Health, Social care, Early years

Mental addition strategies (compensation) and problems for E2

Major update Use compensation strategies to speed up mental addition when adding on numbers such as 19 or  39. A step by step work sheet: the pre-skills check is followed by more than 60 questions (including 'Stretch' tasks). Concludes with two new pages of Functional Skills exam style problems that can be used independently of pages 1-3. Exam style questions are based on a bike shop and a children's nursery.

Level
Entry Level 2
Maths
Mental maths
FM Context free underpinning
FM Simple one step problem(s)
FM E2.5 Add & subtract 2-digit numbers
FM E2.4 Recognise & interpret the symbols +, – , x, ÷ and = appropriately
Context
Retail Hospitality Customer service
Health, Social care, Early years

Best Buys and Proportion

Best buy and proportion questions - loosely based on setting up a nursery.

I have used this with my Functional Skills Maths and Employability group. We carried out a few examples as a group, left them on the board and I then gave them this worksheet to complete. I sat with the lower attainers and hand wrote in scaffolded examples whilst talking to them about it. 

I have also used the same lesson plan for my GCSE resits as a revision task.

Editor's note

Level
Level 1
Level 2
GCSE L1-5
Maths
FM L1.17 Work with simple ratio & direct proportions
FM L2.11 Understand & calculate using ratios, direct proportion & inverse proportion
GCSE R10 (Direct & indirect proportion)
Context
Health, Social care, Early years

English - International Men's Day slides

What is International Men's day? Why is it important and what can we learn from it?

Slides for L1 and L2 English learners to find out more about the importance of gender equality while building their English skills.

Editor's note

Level
Level 1
Level 2
English
FE L1.4 Communicate information / ideas / opinions clearly & accurately on range of topics
FE L1.5 Express opinions and arguments and support them with evidence
FE L2.5 Communicate information/ideas/opinions clearly/effectively with further detail/development if required
FE L2.6 Express opinions and arguments and support them with relevant and persuasive evidence
FE L1.13 Use reference materials & appropriate strategies for a range of purposes, inc. to find word meanings
FE L1.17 Read & understand a range of specialist words in context
FE L1.12 Recognise that language & other textual features can be varied to suit different audiences & purposes
FE L2.14 Understand how textual features/devices can shape meaning for different audiences/purposes
FE L1.14 Understand organisational / structural features use to locate relevant information
FE L1.18 Use knowledge of punctuation to aid understanding of texts
FE L1.22 Communicate information, ideas & opinions clearly, coherently & accurately
FE L2.23 Communicate information, ideas and opinions clearly, coherently and effectively
FE L2.25 Organise writing for different purposes using appropriate format & structure e.g. standard templates, paragraphs, bullet points, tables
FE L1.24 Use format, structure & language appropriate for audience & purpose
FE L2.27 Use language & register (e.g. persuasive techniques, supporting evidence, specialist words) to suit audience & purpose
Context
Mental health, awareness & psychology
Health, Social care, Early years

English - Career based session - Nursing and Healthcare

Interested in becoming a nurse or working in the Healthcare sector? What are the benefits? What do you need to know before you get started? Slides for L1 and L2 English learners to find out more about their career choices (in this case, joining the healthcare sector) while building their English skills.

Editor's note

Level
Level 1
Level 2
English
FE L1.1 Identify relevant information & lines of argument in explanations & presentations
FE L2.1 Identify relevant information from extended explanations or presentations
FE L1.3 Respond effectively to detailed questions
FE L2.3 Respond effectively to detailed or extended questions & feedback
FE L1.4 Communicate information / ideas / opinions clearly & accurately on range of topics
FE L1.12 Recognise that language & other textual features can be varied to suit different audiences & purposes
FE L1.16 Recognise vocabulary typically associated with specific types and purposes of texts (e.g. formal, informal, instructional, descriptive, explanatory and persuasive)
FE L1.17 Read & understand a range of specialist words in context
FE L1.18 Use knowledge of punctuation to aid understanding of texts
FE L2.15 Use a range of reference materials & resources (e.g. glossaries, legends/keys) for different purposes
FE L2.17 Analyse texts, of different levels of complexity, recognising their use of vocabulary and identifying levels of formality and bias
FE L1.23 Write text of appropriate level of detail & length to meet needs of purpose & audience
FE L1.25 Write consistently & accurately in complex sentences, using paragraphs where appropriate
FE L2.24 Write text of appropriate level of detail & length to meet needs of purpose & audience
FE L2.28 Construct complex sentences consistently & accurately, using paragraphs where appropriate
FE L1.24 Use format, structure & language appropriate for audience & purpose
FE L2.27 Use language & register (e.g. persuasive techniques, supporting evidence, specialist words) to suit audience & purpose
Context
Health, Social care, Early years
Employment skills & Public services

English - Career based session - Care work

Why might we become a care worker, and what are the benefits? Slides for L1 and L2 English learners to find out more about their career choices (in this case, becoming a care worker) while building their English skills.

Editor's note

Level
Level 1
Level 2
English
FE L1.1 Identify relevant information & lines of argument in explanations & presentations
FE L1.3 Respond effectively to detailed questions
FE L1.4 Communicate information / ideas / opinions clearly & accurately on range of topics
FE L2.1 Identify relevant information from extended explanations or presentations
FE L2.3 Respond effectively to detailed or extended questions & feedback
FE L1.12 Recognise that language & other textual features can be varied to suit different audiences & purposes
FE L1.16 Recognise vocabulary typically associated with specific types and purposes of texts (e.g. formal, informal, instructional, descriptive, explanatory and persuasive)
FE L1.17 Read & understand a range of specialist words in context
FE L1.18 Use knowledge of punctuation to aid understanding of texts
FE L2.15 Use a range of reference materials & resources (e.g. glossaries, legends/keys) for different purposes
FE L1.23 Write text of appropriate level of detail & length to meet needs of purpose & audience
FE L1.24 Use format, structure & language appropriate for audience & purpose
FE L2.24 Write text of appropriate level of detail & length to meet needs of purpose & audience
FE L2.27 Use language & register (e.g. persuasive techniques, supporting evidence, specialist words) to suit audience & purpose
Context
Health, Social care, Early years
Employment skills & Public services

Mum's Day off, is it? L1-2 ESOL grammar, vocabulary, discussion

Based on a thought provoking Guardian article about same sex adoptive parenting, this Google Docs resource focuses on grammar (past perfect), working out vocabulary and discussion.  

Reading text and related questions (Google docs)  - best viewed in "print" mode.

Editor's note

Level
Level 1
ESOL
ESOL Sc/L1.3a Express statements of fact
ESOL Sd/L1.2a Express views and opinions
ESOL Rw/L1.1a Use reference material to find the meaning of unfamiliar words
ESOL Rw/L1.3a Recognise and understand an increasing range of vocabulary
ESOL Rs/L1.1a Use implicit & explicit grammatical knowledge to predict meaning & check for sense
ESOL Sd/L1.3a Involve other people in a discussion
Context
Health, Social care, Early years

Job skills: definitions matching cards and skills matrices

I put this together when I found so many of my learners trying to hone their employability skills did not know what a lot of the words on job descriptions meant. 

Resource 1 (Definition matching cards: job skills and attributes): I laminated these and cut them up and they worked in pairs or threes to match them up.

There are two other linked resources, as below, to help students with getting to grips with the keywords used in Job Descriptions and Person Specifications. 

Level
Entry Level 3
Level 1
Level 2
GCSE L1-5
T Levels - embedded maths or English
English
FE E3.11 Use strategies to find meaning of words e.g. dictionary, context, word types
FE L1.17 Read & understand a range of specialist words in context
FE L1.24 Use format, structure & language appropriate for audience & purpose
FE L2.25 Organise writing for different purposes using appropriate format & structure e.g. standard templates, paragraphs, bullet points, tables
ESOL
ESOL Reading: word focus (vocabulary, word recognition, phonics)
General
Generic resources for literacy, numeracy and beyond
Context
Employment skills & Public services
Health, Social care, Early years

Five texts about children's screen time, physical activity and sleep - for Functional English at all levels

A set of five texts about screen time, physical and sedentary activity, and sleep for Children under age 5. The texts can be used in various combinations for Functional Skills (FS) speaking, listening and communicating; reading and writing activities. Teachers can pick and choose their own texts and create related DARTs (directed activities related to text) and questions to suit. There will also be pre-prepared resources on skillsworkshop. See "See also" for links.

Level
Entry Level 1
Entry Level 2
Entry Level 3
Level 1
Level 2
GCSE L1-5
T Levels - embedded maths or English
English
Functional English reading
TL - Synthesise information
GCSE Reading A1 (a) Identify and interpret
GCSE Reading A1 (b) Select and synthesise
GCSE Reading A2 Analyse language & structure
GCSE A3 Compare texts
Context
Health, Social care, Early years

ESOL E3 Listening Development: phoning about symptoms

This resource is based on the DfES ESOL Skills for Life recording 'Phoning about symptoms'. It gives exam practice questions (C&G style) in the first section and in the second section an activity to enable learners to tune in to the sounds of English. The first section can be completed in class and the second at home or the whole sheet can be given for homework. Listening development at home enables learners to listen as often as they wish and tune in until they hear the text more clearly.

Level
Entry Level 3
English
FE E3.1 Identify & extract relevant information & detail in straightforward explanations
ESOL
ESOL Lr/E3.2a Listen for detail in narratives & explanations
ESOL Lr/E3.2b Listen for detail face to face or on the phone
ESOL Lr/E3.2c Listen for detailed instructions
ESOL Lr/E3.2d Listen for grammatical detail
ESOL Lr/E3.2e Listen for phonological detail
Context
Health, Social care, Early years
Independent living

Covid-19 Reading Tasks Level 2

Functional Skills Level 2 Reading Task on Convid-19. 

Two texts based on the current Corona virus crisis.

  • Text 1 - opinionated, news article from a professor
  • Text 2 - factual guide from Gov.Uk 

Editor's note

Level
Level 2
GCSE L1-5
T Levels - embedded maths or English
English
FE L2.11 Identify when main points are sufficient & when specific details are important
FE L2.12 Compare information, ideas & opinions in different texts, inc. how they are conveyed
FE L2.14 Understand how textual features/devices can shape meaning for different audiences/purposes
FE L2.17 Analyse texts, of different levels of complexity, recognising their use of vocabulary and identifying levels of formality and bias
FE L2.18 Follow an argument, identifying different points of view & distinguishing fact from opinion
TL - Synthesise information
GCSE Reading A1 (a) Identify and interpret
GCSE Reading A1 (b) Select and synthesise
GCSE Reading A2 Analyse language & structure
GCSE A3 Compare texts
GCSE A4 Evaluate
Context
Health, Social care, Early years
News, Politics & Government items
Science, Nature & Weather
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