Contextual Resources

This resource helps learners hear rhymes and recognise corresponding letters/digraphs, rimes and onsets etc. Take simple limericks and poems and get your learners to put them together.

I created my own limericks to match work we had been doing on long vowel sounds (it is not that difficult to do once you get started). Well-known poems and nursery rhymes also proved particularly popular as many knew them already by heart from childhood and some were doing them now with their children.

Topical PPT adapted from Chris Farrell’s How many smileys 1-20 (see below).
use as a starter in pre-Entry/ E1 ESOL, Maths or literacy groups.

Clicking reveals the number (as a digit) and a further click reveals the number spelt out as a word. Good used with small individual whiteboards.

This is a lower-level version of ‘My Busy Day’ Housework by Laurence Fletcher (see below) for a basic literacy for ESOL class. Also suitable for M8-E1 literacy.
Reading comprehension, simplified cloze and sentence exercises.

Matching exercise for preEntry and E1 learners to recognise signs and their names.

A flexible set of exercises based on common classroom items such as pens, pencils. folders, hole punch, etc. Can be used in a variety of ways – with or without learner support. Includes worksheets and flash / matching cards. Detailed preEntry mapping information. First used at the start of the academic year with a new preEntry class.

A flexible and appealing set of exercises that can be used in a variety of ways – with or without learner support. Two worksheets for reading and spelling common items of food and drink, plus word cards. preEntry mapping information. First used as a preEntry revision exercise.

Straightforward but very practical worksheet where ESOL learners select a garment and answer questions about its washing care symbols. The written questions require at least E1 reading skills but other parts of the worksheet focus on symbol recognition and are thus suitable for pre-Entry emerging readers / writers.
Note: for more on laundry symbols see “Buying Clothes” PPT below.

Lovely set of preEntry worksheets. Covers letter and word recognition, handwriting, shapes, counting and lots of discussion! Topics includes pizza slices, pizza toppings, and sharing a pizza. With detailed teaching notes and preEntry mapping.

Housework is a set of three related resources:
Housework is a very funny video (with a rather predictable ending!) accompanied by words and jolly music and designed to introduce, complement or summarise the two related resources below.
Although aimed at M8-E2, ESOL/Literacy groups of all levels will enjoy this video and it is bound to prompt disucssion. Supplied as a zipped WMV (Windows Media Video) file (6.8 MB). A big thank you must go to Janet Fletcher who co-authored this video!

A set of two resources:
PPT with audio, so you can leave students pressing the left button and repeating the words, while you attend to others. 13 different objects such as pen, stapler, ruler, etc. are covered.
Classroom equipment cards
These cards show some items of vocabulary for equipment which could be requested in class. 12 different objects such as calculator, pencil case, rubber, etc. are included. Cards can be used with or without the words attached – see ideas below.
Picture cards only: