and lovely feelings. It helps us to remember that WE ARE NOT ALONE. Here are our reviews of some ... Read More...
You know how easily you remember the lyrics to your favourite songs? Let's make sure you can recall all the 'Romeo & Juliet' quotes with the same amount of... Read More...
Watch: Video
Secret Love Story Part 2 by Little Mix:
We keep behind closed doorsEvery time I see you, I die a little moreStolen moments that we s... Read More...
Okay, it's unlikely you'll be asked to analyse the awesome Against The Current's lyrics in your exam! The skills you'll use to investigate 'Gravity', though, a... Read More...
