Resources added or updated August 2008 (screenshots available here)

31/08 E1 phonics

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Investigate the letter B provides adult reading and phonics practice for Entry 1 learners. Bill is a baker who really likes Betty but he's afraid of her big boyfriend and his big boxer dog, Ben! A story plus linked spelling, vocabulary and punctuation work. Contributed by Margaret Adams uckfield@kenwardtrust.org.uk Kenward Trust / Uckfield Community College  Thank you Margaret. 3 pages. 80K. Rw/E1.2 Ww/E1.3

30/08 Topical links page now has ideas for EVERY month of the year and now lists all our existing Christmas, Nov 5th, Halloween and other titles.

30/08 Updated - Judith White has updated two more of her numeracy resources with new contact info and updated web links: Numeracy over Christmas (all levels) and Fireworks - whole group activity for November 5th, Diwali, New Year’s Eve or the Chinese New Year (E3-L2) and one final minor error in Autumn apple cake (page 4)!

29/08 Autumn apple cake (directly below) Error Fix - apologies 3 errors fixed on pages 1-2

29/08 New stuff on the skillsworkshop blog - views on the July 08 Reflect magazine - Do better qualified teachers teach better?

28-29/08 Autumnal numeracy and mental Monopoly!

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Monopoly mental maths game is a great, quick-to-prepare game that is easily differentiated for any E1-E3 group. Example games include addition and times tables - or make up your own. If you don't have Monopoly a link is provided so you can print your own Monopoly money! Contributed by Leon Szymanski, Bury Adult Learning Service l.szymanski@bury.gov.uk Thank you Leon. 1 page. 20K. Filed under General Entry 1 number, General Entry 2 whole numbers, General Entry 3 whole numbers.

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Autumn apple cake is a wonderful seasonal L1-2 investigation (2 options - one for L1, one for L2) that covers ratios, formulae (oven temperatures, cake tins), converting measures, money and more. Also includes a useful information sheet on autumn festivals from different cultures and faiths - ideal for prompting further discussion re. equality and diversity. Contributed by Judith White, Somerset Skills & Learning. Thank you Judith. 5 pages. 40K N1/L2.4 MSS1/L2.6 MSS1/L2.9 N2/L1.5 N1/L1.7 MSS1/L1.1 MSS1/E3.2

28/08 New stuff and comments on the skillsworkshop blog - including some new free literacy and numeracy resources you can download from the NIACE / BSA  site.

28/08 All 250+ links checked on the Useful links page. Topical links page updated with Autumn apple cake and festivals for September and October. For those of you that are really organised, Halloween maths resources for the end of October  are also now listed. (Note: Fireworks and Christmas resource links will be added shortly).

28/08 Updated - Easter Eggs Best Buy - Judith White has updated the Spring Festivals information in this resource which now gives the 2009 dates for the Sikh and Hindu New Year.  Andrea McCulloch's related Spring Festival comprehension questions have also had dates adjusted for 2009.

26/08 New link added to the Useful links page (Focus on disability for contacts and information)

26/08 Mnemonics, apostrophe pegs and more!

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26/08 Contexualised literacy resources for catering students (NVQ1-2, Literacy E3-L2)

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Local hospitality provision - a recipe for a successful project provides an overview and guidance for catering students (who have to complete a project - including phoning and interviewing a local chef/manager/owner) and is cleverly written like a recipe! Contributed by Cathy Barton, cathy.barton@glasgowmet.ac.uk Glasgow Metropolitan College. Thank you Cathy. 10 screens. Zipped PPT file. 25K. For NVQ L1-2 Catering. Filed under Contextualised resources - catering.

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Writing a formal letter (in order to arrange an interview with a local hospitality provider, etc.) provides all key points as a mindmap and (for linear thinkers) as a bulleted list. Plus layout guide and a 'jumbled sheet' to sort out! Contributed by Cathy Barton, cathy.barton@glasgowmet.ac.uk Glasgow Metropolitan College. Thank you Cathy. 5 pages. 70K. For NVQ L1-2 Catering. Filed under Contextualised resources - catering, General L1 writing composition and General L2 writing composition.

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Making a formal phone call (in order to arrange an interview with a local hospitality provider, etc.) provides key questions to guide students through the formalities of making requests, asking questions (and wording them carefully). Contributed by Cathy Barton, cathy.barton@glasgowmet.ac.uk Glasgow Metropolitan College. Thank you Cathy. 1 page. 20K. For NVQ L1-2 Catering. Filed under Contextualised resources - catering, SLc/L1.2 and SLc/L2.2

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Using a dictionary (alphabetical order and meanings) is a 5 page information- and work-book written for NVQ 1-2 catering students working on their 'local hospitality provision' project. Contributed by Cathy Barton, cathy.barton@glasgowmet.ac.uk Glasgow Metropolitan College. Thank you Cathy. 5 pages. 320K. Filed under Contextualised resources - catering Rw/E3.3 Rw/E3.4 Rw/L1.1

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Writing a report is a 6 page pack of examples, proof reading tasks and excellent explicit examples of how to rewrite sentences (written in the 1st person) to the more formal 3rd person. Written for NVQ 1-2 catering students working on their 'local hospitality provision' project. Contributed by Cathy Barton, cathy.barton@glasgowmet.ac.uk Glasgow Metropolitan College. Thank you Cathy. 6 pages. 35K. Filed under Contextualised resources - catering Wt/L2.5 Wt/L2.6

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Describing foods is a beautiful five page resource designed to help students write clear descriptions and learn key technical vocabulary - examples include British cheese, cuts of vegetables and a wonderful mind map showing key quality points to look for in cuts of meat and poultry. Written for NVQ 1-2 catering students working on their 'local hospitality provision' project. Contributed by Cathy Barton, cathy.barton@glasgowmet.ac.uk Glasgow Metropolitan College. Thank you Cathy. 5 pages. 3190. Filed under Contextualised resources - catering Wt/L2.6 Rw/L1.2 Rw/L2.1

25/08 Smart notebook files - please note you must have the Smart notebook software installed on your computer in order to open, view and use these resources. A free 30 day trial version (v10) of the complete software (along with masses of example files) is available from http://smarttech.com/ Earlier, fully working, non-time-limited versions also appear to be available from Smart Technologies so you may want to contact their support service for advice on a suitable download.

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Titanic smartboard resources for Entry 1-Entry. Covers discussion, reading comprehension, phonics and  writing composition. Great lesson plan and resources on this popular topic. Includes interactive cloze exercises, phonics/syllable exercise, 'See, hear feel' brainstorm, photographs, lesson plan/objectives, and more. Contributed by Sian Waterman sianwaterman@hmps.gsi.gov.uk Thank you Sian. 12 smartboard screens. 2MB. Will be filed under General Entry 3 literacy, General Entry 2 literacy and General Entry 1 literacy.

Accompanying Word file includes an illustrated writing frame and differentiated word cards for word and sentence level work.

Please see note above regarding software requirements. An additional Word file is also provided with extra resources

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Aron Ralston smartboard resources for Entry 1-Entry. Fabulous lesson plan and resources on the fascinating story of an American rock climber who sawed off his arm with a penknife in order to free himself from a rock fall and get some help. Includes interactive cloze exercises, photographs, lesson plan/objectives, syllable match, word sort and more. Contributed by Sian Waterman sianwaterman@hmps.gsi.gov.uk Thank you Sian. 9 smartboard screens. 2MB. Will be filed under General Entry 3 literacy, General Entry 2 literacy and General Entry 1 literacy.

Accompanying Word file includes an illustrated writing frame and differentiated word cards for word and sentence level work.

Please see note above regarding software requirements. An additional Word file is also provided with extra resources

22/08 New links added to the Embedding ILT  page and all 250+ links checked (4 links: free screenshot style PDF tutorials from IT Buddy (cover using Windows, Office, Adobe Acrobat and much more), some great lit and num interactive whiteboard resources from Topmarks, fabulous PowerPoints and Tarsia puzzles from Mr Barton Maths & hundreds of maths movies from Futures Channel.

21/08 Practice multiple choice questions for L1-2 literacy tests

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Level 2 sentence and word level practice exam questions - fabulous set of 40 challenging multiple choice questions focusing on spelling, vocabulary, grammar (some are very challenging) and punctuation (again, challenging, and with good coverage of apostrophes). Contributed by Dave Norgate, Bromley Adult Education College. Thank you Dave. 9 pages. 70K. Ww/L2.1 Rw/L2.1-Rw/L2.3 Ws/L2.2 Ws/L2.4

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Identifying spelling mistakes - provides excellent multiple choice exam practice for Level 1. 10 short texts each with two spelling errors. Contributed by Dave Norgate, Bromley Adult Education College. Thank you Dave. 6 pages. 80K. Ww/L1.1

20/08 Writing ideas, proof reading, and practice multiple choice questions for L1-2

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Bodgit the Builder - is a fun, yet realistic, proof reading activity. Help improve Bodgit's spelling, grammar and language, then write a reply. Contributed by Dave Norgate, Bromley Adult Education College. Thank you Dave. 2 pages. 120K. Wt/L1.6 Wt/L2.7

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updated 03/09/08 Four creative writing ideas - something here to spark everyone's imagination. Be Prime Minister and write a speech, write about your ideal man/woman, dream about being rich or describe what you'd take with you on a desert island? Each idea includes questions, prompts and guidelines. Contributed by Dave Norgate, Bromley Adult Education College. Thank you Dave. 4 pages, 200K. Will be filed under General L1 writing composition and General L2 writing composition

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Three letter writing ideas - choice of controversial topics to spark letter writing. 'Road rage', building on a park, closing a local hospital. Each page includes a clear background scenario to help students "get going". Contributed by Dave Norgate, Bromley Adult Education College. Thank you Dave. 3 pages, 100K. Will be filed under General L1 writing composition and General L2 writing composition

19-20/08 Wordle resources - note you can visit the skillsworkshop blog to find further Wordle teaching ideas, plus discussion on how it relates to teaching theory:  http://skillsworkshop.blogspot.com/2008/08/wordle-and-hilda-taba.html and  http://skillsworkshop.blogspot.com/2008/07/using-wordle-in-classroom.html

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Wordle - misspellings - sort the 40 words in the cloud into two groups, then correct as appropriate. With instructions and answers. Wordle is a brilliant Word cloud creator available at: http://wordle.net/ . Contributed by Dave Norgate, Bromley Adult Education College. Thank you Dave. 3 pages, 100K Ww/L1.1 Ww/L2.1

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Wordle - recognising different word classes - two beautiful word clouds to help with recognising verbs, nouns and prepositions. With instructions, answers and extension ideas. Wordle is a brilliant Word cloud creator available at: http://wordle.net/ . Contributed by Dave Norgate, Bromley Adult Education College. Thank you Dave. 5 pages, 200K Rs/E3.1 Rs/E3.2 Rs/L1.1

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Wordle creative writing prompts - two word clouds to prompt short story writing. Wordle is a brilliant Word cloud creator available at: http://wordle.net/ . Contributed by Dave Norgate, Bromley Adult Education College. Thank you Dave.3 pages, 150K. Wt/L1.4 Wt/L2.6

18/08 E1-2 ESOL assessment tasks

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Entry 1 ESOL assessments is a set of three one-page tasks covering: write a simple sentence, recognise signs/symbols and follow a simple narrative. Use as evidence that a given learning outcome has been achieved. Also useful for diagnostic assessment. From Amanda Burgess, WEA (Workers’ Educational Association), Southern Region. Thank you Amanda. 40K ESOL Rw/E1.1a Rt/E1.1a Ws/E1.1a (also suitable for E1 Literacy)

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Entry 2 ESOL assessments is a set of two one-page tasks covering: punctuation (full stops and capital letters) and write using simple verb tenses. Use as evidence that a given learning outcome has been achieved. Also useful for diagnostic assessment. From Amanda Burgess, WEA (Workers’ Educational Association), Southern Region. Thank you Amanda. 15K ESOL Ws/E2.1a Ws/E2.3a Ws/E2.4a

18/08 Comments page updated - thanks to Janet Wilkins for responding to Andrew's query about teaching handwriting to adults (this response will also be posted as a comment under the "Teaching Handwriting to Adults" blog post of July 30 2008.

18/08 More BBC News Level 1 and 2 Reading / Writing

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When was Caesar's Brit invasion? is a topical comprehension activity based on a BBC news report. Covers general comprehension - focusing on 'recognising the main points', along with vocabulary/synonyms, spelling and punctuation. Contributed by Dave Norgate, Bromley Adult Education College. Thank you Dave. 7 pages, 70K. Will be filed under  General L2 reading comprehension, Rw/L2.3 Ww/L2.1 Ws/L2.4

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Matron gives modern NHS check-up is a topical comprehension activity based on a BBC news report. Writing task, vocabulary matching/synonyms, spelling, and general comprehension questions. Contributed by Dave Norgate, Bromley Adult Education College. Thank you Dave. 6 pages, 30K. Will be filed under General L1 writing composition, Ww/L1.1 (spelling), General L1 reading comprehension and General L1 vocabulary.

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Big breakfast aids weight loss is a topical comprehension activity based on a BBC news report. Writing task, and 15 multiple choice questions covering reading for detail, vocabulary/synonyms and spelling. Contributed by Dave Norgate, Bromley Adult Education College. Thank you Dave. 6 pages, 30K. Will be filed under General L1 writing composition, Ww/L1.1 (spelling), General L1 reading comprehension and General L1 vocabulary.

17/08 Updated! Ruth Colclough's Level 1 Numeracy Revision Notes now have extra notes on time, rounding and several other topics. Please note that Level 1 students may also find it useful to refer to Ruth's new Entry 3 revision notes (directly below).

17/08 Numeracy revision notes

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Revision & vocabulary notes for the new Entry 3 Numeracy test was written for ESOL students with good basic numeracy skills who were taking the new E£ Multiple choice test without attending numeracy classes. However these notes are brilliant for any Entry 3 numeracy student. Contributed by Ruth Colclough, Newcastle College ruth.colclough@ncl-coll.ac.uk Thank you Ruth. 4 pages. 80K. Covers almost all E3 elements and will be filed under General E3 number, E3 Measure , E3 Data handling and also under Exam tips on the Study Skills page. Note you can read more about the new E3 multiple choice tests on our related Blog post of 3rd July 03.

16/08 New stuff and comments on the skillsworkshop blog - including some new literacy resource ideas made in Wordle (appearing on this site next week). This is your chance to make comments, suggestions or ask questions - anonymously if you wish. Please contribute!

13-16/08 Entry board game, Level 1 and 2 Reading / Writing based on BBC News reports

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Miserable Britons is a topical comprehension activity based on a BBC news report. Writing task, 12 multiple choice questions covering vocabulary/synonyms and a two further sets of questions cover general comprehension and spelling. Contributed by Dave Norgate, Bromley Adult Education College. Thank you Dave. 5 pages, 30K. Will be filed under General L1 writing composition, Ww/L1.1 (spelling), General L1 reading comprehension and General L1 vocabulary.

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TV's Ramsay 'will keep swearing' is a topical comprehension activity based on a BBC news report. Multiple choice questions cover general comprehension and spelling. There is also a "match-it" vocabulary question and a related writing task. Contributed by Dave Norgate, Bromley Adult Education College. Thank you Dave. 5 pages, 40K. Will be filed under General L1 writing, General L1 reading comprehension and General L1 vocabulary.

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'Snail Mail' blazes slow e-trail is a topical comprehension activity based on a BBC news report. Covers general comprehension - focusing on 'recognising the main points', along with vocabulary/synonyms and writing. Contributed by Dave Norgate, Bromley Adult Education College. Thank you Dave. 6 pages, 40K. Will be filed under General L2 writing composition, Rt/L2.1,  Rt/L2.3 and Rw/L2.3 

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'Half of Children' theft victims is a topical comprehension activity based on a BBC news report. Covers general comprehension and reading strategies along with following an argument, inference, vocabulary/synonyms. Contributed by Dave Norgate, Bromley Adult Education College. Thank you Dave. 6 pages, 30K Will be filed under General L2 reading comprehension and Rw/L2.3 

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12/08 Further cosmetic changes to the Entry 3 Literacy, Level 1 Literacy and Level 2 Literacy pages. Large sections (such as spelling, vocabulary, writing composition) have been split into sub-sections.

I am also attempting to reduce the size of individual web pages (e.g. Entry 3 Literacy). The reasons for this are two-fold. Firstly to reduce download times of individual pages, especially large ones such as the Entry 3 and Level 1 literacy pages. Secondly, and more importantly, to reduce my bandwidth (which I pay for myself) before the 'Autumn rush' when term starts in September.

To achieve this, duplicated descriptions of resources that cover multiple curriculum links (at one level) have been removed - especially in the Speaking & Listening and Vocabulary sections. For example, if a resources covers 3 or more Speaking & Listening elements at one level it will now be placed at the top of the section under "General Speaking and Listening resources". Although this makes for less-cluttered pages the disadvantage is that you may look up a specific curriculum level and find no listed resources! If this happens simply look above the listed curriculum element under the related "general" section. It is highly unlikely that you will find NO suitable resources as we now have coverage of every numeracy element and almost every literacy element over all five levels (E1-L2).

If you still can't find a suitable resource please email me for help!

12/08 Spelling

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Common homophones is a 16 piece triangular jigsaw puzzle where common homophones must be matched to the correct sentence. Use as an ice breaker or plenary activity - great for pairs or small groups. Guaranteed to create promote discussion as learners solve puzzle (best laminated). As usual with Tarsia puzzles, you can choose to print a standard  or large puzzle (select Output - large, i.e. 3 pieces per A4 sheet). Contributed by Pauline Bicker, Northern Learning Trust pbicker@northernlearningtrust.org.uk Thank you Pauline. 10K. Ww/L1.1

Created with Tarsia Formulator (see our Useful Links page for further details) which is available for free download. Tarsia can make card matches, dominoes or jigsaws; all saved as custom Tarsia (fjsw) files.  Other literacy Tarsia puzzles available include: Compound Words Synonyms, Grammar, Purpose of Text.

10/08 Favourite downloads chart updated. Now shows download statistics for July 2008. The chart is now spread over 4 pages.  Positions 0-200 201-400 401-600 601-796

Resources added or updated July 2008 (screenshots available here)

30/07 Comments page updated - can anyone help site-contributor Andrew with his query about teaching handwriting to adults?

29/07 Lots about Channel 4's 'Can't Read Can't Write' on the skillsworkshop blog  - please have your say if you feel strongly about this programme.

22/07 More new stuff on the skillsworkshop blog - a great numeracy resource from today's Guardian (also available as a PDF so don't fret if you don't have today's paper).

21/07 More new stuff and comments on the skillsworkshop blog - including some new literacy resource ideas made in Wordle. This is your chance to make comments, suggestions or ask questions - anonymously if you wish. Please contribute!

18/07 About this site updated (new search box, edited notes on 'how to contribute a resource', plagiarism, etc.). Main gateway to all free curriculum linked resources updated (again with edited notes re. copyright, and new search box). Search boxes now added to all pages - still not perfect, but I hope this helps you find whatever it is you are looking for!

17/07 No new resources today - as I've cleared the decks :-)  New search boxes are gradually being added to main pages. Look out for more improvements over the summer...

16/07 Lots new stuff and comments on the skillsworkshop blog

Current topics include: What is Illiteracy? | Upcoming Channel 4 programme: Can't Read, Can't Write | How to use wikiHow as a literacy and numeracy resource.

12-16/07 Mixed ESOL and Literacy (preEntry - Level 2)

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Mark, Chloe, Paul and Alice: is a lovely set of 4 completely independent comprehension texts and questions. The emphasis in all texts is on family members and occupations which makes theme ideal for building vocabulary in ESOL students (as well as providing useful reading practice for E2 Literacy). Contributed by Amanda Burgess, WEA (Workers’ Educational Association), Southern Region. Thank you Amanda. 8 pages. 100K Lit Rt/E2.1 ESOL Rt/E2.1a

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Classroom objects word games is a great set of Entry/preEntry word level games on this popular topic (ideal for ESOL students at the start of term). Includes word picture match, alphabet ordering, word fill, word shapes, missing vowels and more. Ideal for themed lessons. With answer sheets and teaching ideas. Contributed by Ginette Kriche. Thank you Ginette. 250K. 12 pages Ww/M8.1  Rw/E1.2 Rw/E1.2a Rw/E1.3 Rw/E1.3a Ww/E1.1 Ww/E1.1a Rw/M8.1 Rw/M8.3 Rw/E1.1 Rw/E1.1a

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Recycling word games is a great set of Entry/preEntry word level games on this popular topic. Includes word picture match, word fill, word shapes and more. Ideal for themed lessons. With answer sheets and teaching ideas. Contributed by Ginette Kriche. Thank you Ginette. 180K. 8 pages Ww/M8.1  Rw/E1.2 Rw/E1.2a Rw/E1.3 Rw/E1.3a Ww/E1.1 Ww/E1.1a Rw/M8.1 Rw/M8.3 Rw/E1.1 Rw/E1.1a

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8 Adjective exercises is a great set of gap-fill / sentence writing exercises for ESOL (also suitable for Literacy). From Amanda Burgess, WEA (Workers’ Educational Association), Southern Region. Thank you Amanda. 8 pages. 180K. Ws/E2.2a Ws/E2.2

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20 Preposition exercises is a brilliant bumper collection for E1-2ESOL. The exercises include a basic introduction to prepositions, gap fills and underlining exercises, anagrams, mixed up sentences, write your own sentences (with and without word prompts). Excellent practice for class or homework. From Amanda Burgess, WEA (Workers’ Educational Association), Southern Region. Thank you Amanda. 21 pages. 650K ESOL Rw/E1.1a Rs/E1.1a Rs/E2.1a Rs/E2.1b

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Pronouns quiz is a quick activity where you have to delete the incorrect pronoun. 18 sentences - good for homework. This resource complements Amanda's other pronoun resources. From Amanda Burgess, WEA (Workers’ Educational Association), Southern Region. Thank you Amanda. 1 page. 25K ESOL Rs/E2.1b

Letter writing ideas for Literacy and ESOL students - six lively task sheets cover letters of application, holiday enquiries, letters of complaint and more. Contributed by Amanda Burgess, WEA (Workers’ Educational Association), Southern Region. Thank you Amanda. 6 pages, 130K. Filed under General Level 2 writing composition

11-16/07 Word Processing, email and General (quizzes, icebreakers, etc.)

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Alphabet game quiz sheets is a great set of ice breakers for quizzes for all levels. 6 options. Can you write down a song fo reach letter of the alphabet? Or a food, film, TV programme etc.? Contributed by Ginette Kriche. Thank you Ginette. 120K. 6 pages. Will be filed under general teaching resources.

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Introduction to Email covers sending, receiving, attachments and viruses. Designed for students using Postmaster but easy to insert your own screen shots if needed. 9 slides.  500K zipped PPT file. Contributed by Lynn Simm littlesimm@hotmail.com Thank you Lynn. Will be filed under under Level 1 and CLAIT ICT.

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Introduction to Word Processing is also a great way to give a start- of-course overview of skills covered in word processing. 16 slides cover formatting and aligning text; copying, cutting and pasting; tabs; bullets; clip art; headers and footers; page layout and more! 470K zipped PPT file. Contributed by Lynn Simm littlesimm@hotmail.com Thank you Lynn. Will be filed under under Level 1 and CLAIT ICT.

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Email tasks written for Key Skills ICT Level 1 (but also suitable for ICT Skills for Life etc.). First task covers netiquette, the second task is based on holidays and covers sending, printing, replying to, and forwarding emails. 6 pages. 15K Contributed by Lynn Simm littlesimm@hotmail.com Thank you Lynn. Will be filed under under Level 1 and CLAIT ICT.

13/07 The email netiquette task for Key Skills (above) now also includes a second task (Holidays) that covers sending, printing, replying and forwarding emails. Now 6 pages

12/07 New link added to the Printable Resources Links page (Step by Step free synthetic phonics programme).

07-11/07 Mixed Entry and preEntry literacy resources

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Heroes and Celebrations chocolate tasting game cleverly combines reading instructions, alphabetical ordering and adjectives into a delicious activity! Contributed by Jane.harbord@ppdg.co.uk Pertemps People Development Group Ltd. Thank you Jane. 2 page. 30K Rt/E2.1 Rw/E2.4  Ws/E2.2J

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Healthy Eating is a great 2.5 hr differentiated lesson plan complete with resources including ordering and matching worksheets and cards, simple spelling sheet, healthy eating chart (please download the Excel file - see link left). The main topic is making an omelette and the lesson includes sequencing, letters, word recognition and building, and simple sentences. You will also need food leaflets from supermarkets, plastic or wooden letters and a tape recorder. Contributed by Andrew Speers, andrewspeers@rathbone.co.uk Thank you Andrew. 8 pages. 80K Rw/M7.1 Rw/W7.3 Wt/M7.2 Rw/M8.1 Ww/M8.2 Ws/M8.1 Rs/M8.1 Rtc/M8.3 Rw/M8.3 Wt/M8.4 Rw/E1.1 Ws/E1.1

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Summer word fun is a beautiful set of 5 games and activities at text, sentence and word level. Includes word fill, word search, cloze exercise and more. Ideal for end of term lesson (or the beginning of the autumn term when holidays are being discussed) with answer sheets and teaching ideas. Contributed by Ginette Kriche. Thank you Ginette. 140K. 11 pages. Will be filed under General E1 literacy, General E2 Literacy, General E1 ESOL and General E2 ESOL.

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Updated Colours, Clothes and Fruit (first uploaded 12/08/2004 this update includes our correct web site address & updated links to related resources) is a 43 page booklet with 23 Milestone 8 / Entry 1-2 paper-based word and sentence focus activities. These accompany our 'describing people' on-screen resources. Word searches and shapes, alphabetical order, upper-lower case letters, crosswords, word fills and matching games. Answers, mapping document, teaching ideas. Also linked to DfUS SfL learner materials & audio CDs Lit Unit 1 Lost & Found, ESOL Unit 3 Shopping, ESOL Unit 9 Shopping 2. 360K. Will be filed under General Milestone 8, General E1 literacy, General E2 Literacy, General E1 ESOL and General E2 ESOL.

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10/07 Lots new stuff and comments on the skillsworkshop blog - this is your chance to make comments, suggestions or ask questions - anonymously if you wish. Please contribute!

06-07/07 L1-2: Apostrophes, Level 2 Healthcare, Formal letters

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02-07/07 1-2 ESOL - info sheets, card game, exercises and a comprehension text

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Introduction to the past tense simple is a step by step series of info sheets, exercises, card game and comprehension. Covers both regular and v. common irregular verbs. Contributed by Vicky Douglas, Northern Learning Trust. Thank you Vicky. 9 pages. 140K. As the past tense is covered in many E2 elements this resource will be filed under General E2 ESOL

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Mixed ESOL resources for E1 beginners is a wonderful collection of resources for new students. 9 pages cover likes/dislikes, key vocabulary such as numbers, months, etc.; simple comprehension; asking and giving personal information plus a final review to check that students have remembered everything! Contributed by Vicky Douglas, Northern Learning Trust. Thank you Vicky. 9 pages. 440K Cover many speaking, listening, reading and writing curriculum elements (details on 1st page of the resource) and will be listed under General E1 ESOL.

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Name the pronouns is a cheerful set of gap-fill sentences with picture prompts. Followed by a set of more challenging sentences. The pictures can also be used for speaking practice. This resource complements Amanda's pronoun comprehension below. Although written for ESOL students the sentences also make good reading / Dolch spelling practice for E1 literacy. From Amanda Burgess, WEA (Workers’ Educational Association), Southern Region. Thank you Amanda. 7 pages. 160K Lit Rs/E1.1 ESOL Rs/E2.1b Sc/E1.4a

05-06/07 Entry Numeracy: Scales, practical positive and negative numbers, reading temperature, analogue clocks 

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Decorating your bedroom is a twist of the ever-popular Argos activity. Generous Uncle Arthur has given you £1000! This version is ideal for Entry 3 as involves only estimating, addition and subtraction of money. Contributed by Vicky Douglas, Northern Learning Trust. Thank you Vicky. 3 pages. 40K MSS1/E3.1

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Analogue clocks provides substantial practice with reading times (to nearest 5 minutes) and then drawing the hands correctly on blank clock faces. Although listed under numeracy this also makes ideal key word reading practice for Entry 1 ESOL. Contributed by Amanda Burgess, WEA (Workers’ Educational Association), Southern Region. Thank you Amanda. 7 pages. 65K MSS1/E3.3 ESOL Rw/E1.1a

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Positive and negative numbers is a lovely question sheet for checking students' understanding of practical applications of negative numbers such as temperature. Contributed by Jane Kay, Accrington and Rossendale College jkay@accross.ac.uk Thank you Jane. 1 page. 30K N1/L1.2

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Reading, recording and comparing body temperature is a paired task that introduces thermometers and reading simple scales. Contributed by Jane Kay, Accrington and Rossendale College jkay@accross.ac.uk Thank you Jane. 1 page. 80K MMS1/E3.9 MSS1/E2.8

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Reading scales makes a great introduction to this crucial and often difficult skill. Contributed by Jane Kay, Accrington and Rossendale College jkay@accross.ac.uk Thank you Jane. 1 page. 15K MSS1/E2.9 MSS1/E3.5 MMS1/E3.6 MSS1/E3.7

05/07 New link added to Useful Links page. (On-screen practice Entry 3 literacy and numeracy tests now available from Edexcel)

05/07 General Level 1-2 Numeracy and numeracy for childcare students / mountain bike enthusiasts

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Revision & vocabulary notes for L2 Numeracy test was written for ESOL students with good basic numeracy skills who were taking the test without attending numeracy classes. However these notes are brilliant for any Level 2 numeracy student (who should also refer to the Level 1 notes below).  Contributed by Ruth Colclough, Newcastle College ruth.colclough@ncl-coll.ac.uk Thank you Ruth. 3 pages. 140K. Covers almost all L2 elements and will be filed under General L2 number, L2 Measure , L2 Data handling and also under Exam tips on the Study Skills page.

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Revision & vocabulary notes for L1 Numeracy test was written for ESOL students with good basic numeracy skills who were taking the test without attending numeracy classes. However these notes are brilliant for any Level 1 numeracy student. Contributed by Ruth Colclough, Newcastle College ruth.colclough@ncl-coll.ac.uk Thank you Ruth. 7 pages. 100K. Covers almost all L1 elements and will be filed under General L1 number, L1 Measure , L1 Data handling and also under Exam tips on the Study Skills page.

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Costing-up a nursery is ideal for L2 childcare students studying L1 AoN (Key Skills). Clear step by step directions on what to do - research, calculate, find averages, create a scale diagram, etc. Contributed by Bev Haley, Rathbone, Dewsbury. Thank you Bev. 1 page. Will be filed under General L1 number, L1 Measure , L1 Data handling and also under Childcare on the contextualised resources page.

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Mountain bike percentages provides lots of sequential practice working out percentage parts, increase, decrease and VAT. Three fill-in tables, all based on 4 large mountain bike posters. Contributed by Julie Hobson, Northern Learning Trust. Thank you Julie. 8 pages. 140K. N2/L1.9 N2/L1.10 N2/L2.7 N2/L2.8 and also under Transport on the contextualised resources page.

03/07 Adverbs

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01/07 Favourite downloads chart updated. Now shows download statistics for June 2008. The chart is now spread over 4 pages.  Positions 0-200 201-400 401-600 601-730

Resources added or updated June 2008 (screenshots available here)

30/06 New skillsworkshop blog - this is your chance to make comments, suggestions or ask questions - anonymously if you wish. Please contribute - the more feedback received, the better the site will become!

29/06 A big thank you to all my contributors. Please click here to find your name (the bigger the name - the more contributions!)

Note. Just a bit of fun - everyone's contributions are equally appreciated - whether you make one or dozens; whether at the top, middle or bottom of the download charts (many resources are for niche audiences and are just as important as those covering popular, essential or multiple curriculum areas).

The 'names' picture was created in the wonderful Wordle using the contributors' names from the top 730 downloads for May 2008 plus those from new June 2008 resources.

27-28/06 E1-2 ESOL and Milestone 8 Literacy: Pronouns, Student workbooks.

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Tom's Family Book 2 - Tom's Sister is another super 18 page student workbook originally written for Milestone 8, E1-2 ESOL students to use at the beginning of the academic year. Complete with student and tutor record pages, evaluation, and answer sheets. Includes spelling, reading, cloze exercises and comprehension, form-filling, sentences, word searches and a crossword. Contributed by Ginette Kriche. Thank you Ginette. 18 pages. 430K Cover many curriculum elements and will be listed under General Milestone 8 literacy, General E1 ESOL, General E2 ESOL, General E1 Literacy and General E2 Literacy.

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Tom's Family Book 1 - About Tom is a brilliant 18 page student workbook originally written for Milestone 8, E1-2 ESOL students to use at the beginning of the academic year. Complete with student and tutor record pages, evaluation, and answer sheets. Includes spelling, reading, cloze exercises and comprehension, sentences, word searches and a crossword. Contributed by Ginette Kriche. Thank you Ginette. 18 pages. 440K Cover many curriculum elements and will be listed under General Milestone 8 literacy, General E1 ESOL, General E2 ESOL, General E1 Literacy and General E2 Literacy. Updated 19/10/08 (comma splices removed on p5)

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Pronouns comprehension is a great set of 3 texts (all based on everyday experiences such as houses, pets and families). Students must answer the comprehension questions and then re-write each text, substituting the correct noun for each pronoun. Although written for ESOL students the texts also make ideal reading practice for Entry 2 literacy. Contributed by Amanda Burgess, WEA (Workers’ Educational Association), Southern Region. Thank you Amanda. 7 pages. 90K Lit Rt/E2.1 ESOL Rt/E2.1a Rs/E2.1b

26/06 Brain games!

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Su Doku is a great way show any Skills for Life learner how to play this popular puzzle and makes a good warm up activity. Use to provoke general discussion on logic-steps and how puzzles help to sharpen the mind and increase brain activity! Originally written for a group of numeracy students who asked to have Sudoku explained to them. Starts with a simple 2x2 square, building up the classic grid. With strategies, and quotes from Sherlock Holmes! After using the PPT why not download the accompanying Excel file which has a range of different sized blank grids, plus puzzles & answers.  Contributed by Gabrielle Adnitt, Milton Keynes Adult Education gadnitt@yahoo.co.uk Thank you Gaby. 7 slides. 40K zipped PPT file. 30K 3 sheet Excel file. Will be filed under general teaching resources.

25-26/06 Vocabulary for care workers. Healthy Eating adjectives

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Care workers vocabulary is a 16 piece triangular jigsaw puzzle where pairs or small groups of learners must match 18 words to their correct definitions.  Use as an ice breaker or plenary activity. Guaranteed to create promote discussion as learners solve puzzle (best laminated). As usual with Tarsia puzzles, you can choose to print a standard  or large puzzle (select Output - large, i.e. 3 pieces per A4 sheet). Contributed by Pauline Bicker, Northern Learning Trust pbicker@northernlearningtrust.org.uk Thank you Pauline. 10K. Rw/L2.1 Will also be filed under Contextualised resources under Nursing / Care. Please note the words and definitions come from BBC Skillswise care vocabulary fact sheets  http://www.bbc.co.uk/skillswise/words/vocabulary/wordsforwork/care/index.shtml

Created with Tarsia Formulator (see our Useful Links page for further details) which is available for free download. Tarsia can make card matches, dominoes or jigsaws; all saved as custom Tarsia (fjsw) files.  Other literacy Tarsia puzzles available include: Compound Words Synonyms, Grammar, Purpose of Text.

25-26/06 Level 1 Time. L1-2 Application of Number for Childcare students.

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Ordering time is a card game where times must be converted (between minutes, hours, days, etc.) and then placed in ascending order. A correct solution leads to a hidden message! Contributed by Jeanette Edwards netty@g7rau.co.uk Thank you Jeanette. 1 page. 12K MSS1/L1.3

24-25/06 preEntry reading / writing

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Homes and Garden is a wonderful set of worksheets (or cut and stick) and card based activities for preEntry Milestone 7 - Entry 1 Lit and ESOL. Covers different types of residential buildings, different rooms, garden sheds and garages. Includes matching, labelling, missing vowels and spelling. Contributed by Amanda Burgess, WEA (Workers’ Educational Association), Southern Region. Thank you Amanda. 9 pages. 250K Lit Rw/M8.3 Rw/E1.1 Wt/M7.2 Wt/M8.1 Ww/M8.1 Ww/E1.1 Ww/E1.3. ESOL Rw/E1.1a Rw/E1.2a Ww/E1.1a Ww/E1.1b

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At Home is a wonderful and very substantial series of worksheets (or cut and stick) and card based activities for preEntry Milestone 8 - Entry 1 Lit and ESOL. Covers dozens  of everyday household objects and furniture. Includes matching, labelling, missing letters and spelling. Contributed by Amanda Burgess, WEA (Workers’ Educational Association), Southern Region. Thank you Amanda. 13 pages. 350K Lit Rw/M8.3 Rw/E1.1 Wt/M7.2 Wt/M8.1 Ww/M8.1 Ww/E1.1 Ww/E1.3. ESOL Rw/E1.1a Rw/E1.2a Ww/E1.1a Ww/E1.1b

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Colour the House is a lovely reading and colouring activity that only be completed correctly if learners can recognise key colour words (and parts of a house / garden). Also makes a great starting point for preEntry discussion about colours, words, images, names of familiar objects etc. Contributed by Ginette Kriche. Thank you Ginette. 1 page. 270K Rtc/M7.1 Rtc/M8.3 Rw/M7.3 Rw/M8.3

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Label the House is a beautiful labelling (or cut and stick) activity for preEntry-Entry 1 Lit and ESOL. Also makes a great starting point for preEntry discussion about words, images, names of familiar objects etc. Contributed by Ginette Kriche. Thank you Ginette. 2 pages. 320K Lit Rtc/M7.1 Rtc/M8.3 Rw/M7.3 Rw/M8.3 Rw/E1.1 Wt/M7.2 Wt/M8.1 Ww/M8.1. ESOL Rw/E1.1a

22-23/06 E3-L1 and L2 Literacy

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Earth - an amazing planet is a substantial L2 non-fiction text with some technical vocabulary. It includes many comprehension questions - some short with closed answers, others require critical, thoughtful answers. Plus a substantial follow-up writing task with very useful planner and paragraph drafting pages (these could be used for planning and drafting any extensive piece of writing. Contributed by Jan Long, janlong@tiscali.co.uk Thank you Jan. 8 pages. 65K. Will be filed under General L2 reading and General L2 writing composition.

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Personal Travel Planner & Planning a Holiday are two great activities (one long and detailed - suitable for 2-3 sessions; one shorter and quicker, for a single session) ideal for E3-L1 literacy and ESOL students of all ages. Contributed by Lynn Bradshaw, Redbridge College LBradshaw@redbridge-college.ac.uk Thank you Lynn. 4 pages. 50K. Will be filed under General E3 Literacy resources and General L1 Literacy resources.

23/03 New page! Please note Entry 3 number resources are now listed on a new, separate page. I am breaking up the huge 'Number' page into separate curriculum levels - at the moment it still covers L1 and L2 Number resources but Entry 1 number, Entry 2 number and (the new) Entry 3 number are now on separate pages. Please bear with me and email for help if you can't find anything. Please also email if you find any dead links.

22/06 New link added to Useful Links page. (Excellent embedded learning toolkit from Office of Fair Trading)

22/06 Entry whole numbers

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How to add and take away is a set of beautifully clear handouts (or classroom posters) for E1-2. Covers single and 2-digit numbers in a step by step fashion. Contributed by Jane Kay, Accrington and Rossendale College jkay@accross.ac.uk Thank you Jane. 8 pages. 60K N1/E1.4 N1/E1.5 N1/E2.3

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How to times and divide is a set of beautifully clear handouts (or classroom posters) for E2-3. Covers single and 2-digit numbers in a step by step fashion. Contributed by Jane Kay, Accrington and Rossendale College jkay@accross.ac.uk Thank you Jane. 4 pages. 50K N1/E2.5 N1/E3.4 N1/E3.6

19-21/06 Entry level Comprehension

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Health and Safety is a fabulous set of differentiated reading activities for E1-E3. Order sentences to make a gruesome story, read and answer questions on manual handling (inc. graphical information), enjoy an amusing story about a Health and Safety inspector or a topical news report. Contributed by Laurence Fletcher, Wolverhampton City College / Adult Education Service laurencebrc@yahoo.com Thank you Laurence. 7 pages. 260K. Rt/E3.1 Rt/E3.4 Rt/E3.9 Rt/E2.1 Rt/E1.1 Will also be filed under Health and Safety on the contextualised resources page.

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Super cheese & tomato potatoes is a series of comprehension questions based on an Asda recipe from their shopping web site. It's also an ideal way of familiarising learners with instructional texts / web pages. Contributed by Jane Harbord Jane.harbord@ppdg.co.uk Pertemps People Development Group Ltd. Thank you Jane. 1 page. 30K Rt/E2.1 Rt/E3.3

18/06 CV and telephone skills

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CV templates two very useful templates can be used for word processing or as an outline planner/ writing frame. Contributed by Steve Mangan Thank you Steve. 2 pages. 40K. Use in conjunction with Steve's CV - Telephone Skills PPT (below). 40K. Will be filed under General E3 Writing Resources, General L1 writing resources, ICT resources and Contextualised resources (Employment skills).

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CV and Telephone Skills is a super presentation full of useful tips for writing your CV, answering the telephone, taking messages, etc. Contributed by Steve Mangan. Thank you Steve. Use in conjunction with Steve's CV templates (above). Will be filed under General E3 Writing and Speaking/Listening resources, General L1 writing and speaking /listening resources and Contextualised resources (Employment skills). 11 slides. 40K zipped PPT file.

15-17/06 Level 1 Numeracy: Ratio puzzle, Horticulture multiplication, Fuel Prices

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Fuel prices is a very topical resource originally written for a group of older returning learners to help them see how maths skills can help in everyday life. Covers decimal place value and ordering; subtracting and multiplying decimals (inc. x10); and finding the range. Contributed by Jean Thomas (The Henley College) jean@jeanthomas.co.uk Thank you Jean. 3 pages. 40K N2/L1.4 N2/L1.5 N2/L1.6 HD1/L1.4 Will also be filed under Motor Vehicles on the contextualised resources page.

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Plant prices provides excellent practice in multiplying whole numbers and decimals (money) by 10 and 100.  Written for L1 students with an interest in gardening but suitable for any group of L1 learners, including those studying NVQ L1 or L2 Horticulture, Gardening, etc. Differentiation is easily catered for as the first page covers only multiplying and dividing by 10 (a useful stepping stone for some students). Page 2 covers both x10 and x100. Contributed by Sonia Hartman, Stoke on Trent College College sonia.hartman@stokecoll.ac.uk Thank you Sonia. 3 pages. 80K N1/L1.4 N2/L1.6 Will also be filed under Gardening and Horticulture on the contextualised resources page.

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Ratio match Tarsia puzzle is challenging, 24 piece hexagonal jigsaw where you must match ratios to their simplified versions. Also makes a great revision activity for revising times tables and common factors. As usual with Tarsia puzzles, you can choose to print either a standard  or large version of the puzzle (select Output - large, i.e. three pieces per A4 sheet). Contributed by Andrea McCulloch, LEAP Skills for Life Centre, Barnard Castle and Learn East, Peterlee. Thank you Andrea.25K. N1/L1.7 N1/L2.3 Created with Tarsia Formulator (see our Useful Links page for further details) which is available for free download and creates its own custom Tarsia (fjsw) files.

11/06 Percentage decrease

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Sale prices - 10% off provides straightforward very useful practice with finding 10% discounts. (With 20 or 30% extension option). Contributed by Sonia Hartman, Stoke on Trent College College sonia.hartman@stokecoll.ac.uk Thank you Sonia. 2 pages. 25K N2/L1.10

10/06 Tracing and developing an argument

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Government Interference - do you have a point of view? is a fabulous series of resources to help students trace an argument in an emotive text and analyse how an argument is developed by a writer. An emotive text, series of questions, and a bubble chart to break down the text and analyse how each paragraph develops. Plus extension ideas. Contributed by Janet Chapman, The Friary Community Education Centre, Cardiff janetchapman19@hotmail.com Thank you Janet. 4 pages. 50K Rt/L2.4

10/06  Averages - and how to make sense of them!

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Impossible averages uses illustrations and thought-provoking statements to instigate discussion and a realisation of what the 'mean' really tells us. Contributed by Debbie Ellis,  ellisd@chesterfield.ac.uk  Thank you Debbie. 3 pages. 110K. HD1/L1.3 HD1/L2.3

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Misleading averages is bound to provoke much discussion how the media, and even Government reports, can mislead us! Contributed by Debbie Ellis,  ellisd@chesterfield.ac.uk  Thank you Debbie. 3 pages. 90K. HD1/L1.3 HD1/L2.3

09/06 Error fixes. Equivalents Excel worksheet corrected (1/6 is not 18% in first row - although I am still mystified as to why Excel thinks it is!!). Thanks to Jill Dixon for reporting this error.

08-09/06  E3-L1. Smarties division. Place value. Money.

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Working with money is a complete 2 page lesson plan plus 2 related worksheets and answer sheet - everything you need for a 90 minute session on adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing money (also includes finding range and mean). Focuses on real life practical situations of checking till receipts and pay slips. Contributed by Paul Hanby, Dartford YMCA Thames Gateway South paulhanby@hotmail.com Thank you Paul. 5 pages. 50K. MSS1/L1.1

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Place value SLIDER is a really useful, very effective template for making place value sliders. The laminated Slider allows the learner to see the digits moving left or right when they multiply or divide by powers of 10 and discourages the use of 'adding zeros' or 'moving the decimal point' which are not now used in schools. Covers whole numbers up to 7 digits and decimals to 2 decimal places. Contributed by Jane Russell, Derbyshire County Council Adult Education.  Thank you Jane. 4 pages. 80K. N1/L1.1 N2/L1.4

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Smarties division is a fabulous activity which takes learners through grouping, division by subtraction, and remainders - in a structured, logical fashion so that their pile of Smarties will gradually get eaten! Contributed by Sue Rees, Pembrokeshire College.  Thank you Sue. 3 pages. 45K. N1/E3.6

01/06 Favourite downloads chart updated. Now shows download statistics for May 2008. The chart is now spread over 4 pages.  Positions 0-200 201-400 401-600 601-730

Resources added or updated May 2008 (screenshots available here)

31/05 Supporters list updated. New link added to Useful Links page.

29/05 TV literacy

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Dr Who reading practice is a topical comprehension activity with two sets of differentiated questions (also includes alphabetical ordering) for E3-L1 and L2. Makes a great practice / revision activity before L1-2 exams. Based on a recent story on the BBC web site. Contributed by Andrea McCulloch, LEAP Skills for Life Centre, Barnard Castle and Learn East, Peterlee. Thank you Andrea. 5 pages, 40K  Rt/E3.1 Rt/E3.7 Rt/E3.8 Rw/E3.4 Rt/L1.1 Rt/L1.5 Rt/L2.1 Rt/L2.7 Rw/L2.3 

28/05 L1 revision

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Level 1 Numeracy facts and figures match Tarsia puzzle is 16 piece triangular jigsaw where you must match the facts and figures to the correct definitions / answers. Makes a great revision activity - covers all area of the curriculum. Andrea suggests that as the print is quite small on the standard sized puzzle, tutors might find it helpful to print out the larger version of the puzzle (select Output - large, i.e. three pieces per A4 sheet). Contributed by Andrea McCulloch, LEAP Skills for Life Centre, Barnard Castle and Learn East, Peterlee. Thank you Andrea.10K. Will be filed under general Level 1 number, general L1 measure and general L1 data. Created with Tarsia Formulator (see our Useful Links page for further details) which is available for free download and creates its own custom Tarsia (fjsw) files.

27/05 ICT worksheets for teachers - how to create handouts, signs, student list, labelling worksheets and more!

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Creating class handouts - two really useful step by step  sets of instructions for creating a) a labelling handout (e.g. of a computer or any diagram/picture you want learners to label); b) a multiple choice question type handout with tick boxes. Originally used for training teachers on an NUT ICT training class. Also suitable for any L2 ICT / CLAIT students. Contributed by Ginette Kriche. Thank you Ginette. 3 pages. 60K. Will be filed under L2 ICT and also under staff development.

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Create signs and student lists - plus useful XP DTP tips - two really useful step by step worksheets for creating a) clever signs with some very amusing real life examples!; b) alphabetical student lists in tables. Plus a super 1 page collection of quick DTP tips / shortcuts for Windows XP. Originally used for training teachers on an NUT ICT training class but suitable for any L2 ICT / CLAIT students. Contributed by Ginette Kriche. Thank you Ginette. 4 pages. 60K.  Filed under L2 ICT and also under staff development.

23-27/05 Edexcel practice Entry 1 literacy (reading) tests, OCR E3 listening practice

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OCR E3 listening task  (removing a pane of glass) is a clever way of practising OCR E3 Task 1 (listening for gist, detail and new information) and could also be easily edited to add your own listening materials. Contributed by Moira Garland m.garland@parklanecoll.ac.uk Park Lane College, Leeds. Thank you Moira. 14K zipped PowerPoint. 3 slides. SLlr/E3.1 SLlr/E3.2 SLlr/E3.3 (Please read the notes area of slide 1 for teaching instructions). Will also be filed (because of the DIY theme) under Construction on contextualised resources page.

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Entry 1 reading practice test (B) in Edexcel-style. Great for extra practice and revision (would also be good for diagnostic assessment at the start of the year). 9 pages plus answer sheet. Contributed by Annabel Hayward, Newcastle College annabel.hayward@ncl-coll.ac.uk Thank you Annabel. 8 pages. 160K. Covers all E1 reading elements inc. purpose of text, reading text, punctuation, rhyming words, signs, vowels and consonants. Will be filed under General Entry 1 reading resources.

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Entry 1 reading practice test (A) in Edexcel-style. Great for extra practice and revision (would also be good for diagnostic assessment at the start of the year). 9 pages plus answer sheet. Contributed by Annabel Hayward, Newcastle College annabel.hayward@ncl-coll.ac.uk Thank you Annabel. 10 pages. 150K. Covers all E1 reading elements inc. purpose of text, reading text, punctuation, rhyming words, signs, vowels and consonants. Will be filed under General Entry 1 reading resources.

26-27/05 Edexcel practice Entry numeracy tests (data), Entry 3 division dice game

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Throw the Dice is a really clever division game where students will discover that division is not commutative and that it is the reverse of multiplication. Also great for work on remainders.  Contributed by Sue Rees, Pembrokeshire College.  Thank you Sue. 5 pages. 50K. N1/E3.6

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Entry 2 handling data practice test in Edexcel-style. Great for extra practice and revision. 6 pages plus answer sheet. Contributed by Ruth Colclough, Newcastle College ruth.colclough@ncl-coll.ac.uk Thank you Ruth. 7 pages. 110K. Covers many E2 HD1 (data and statistical measures) elements and will be filed under General Entry 2 Data Handling resources.

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Entry 1 handling data practice test in Edexcel-style. Great for extra practice and revision. 7 pages plus answer sheet. Contributed by Ruth Colclough, Newcastle College ruth.colclough@ncl-coll.ac.uk Thank you Ruth. 8 pages. 130K. Covers many E1 HD1 (data and statistical measures) elements and will be filed under General Entry 1 Data Handling resources.

26/05 Misc. error fixes. E3 Practice assignment Trip to London errors in answer sheet for Q2, 5, 10. Minor changes to wording in Q6&7. Thanks to John Thompson (Bournemouth)  for reporting and fixing these errors. Mean, mode, median, range worksheet - corrections in answer sheet (Median Q2, Mode Q2). Thanks to Judith White for reporting this error.

22/05 Comments page updated

15-22/05 preEntry - E1 Literacy and Numeracy

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Updated LSCWC Days of the Week group spelling (first uploaded 10/06/2003) has large days of the week to display on an OHP in a new twist to this classic spelling strategy. Encompasses a wide variety of learning styles. Includes full instructions, teaching ideas and OHT masters. 4 pages. 230K Ww/E1.1 Ww/M8.1
Note: this updated version also includes full instructions for a new PPT version of this resource (see below).

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Spell the Days of the week with LSCWC (look, say, cover, write, check) demonstrates how to use LSCWC (and use as a group activity). Each day of the week can be 'covered' with a simple mouse click, and then re-displayed (after students have had a go at writing down the word) either in plain black or with key parts of each word highlighted in colour. Each day also includes a picture memory prompt - these match with Andrew Speers' Days of the Week resources & lesson plan (below). This PPT could be edited to include any 7 words that you want students to focus on (and thus used with higher level learners). Zipped PowerPoint file. 23 slides. 130K Ww/E1.1 Ww/M8.1
Note: for full instructions on using this PPT please also download the related PDF (above)

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Days of the Week is a wonderful 2.5 hr differentiated lesson plan complete with resources. These include matching games, fill-in diary sheets, cloze exercises / writing frames and more! Contributed by Andrew Speers, andrewspeers@rathbone.co.uk Thank you Andrew. 15 pages. 230K Rw/M8.3 Rw/E1.1 Wt/M8.4 Ww/E1.1 Wt/E1.1

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Number and picture bingo makes a great game for preEntry-E1 numeracy and literacy learners. Choice of word or (mostly) picture tiles provides easy differentiation. Can also used for individual matching games. Contributed by Ginette Kriche. Thank you Ginette. 6 pages. 140K. Lit Rtc/M7.1 Rtc/M8.3 Rw/M7.3 Rw/M8.3 Rw/E1.1 ESOL Rw/E1.1a Rw/E1.3b Num N1/M8.5 N1/M7.3.

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Fruit bingo is a beautiful set of bingo games for preEntry and E1 literacy/ESOL. Choice of word or picture tiles provides easy differentiation, plus there is a second game with larger bingo boards and more white space (often better for SLDD students). Contributed by Ginette Kriche. Thank you Ginette. 12 pages. 380K Lit Rtc/M7.1 Rtc/M8.3 Rw/M7.3 Rw/M8.3 Rw/E1.1 ESOL Rw/E1.1a
For related resources see also Ginette's food group word searches (below) and our popular preEntry/Entry1 word level activities 40 page booklet (Clothes, Food, Colours).

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18/05 Entry 1 ESOL

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Shopping 1, 2 and 3 is a fabulous set of integrated activities that covers food vocabulary, use of is/are, paired speaking and listening practice (asking the price of food), reading and writing shopping lists. Contributed by Ginette Kriche. Thank you Ginette. 4 pages. 320K Ws/E1.1a Rw/E1.1a Sc/E1.3b Sc/E1.4d Rs/E1.1a Rt/E1.1b

17/05 Misc. error fixes. Metric System (metric prefixes) hecta- changed to hecto- (thanks to Bob Day for reporting this error). Writing a Non Fiction Text - 'Facts' and 'Opinions' were the wrong way round on the Council Tax page - thanks to Sharon Foster for reporting this error. E3 Practice assignment Trip to London error in answer sheet for Q2a corrected (I had forgotten to take off the £5 advance booking discount)

16-17/05 E3-L2 Animal literacy, text types, apostrophes, cloze exercise, crosswords, plastic surgery and more!

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Plastic surgery is an interesting article, quiz, research and writing task for Level 2 Beauty Therapy /Care students or any Literacy students interested in this topic (originally written for teenagers) Contributed by Janet Wilkins, Royal Forest of Dean College College janet_w@rfdc.ac.uk Thank you Janet. 5 pages. 100K. Will be filed under General L2 reading, General L2 writing and Contextualised resources.

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Homophone crosswords - each consists of 30+ words and 'clues' (the clues are simply the matching homophone which makes these crosswords quite tricky (L2) and ideal for promoting lots of discussion if done in pairs or small groups). Crosswords can also be saved as interactive web pages which can be used on a smartboard as a whole class activity. Contributed by Janet Wilkins, Royal Forest of Dean College College janet_w@rfdc.ac.uk Thank you Janet. 2 x 3K ecw files. Free Eclipse crossword software is needed to view, edit and print this file. Ww/L2.1

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Caught in the Act! is a hilarious cloze / comprehension exercise based on a real letter to a newspaper. Great for E3 reading, prediction and word order work. Contributed by Janet Wilkins, Royal Forest of Dean College College janet_w@rfdc.ac.uk Thank you Janet. 1 page. 30K. Rt/E3.1 Rt/E3.4 Rs/E3.2

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Contractions apostrophe bingo is a fun way to consolidate the use of apostrophes in contractions. With differentiation ideas. Contributed by Margaret Adams, Kenward Trust / Uckfield Community College uckfield@kenwardtrust.org.uk Thank you Margaret. 7 pages. 50K. Rs/L1.2 Ws/L2.4

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15/05 Quick teaching ideas page updated (What does a trillion look like?)

15/05 Charity shop maths

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Charity shop maths is a great way to practise written (and mental) multiplication and division skills. Contributed by Gabrielle Adnitt, Milton Keynes Adult Education  gadnitt@yahoo.co.uk Thank you Gaby. 2 pages. 50K N1/L1.3

08/05 Apostrophe cards (below) now updated with extra cards showing possessive irregular plurals.

08/05 Comments page updated (comment about the number word maps).

08/05 May Day E1/2 comprehension (below) updated. Minor edits and some questions rephrased. Thanks to Heidi Griffin for her feedback on this resource.

08/05 Listening and speaking (Entry 2)

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Draw my picture is a classic paired listening and speaking activity that provides practice with giving and following instructions. Plus extension ideas that cover asking and answering questions. Contributed by Julie Hobson, Northern Learning Trust. Thank you Julie. 3 pages. 40K. SLlr/E2.2, SLlr/E2.4, SLr/E2. 6; SLc/E2.1, SLc/E2.3, SLc/E2.4.

08/05 L1/2 number

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updated 26/05/08 Mean, mode, median, range worksheet. A straightforward very useful 1 page worksheet (plus answer sheet), ideal for revision or homework. 20 questions - 5 on each topic. Contributed by Jan Long, janlong@tiscali.co.uk Thank you Jan. 2 pages. 50K. HD1/L1.3 HD1/L1.4 HD1/L2.3 HD1/L2.4

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Equivalents is a very useful fill-in-the-gaps table for practising decimal - fraction - percentage equivalents. Contributed by Gary Collinson, Support Training Ltd, garycollinson81@hotmail.com Thank you Gary. Prints as 2 pages inc. answer sheet. 22K N2/L2.2

08/05 New links added to the following pages: Embedding ILT (3 links - free MS training manuals from Mousetraining, brilliant instant DARTs /Lesson writing activities and Word Magnets for sentence structure and reading work); Printable Resources Links (Kirkless EdNet for printable numeracy resources and great examples of text types, Breaking News English - incredible instant ESOL / Literacy lessons based on topical news articles); Useful Links for Tutors (two sites that include useful writing frames and a phonics reference site - all listed under Level 4 Literacy).

01/05 Favourite downloads chart updated. Now shows download statistics for April 2008. The chart is now spread over 3 pages.  Positions 0-200 201-400 401-660