Contextual Resources

This is a reading comprehension and dictionary exercise based on the life of Fidel Castro. I have provided the reading text first and then the vocabulary work. However, with some groups it may be better to work on the vocabulary before tackling the text.
Editor’s note
Also includes a useful research/summarising/timeline activity and points for writing or discussion. Includes curriculum mapping but no answer sheet.

This is a selection of literacy tasks, based on the Poppy Appeal 2016 and John McCrae’s poem ‘In Flanders Fields’, covering aspects of speaking and listening, reading and writing.

Editor’s note: covers all aspects of L1-2 Functional English – also suitable for GCSE.

A Bonfire Night themed resource covering some aspects of literacy and numeracy.
The resource contains a basic reading comprehension about the History of Bonfire Night. This is followed by a numeracy activity where students have to buy fireworks for a display with a budget of £300. The final activity is a writing task and learners have to create a poster advertising the event.

I created this for an ILS (independent life skills) class but it could be used with Entry Functional Skills learners too.

A huge and extremely comprehensive pack of resources. Written for ESOL learners but many parts are also suitable for Functional English and/or Job Skills groups. Includes:

A reading comprehension activity, based on an extract from a Guardian article on the value of smart meters. Questions cover the following skills: reading for gist, skimming, scanning, identifying the use of a pronoun, vocabulary matching and inferring. Suitable for Entry 3 – Level 1. Could also be used as a starter activity at Level 2, prior to using the full text of the article for other activities.

A two sided A4 sheet that builds on the identification of verbs and the spelling rules for past tense verbs. This is followed by a simple knowledge check.

It is designed to be used as a whole group lesson starter. It is differentiated in the sense that more able learners will be expected to complete the more complex tasks.

Editor’s note
The vocabulary in the example sentences is aimed at Painting & Decorating students, but the resource is suitable for all.

A couple of resources for planning a CV.

Firstly, I would check learners understand the term ‘Employability’ and, using the letters in the the word, ask learners to come up with ideas for the personal skills and qualities needed to get a job. For example – E – enthusiastic, energetic, M – motivated, multi-talented …etc. I would then move on to the PPT.

Entry level Functional Skills Maths on the theme of vehicles queuing up ready to board a ferry.
Covers many aspects of Functional Maths including: number, position & size, simple lists and charts, and time.

Editor’s note
Two versions available: E1-E2 and E2-E3.
With detailed Functional Maths mapping and teaching tips

A role play which teaches learners how to start looking for work using an agency. It also contains phrases to help learners to ask for clarification.

Three sets of dominoes to use in warm-up and for letter and word recognition activities. The first set, for pre-Entry ESOL and Literacy learners with very low levels of letter and word recognition, matches lower case to capital letter versions, the second set is a set of “doubles”, which can be used alongside the first. The third set, for pre-Entry / Entry 1 ESOL learners, matches a category to an example. Each set has 17 dominoes, so 4 each for a group of 4 learners, plus one to start.