Adult Literacy, Functional English, and GCSE Resources

A whole session activity based on the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. I used it to build on some dictionary work we hade been doing in previous sessions as well as paragraph writing and report writing. We had also been talking about open and closed questions so I have used examples of each in this resource to see if learners spotted them (they did!)

We are based in the same building as the library so there is lots of information handily available about local events but I also had internet enabled laptops in the classroom.

A short reading text followed by exercises: True or False; Putting words in the correct order to answer questions; Writing sentences with words from the story (or sentences may be copied from the story) and a WordSearch.
This is followed by some dialogue using the situations in the story for practising pronunciation.
Suitable for literacy and ESOL.

This is a scheme of work I have used in EBD schools to get the pupils engaged with English. It is a 7 week scheme of work aimed at between E3-L2, as it can be differentiated. I have also included the lesson plans that go with the scheme.

Editor’s note
Although written for a Key Stage 3/4 school setting this would work well as a way of embedding Functional English into a vocational childcare course or a family learning situation.

Worksheets and tasks around the theme of emergencies. Written for ESOL but also suitable for adult literacy and Functionakl English.

Learners must choose the next manager of the England football team. Using the task sheet to guide them, they must research, collate and present information for five candidates and then make the final choice.

There is scope for plenty of lively discussion around the choices made and also about what the manager’s job entails.

A Power Point presentation is included as an example, but can also be printed out to use in some of the additional activities described.

Root word family cards are two sets of flash cards that can be used to visualise the concept of root words to entry level and L1 students.

The entry level cards contain a number of root words and their word families, with a picture representation of each word. The level one sheet contains a higher level of vocabulary and the pictures have been removed.

Lesson Ideas

This is a set of ‘shun’ suffix word cards to accompany the “Which suffix -cian -ssion, sion or tion?” resource (see below).

Print the sheets onto card or have them laminated, then cut up the individual root word cards for learners to sort under the correct headings.

Text about the 99p shop chain with comprehension questions, cloze exercise, writing numbers as words and more.

The text and picture are adapted from the wonderful First News site and the 99p Store site.

A Level 2 Functional Skills English pack based on the troubles in London and other parts of England in the summer of 2011.

Reading and writing activities are included, alongside answers.

Discussions across a range of subjects may stem from this work in order to inform Speaking and Listening skills practice.

Fully mapped to the Functional English criteria.

This colourful PowerPoint aims to teach learners about the structure of words in the English language. Numerous examples are given to help learners think of their own root words, suffixes and prefixes.