Contextual Resources

A PowerPoint set of L1-L2 reading, maths and writing tasks. All are based on information a recent UK.gov Home Office fact sheet about Prevent and Channel*. The fact sheet can be found online or downloaded from this page. Main Functional Maths coverage is reading and comparing whole numbers and percentages, and percentage-fraction equivalents. Some questions involve calculating percentages or checking the figures that are quoted in the text (Level 2).

Editor's notes

I saw this guide on the BBC website and thought it would be suitable for my Level 1 learners.  This text clearly has a limited shelf-life but is very topical and gives us a chance to discuss democracy as part of British values.  It is quite a detailed comprehension and I have included some Level 1 Reformed Functional Skills Reading questions e.g. explaining apostrophe use.  Whilst not expressly a Level 2 text, it does give a chance to discuss issues of fact, opinion and bias.

Editor's note

Fourteen questions related to Remembrance Day (topics include WW1, WW2 ration books,  Korean War, war poetry, etc.). Use as a traditional paper-based quiz or an IT based investigation. Learners could work individually or in teams / small groups. One way of approaching the quiz would be to see what the class as a whole can answer from their general knowledge before moving on to internet research. 

An additional news story to go with Maggie's great E3 Firework Safety reading & spelling resource.  Use her Fireworks:  the Law page as Text A and then there are two pages of L1-L2 comprehension (I have a mixed class and thus needed something at a higher level). Focus is on general comprehension (main points & detail) but organisational and language features are also covered.

Editor's note

I wrote this resource to familiarise myself with the new Reformed Entry Level 3 reading and spelling content. As a revision or assessment tool it would be particularly useful around October half term time (i.e. just before Bonfire Night). It can also be used as a springboard for general discussion about fireworks and Bonfire Night.

A reading, writing, listening and discussion task. The topic is skills at risk and the older generation. Comprehension questions focus on the gist. The grammar focus is passive voice verbs. Learners will discuss and write sentences about their skills, and will write about traditional skills that are in danger of dying out.

Delightful reading and writing tasks based on a very short text originally written for a motorbike-loving learner who had difficulties decoding and distinguishing between long and short vowel sounds. Includes comprehension questions and spelling / punctuation tasks. Fully mapped to the reformed Entry 1 Functional English content. This includes detailed phonic breakdown of the reading text.

These two lessons explore the Windrush Scandal. 

The video gives an opportunity to listen for gist and detail, and is followed by a focus on sentence stress and intonation.

The article gives an opportunity for learners to analyse the purpose of the text and look at persuasive techniques, and is accompanied by a vocabulary from context exercise.

Large set of questions inspired by the recent (2019) 75th anniversary of the D Day Landings.  Covers many aspects of the Reformed FS 2018 content such as bearings, nets, underpinning questions and non-calculator tasks.

Editor's notes

This resource is based on the DfES ESOL Skills for Life recording 'Buying a ticket'. 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.