Adult Literacy, Functional English, and GCSE Resources

Displaying 1 - 10 of 30 resources:

I created this activity for my ESOL students but it would also work well for Functional English.
The idea is taken from Laura Jeffrey Kiiza’s text types mind map drag and drop activity (L1) – see link below under See also.

Students first use Laura’s drag and drop activity on the computer (this covers both persuasive and instructive texts).
I then gave them the features of persuasive texts (see page 1 of resource) which they cut up and stick on the text on page 2 (or they could simply annotate the text using coloured pens etc.).

Level
Level 1
Level 2
GCSE L1-5
English
Rt/L2.4 Read an argument and identify the points of view
Rt/L2.2 Identify the purpose of a text and infer meaning which is not explicit
Rt/L1.2
GCSE English Reading AO2 Explain & analyse language & structure
Functional English reading
ESOL
ESOL Rt/L2.4a Understand and identify how written arguments are structured
ESOL Rt/L2.2a Identify the purposes of a wide range of texts, whether inferred or explicitly stated
ESOL Rt/L1.2a Know how language and other textual features are used to achieve different purposes

This is a basic editable word wheel which you can print, cut out and attach together with a brass paper fastener.
Learners can concentrate on one word at a time. Word wheels can be used for building vocabulary, spelling practice and much more. Suitable for all levels of Functional Skills and ESOL.
Instructions and ideas are included within the PPT. For example:
Stretchy:

  • Write positive or negative words in the table
  • Look up words that are unfamiliar

Stretchier:

Level
Entry Level 2
Entry Level 3
Level 1
Level 2
English
FE READING and understanding words
FE WRITING Spelling
FE WRITING Sentence structure and paragraphs
AL Apply strategies to spell correctly
AL Recognise and understand a range of words
ESOL
ESOL Writing: word focus - spelling and handwriting (Ww)
ESOL: Reading word focus - vocabulary, word recognition, phonics (Rw)
General
Generic resources for literacy, numeracy and beyond

An interactive presentation to explain the meaning of nouns, verbs and adjectives and an accompanying hands-on activity to sort words into nouns, verbs and adjectives. This is good to use early in a course as it is fun and gets learners working in groups,

Level
Level 2
Level 1
Entry Level 3
Entry Level 2
English
Use knowledge of grammar
Apply grammar

A recap game to practise applying knowledge of when to use capital letters. Learners supply names, dates, places and objects to create a mis-matched story.

It could also be used as an icebreaker.

Level
Entry Level 3
Entry Level 2
English
Functional English - writing
Ws/E3.4
Ws/E2.4

Photos and pictures to match with accounts of real emergency situations. All in the present tense. All the accounts are true. Accounts can be cut in to strips and given to pairs of learners who can put them in to a sequence to tell a story. Leads to discussion on how we tell a story, and how we sequence sentences to make sense.
Lots of new, real life vocabulary to provoke discussion.
Some stories shorter and simpler than others to allow for differentiation in group.

Level
Entry Level 2
Entry Level 1
English
AL Rt/E2.1 Follow main points of short texts
AL Rt/E1.1 Read short familiar texts
Functional English reading
ESOL
ESOL Rt/E2.1a Use a range of strategies to trace & understand main events
ESOL Rt/E1.1b Obtain information from texts
Context
Employment skills & Public services

This was designed to be used with a group of dyslexic learners but would be applicable for any learners with spelling difficulties.

I have used this by separating the group into small groups or pairs and then giving each group a different strategy to try with one of the words from the word list (two are provided – one for E2-E3, one for L1-2) or a word of their own that they want to spell.

Level
Entry Level 2
Entry Level 3
Level 1
Level 2
English
AL Ww/L2.1 Spell technical words
AL Ww/L1.1 Spell & use spelling strategies
AL Ww/E3.1 Spell common words
Ww/E2.1
General
Dyslexia support

This is an adapted and expanded version of Jodie Travis’ ‘Hired or Fired’ resource which is of course based on the popular TV show “The apprentice”. I used Jodie’s resource last year with a really big group, getting them to create a poster to ‘sell’ Manchester. I added some more ‘Apprenticey’ bits in, such as getting them to pitch their ideas at the front of the class after they’d made the posters, and it worked really well.

Level
Level 1
Entry Level 3
Entry Level 2
English
Adult Literacy: Engage in Discussion
Functional English - writing
Adult Literacy: writing composition (Wt)
Present information
Functional English - speaking, listening & communicating
Context
Employment skills & Public services
Art Film Media Music Radio TV

Detailed instructions on how to play this very funny and effective game. The literacy curriculum introduces adverbs at Level 1 but this game will be enjoyed at al levels and can be used to demonstrate verbs only at lower levels.

Level
Level 1
English
Adult Literacy Rs/L1.1 Use implicit and explicit grammatical knowledge

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.

Level
M8
Entry Level 1
English
AL Rw/E1.1 Have limited, meaningful sight vocabulary of words, signs, symbols
Rs/E1.1 Read and recognise simple sentence structures
Pre-entry
pre-Entry Rtc/M8.3 When working with texts communicate about persons, characters, events, objects
pre-Entry Rw/M8.3 Recognise & read a growing no. of words signs symbols
Context
Independent living

Fun, hands-on activity that provides practice in both reading and listening to / following instructions. You should end up with a paper hat!
Fully mapped to Entry 2 Functional English (reading; speaking, listening and communication) and the adult literacy curriculum. Page 1 is for reading practice (or for the tutor to read aloud to the students), page 2 can be chopped up and used as a re-ordering exercise.

Level
Entry Level 2
English
SLlr/E2.4
SLlr/E2.2
AL Rt/E2.1 Follow main points of short texts
Rs/E2.1
Functional English - speaking, listening & communicating
Functional English reading