Writing assessments, tasks or prompts

Writing, discussion and research prompts particularly useful for sport students at all levels. Inspired by Carrie Bray’s “Giving beauty/hair advice” resource (see below).

You could cut out scenarios and use them to start a discussion, which could lead into individual or paired research and written responses. I’ve also used them to prompt email and letter writing with templates / frames for lower level learners.

An original resource to generate discussion, practise reading comprehension and writing skills (formal letter). Ideal for Functional Skills Motor Vehicle students. Aimed at L1-2 although the discussion is also suitable for Entry Level.

A set of cards including birthday, get well, good luck and new baby aimed at E1/ E2 learners. Print them off and fold in half as practise for writing short messages. It may help to elicit suitable phrases from students and discuss suitable layout for their text inside the card.

I also recommend bringing in some sample envelopes to help learners recognise how to lay out a name and address.

Ideal for Entry Functional English writing.

[img_assist|nid=5297|title=|desc=|link=popup|align=left|width=100|height=70]A functional skills practice writing task for English at E3-L2. Learners write to the Bayfords, recent winners of the £148m Euro Millions jackpot, suggesting what they could spend the money on to help others (or themselves!).

Could be linked to maths: examining costs, interest, odds of winning etc. and discussions around spending, working, and life after a big lottery win could be undertaken.

Layout reflects the City & Guilds exam format for E3 and L1/2.

I developed this simple resource initially as a speaking and listening exercise but quickly discovered I could extend it into a writing activity. The questions are designed not to be too personal. I have used it several times and it has worked well with learners from Entry 1 to Level 2. I particularly like the fact that learners have produced some really excellent writing, which is usually what they find the most difficult.

This carousel of Jubilee tasks was hurriedly put together for a group of 10 E1-E3 Functional Maths and English 16-19 year old learners who had just (very successfully!) finished all their Edexcel Functional Skills assessments.

After a year of hard work from my students, the emphasis was on celebration and fun. However, learning objectives included: measuring, counting, writing an email, spelling, 2D shapes, estimating, rounding and working with money. Rough lesson outline also included.

A whole session activity based on the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. I used it to build on some dictionary work we hade been doing in previous sessions as well as paragraph writing and report writing. We had also been talking about open and closed questions so I have used examples of each in this resource to see if learners spotted them (they did!)

We are based in the same building as the library so there is lots of information handily available about local events but I also had internet enabled laptops in the classroom.

Predicting words from context in a text about youth clubs. It then opens up discussion for how they might help reduce youth crime.

Editor’s note: cloze exercise with opportunities for writing / commenting. With answer sheet.

Sample dialogue using food idioms for intermediate, upper intermediate ESOL students. Can be used with food idioms list (link provided) to encourage dialogue writing and acting to aid retention.

Worksheets and tasks around the theme of emergencies. Written for ESOL but also suitable for adult literacy and Functionakl English.