Adult Literacy, Functional English, and GCSE Resources

This is a resource for mixed ability groups. It can act as an ice breaker and will help students ot think about word choice and context. It is useful in writing sessions.

This can be played by 4 or more players. If you have more than 8, you may want to print out the “things” cards twice.

This is great as a warm-up activity or a bit of end-of-term fun. It is suitable for a mixed ability group of numeracy learners, or indeed literacy or ESOL learners. This quiz tests learners’ knowledge of how old someone has to be in order to do certain things legally, e.g. be a blood donor. It can be used in small group or pair work (which worked well for me) as well as individually.

A mingling exercise to get students talking to one another. Great as an induction activity for new classes or for ESOL learners to practise speaking and listening.

This carousel of Jubilee tasks was hurriedly put together for a group of 10 E1-E3 Functional Maths and English 16-19 year old learners who had just (very successfully!) finished all their Edexcel Functional Skills assessments.

After a year of hard work from my students, the emphasis was on celebration and fun. However, learning objectives included: measuring, counting, writing an email, spelling, 2D shapes, estimating, rounding and working with money. Rough lesson outline also included.

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

The need for deliberate teaching of phonemic awareness, and a means of doing this.
A research paper followed by a useful step by step method.

A set of resources created for a group 16-19 year olds with high functioning ASD (autistic spectrum disorder) but suitable for any E2-E3 literacy /Functional English student.

Involves discussion of year’s highlights, and a written reflection and prediction exercise. Finally, the students record their hopes and wishes which are then kept in sealed envelopes until l the end of the academic year (or other agreed date).

Fun and fast paced team game for any group from E2 to L2. The focus is on looking up words quickly and accurately. Full instructions included. Easily differentiated for different groups.
Makes a great warm up exercise.

Everything you need for embedding literacy / Functional English into a teaching session that looks at drugs.

Learners explore the types types of drugs and also some of the origins of the problem. It covers types of text and some reading and spelling, including segmenting. There is also a ‘DARTs’ type exercise that explores how to treat a person who may become ill, instructions to re-order, and posters to laminate and discuss.

Some of the posters are quite powerful and may require discretion with their use, but are good illustrations of this type of text.

Find out and record everyone’s favorites from a diverse list of foods. Use as an icebreaker in any Entry Level literacy, numeracy, Functional Skills or ESOL lesson.

Also ties in well with lessons on diversity, healthy eating, collecting data, making / taking simple surveys, tallies, counting, asking questions, etc.

Mapped to Functional Maths and SfL adult numeracy, Functional English (speaking, listening and communication) and SfL adult literacy.