Romantic Readers and classroom ideas to celebrate Valentine’s day

Iram Ahmed
A teacher sat at the front of the class holding a book reading it to a class of young children who are sat on the floor
Reading time: 3 minutes

Love is in the air on February 14th, with hearts, red roses and boxes of chocolates everywhere. We’re all set for the big day, and to help you prepare as well, here are six of our favorite love stories for learners of all ages and levels. There are also plenty of fun ideas for your classroom.

1. Cinderella (Level 1)

Poor Cinderella lives with her stepmother and two horrible stepsisters. They treat her badly, making her cook and clean, while they relax and wear beautiful clothes. However, one night, Cinderella gets the chance to sneak away and attend a fabulous ball. She meets a handsome prince…but must run away before he discovers her true identity. With only a glass shoe to help him, will the prince ever find Cinderella?

How to use this Reader in class:

It’s no surprise that the story has a happy ending. After reading the story, have the learners draw a picture and write about Cinderella’s new life in the castle, with her loving new family.

2. Lady and the Tramp (Level 3)

This classic Disney story tells the tale of two young dogs who come from different backgrounds. Lady lives in a house while Tramp lives on the street. However, one day, Lady is forced to leave the house and the life she knows. Tramp teaches her about life on the streets and the two dogs fall in love… but with the dog-catcher always chasing them, will the story have a happy ending?

How to use this reader in class:

After reading the story, why not watch the animated version with your students? They can choose their favorite character from the movie and write a description of them.

Looking for more romantic Readers for young learners? How about The Little Mermaid (Level 2) or Aladdin (Level 5)? There’s something for everyone in our catalog.

3. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (Level 2)

If your teenagers are looking for more adventure than romance, this Reader has both. Follow crazy Jack Sparrow, handsome Will and brave Elizabeth as they fight pirates and uncover the curse of the Black Pearl. But will Elizabeth and Will survive the dangerous life on the seven seas?

How to use this Reader in class:

After reading the story, why not ask your students to write a review of it? It’s a great way for them to summarize the plot and share their opinion.

4. Pride and Prejudice (Level 5)

A timeless classic, Pride and Prejudice tells the story of young Elizabeth Bennett. As the oldest daughters in a family of five, she and her sister Jane are both expected to find good husbands and marry soon. But will Elizabeth find love, or will no man be good enough for her?

How to use this Reader in class:

While reading the story, learners can keep a diary, writing entries in the voice of Elizabeth Bennett. This helps them to demonstrate their understanding of the novel and encourages them to have a more empathetic reaction to the story’s heroine. They can either write the diary entries using typical language from Jane Austen’s day, or updating it to more modern language.

Here’s an example:

I had the ‘pleasure’ of meeting Mr Darcy today and found him rather rude and reserved. I imagine he feels this country life is inferior and that the locals are uncultured simpletons!

or

Met Mr Darcy today – what a stuck-up dork! He just stood there, looking down his nose at everyone… you can see he thinks he’s better than us locals.

If you think your teenage learners would enjoy a different modern or classic tale of romance, check out our readers here. There are plenty to choose from, including Romeo and Juliet (Level 3), Love Actually (Level 4) and Madame Bovary (Level 6).

5. Tales from the Arabian Nights (Level 2) 

What would you do if you needed to fascinate a king to save your life? This is the problem Sheherezade faces when she marries a king who has killed all his previous wives. So she tells her new husband exciting, mesmerizing stories every night and always ends the tale with the king wanting to hear more. She tells him stories of adventure, love and mystery… and you can read her stories too in this Level 2 Reader.

How to use this reader in class:

After reading the book, have students vote on their favorite story from Sheherezade. They can then work in groups to present a short play of one of the stories, working together to write a short script.

6. Wuthering Heights (Level 5) 

Unfortunately, the path of true love isn’t always easy. Set in 19th Century Yorkshire, this tragic romance follows the story of Catherine and Heathcliff. The two childhood friends grow up together very closely. However, although she loves him deeply, Catherine can’t marry Heathcliff because of his lower social status. Instead, she marries another man, Edgar. How will Heathcliff react to this news? Will Catherine and Edgar be happy together?

How to use this reader in class:

At one point in Wuthering Heights, Heathcliff runs away from home because he thinks Catherine is embarrassed by him and doesn’t love him. Have the learners write a letter from Catherine to Heathcliff at that point, expressing her regrets about why they can’t be together. It provides students with the opportunity to use phrases such as If only…, I wish… and I should have… whilst demonstrating their understanding of the novel so far.

If Yorkshire moors and Arabian nights aren’t quite what your students are looking for, there are more tales of romance on our site. Choose from modern-day love stories such as Notting Hill (Level 3) and Lisa in London (Level 1) or classics like Anna Karenina (Level 6) and Persuasion (Level 2).

Explore our Pearson English Readers

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    11 great English-language song lyrics
    By Steffanie Zazulak
    Reading time: 5 minutes

    What is it about music that helps boost your English skills, confidence and pronunciation? A song can provide an emotional connection between the music and the listener, providing learners with new ways to express their feelings. Music and rhythm have also been shown to benefit memorization, which is a key component of learning.
    Here are some of our favorite lyrics to some of our favorite songs:

    1. The Beatles – Blackbird

    The Beatles are the best band to help you learn English. There are many Beatles songs with catchy melodies and simple lyrics, but Blackbird captures the Fab Four at their most poetic:
    Blackbird singing in the dead of night
    Take these broken wings and learn to fly
    All your life
    You were only waiting for this moment to arise

    2. The Cure – Friday I’m In Love

    This song is a great way to help learn the days of the week (that may be obvious). Love is also a very popular English word, so this one is for all the romantics out there.

    Always take a big bite
    It’s such a gorgeous sight
    To see you eat in the middle of the night

    3. Ed Sheeran – Thinking Out Loud

    Another one for the lovers: Ed’s heartfelt lyrics usually do well on the mainstream pop charts; he's one of the world's most popular songwriters. In this ballad, he tells the sweet story of long-time love.

    Take me into your loving arms
    Kiss me under the light of a thousand stars
    Place your head on my beating heart

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    Incorporating reflection activities to kickstart the New Year
    By Charlotte Guest
    Reading time: 5 minutes

    A new calendar year offers a natural reset, an opportunity for your learners to pause, look back and lean forward with purpose. Reflection isn’t just a feel-good exercise; it’s a powerful learning accelerator. It helps students consolidate knowledge, develop metacognition and set actionable goals. It also helps you, the teacher, gain insights into what’s working, what needs adjustment and how to sustain momentum. Below are activities that fit into real classrooms and real schedules, with variations for different age groups and subject areas.

    Why start with reflection?

    Reflection builds self-awareness and agency. When students name what they’ve learned and where they want to grow, they’re more likely to persevere and achieve. For you, structured reflection provides a clearer picture of learning gaps and strengths, enabling intentional planning. Think of these routines as small investments that pay off in greater engagement, clearer goals and smoother instruction all year long.

    Quick wins you can do in one class period

    Rose–Thorn–Bud

    • Purpose: Recognize successes ("rose"), challenges ("thorn") and emerging opportunities ("bud").
    • How-to: Give students three sticky notes or three boxes on a digital form. Prompt: “One thing that went well last term”, “One challenge I faced”, “One idea I want to try”.
    • Teacher moves: Sort responses to identify class-wide trends. Celebrate roses. Normalize thorns with a growth mindset. Turn buds into a short list of new strategies to try together.
    • Variations: Pair-share for younger grades; content-specific (rose = strategy that helped with fractions, thorn = multi-step problems, bud = practice with word problems).

    Start–Stop–Continue

    • Purpose: Turn reflection into immediate behavior and study habits.
    • How-to: Ask students to list one habit to start, one to stop, and one to continue this term. Provide sentence stems: “I will start…”, “I will stop…”, “I will continue… because…”
    • Teacher moves: Have students star the one they’ll commit to this week and set a check-in date. Invite a brief self-assessment after two weeks.
    • Variations: Subject-specific (start annotating texts, stop cramming, continue reviewing notes nightly).

    3–2–1 Learning snapshot

    • Purpose: Capture key learning quickly.
    • How-to: Prompt with “three concepts I understand now”, “two questions I still have” and “one resource or strategy that helped me learn”.
    • Teacher moves: Use the “two questions” to plan mini-lessons or office-hours topics. Share a class list of “one resource” to build a peer-sourced toolkit.
    • Tools: Paper exit tickets or a quick digital form, whatever is easier and quicker for you. 

    Peer reflection interviews

    • Purpose: Build belonging and metacognition through conversation.
    • How-to: In pairs, students ask: “What’s one thing you’re proud of from last term?”, “When did you feel stuck – and how did you get unstuck?”, “What’s a goal you have for this month?”
    • Teacher moves: Teach active listening (eye contact, paraphrasing) and capture themes. Close with a 2-minute write: “One insight I gained from my partner.”
    • Variations: Record short audio or video reflections for classes using multimedia tools.

    Two stars and a wish (Portfolio refresh)

    • Purpose: Reflect using evidence.
    • How-to: Students choose two artifacts from last term to highlight ("stars") and one area to improve ("wish"). They attach a brief reflection: what it shows and why it matters.
    • Teacher moves: Model with your own sample. Provide a rubric for reflective depth (specificity, evidence, next steps).
    • Variations: Early grades can draw or use photos; older students link to digital artifacts.

    Deeper dives for week-one routines

    Personal learning timeline

    • Purpose: See growth over time and connect effort to outcomes.
    • How-to: Students draw a timeline of the term: key topics, pivotal moments, breakthroughs, setbacks and supports that helped. They mark future milestones: “By Week 4, I will…”
    • Teacher moves: Guide students to identify strategies that worked (study groups, retrieval practice), then add them to their plan. Create wall or digital gallery for optional sharing.
    • Extension: Have students revisit the timeline mid-term to add new milestones.

    Goal-setting conferences

    • Purpose: Craft specific, measurable goals with support.
    • How-to: Provide a short goal sheet: “My priority skill”, “Evidence I’ll use”, “Daily/weekly actions”, “Support I need”, “Check-in date”.
    • Teacher moves: Rotate through 3-minute conferences to coach students toward clarity and feasibility. Encourage process goals (such as practicing 10 minutes daily) alongside performance goals.
    • Variations: Small-group coaching if individual conferences aren’t feasible; student-led with peer feedback for time efficiency.

    Class norms refresh (Community agreements)

    • Purpose: Re-center your classroom culture.
    • How-to: Invite students to propose two norms that helped learning and one to adjust. Synthesize into 5–7 concise agreements.
    • Teacher moves: Co-create routines that enact the norms (silent start, exit reflections, peer tutoring). Post and practice with brief weekly check-ins.
    • Equity lens: Ensure norms protect voice and belonging, not just compliance.

    Make it stick: Implementation tips

    • Keep it short and regular. Even just 5–10 minutes a week builds powerful habits.
    • Use sentence stems to reduce cognitive load: “A strategy that helped me was…”, “Next time I’ll try…”
    • Celebrate progress. Highlight student reflections that show growth, not just perfection.
    • Close the loop. Bring reflections back into instruction: “I noticed many of you asked about synthesizing sources—let’s start with a mini-lesson.”
    • Make it visible. A reflection wall or digital board keeps goals at the forefront.

    Inclusive informed considerations

    • Offer multiple modalities: writing, drawing, audio or a private form. Choice increases safety and authenticity.
    • Normalize struggle and curiosity. Use language that validates effort: “Challenges are data, not defects”.
    • Protect privacy. Invite, but don’t require, public sharing. Summarize themes anonymously.

    Using tools you already have

    Many of you use courseware, dashboards and assessment reports. Use them to ground reflection in evidence:

    • Pull a quick progress report to anchor 3–2–1 reflections in actual performance trends.
    • Use item analysis to identify common thorns and plan targeted practice.
    • Invite students to look at their data with you during goal-setting conferences.

    A quick start plan for week one

    • Day 1: Rose–Thorn–Bud plus a short norms refresh.
    • Day 2: 3–2–1 Learning Snapshot tied to last term’s key skills.
    • Day 3–4: Goal-setting conferences; peers do Two Stars and a Wish.
    • Day 5: Personal Learning Timeline and a brief share-out; set check-in dates.

    Reflection is a powerful tool. Begin small, stay consistent and let students’ feedback guide you. With clear prompts, support and the right tools, including Pearson’s, you can turn New Year’s energy into steady progress for your class.

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    How PTE Express helps agents beat admissions deadlines
    By Alice Bazzi
    Reading time: 2 minutes

    For students applying to US universities, timing is everything. Admissions deadlines can be tight, and delays in English proficiency scores can lead to missed opportunities. Your reputation as an agent depends on helping students have a seamless process, which includes meeting timelines.

    Why speed matters for US admissions

    US institutions often require English test scores before issuing offers or processing visas. Traditional testing methods can take days or even weeks for results, creating stress for students and agents. PTE Express changes the game by delivering certified results within 48 hours, ensuring students can submit scores quickly and confidently.