Adult Literacy, Functional English, and GCSE Resources

Editor’s note
Updated Sept 17. Errors corrected and minor layout changes.

A handout and exercise sheets for using direct and reported speech. Gives several example of each and the exercises work by switching the same message between direct and reported speech.

I have used this as a speaking/listing exercise as well as writing for grammar/punctuation. Target group is really L1 /L2 but can work well with high E3 too.

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.

20 literacy and numeracy questions to warm up the new term! All based on the words HAPPY NEW YEAR (can easily be adapted for other festivals such a Diwali, New Year’s Eve or Ramadan). Covers vowels, consonants, number, ratios, simple substitution, range, mode and more!
Ideal for mixed ability groups (E1-L2). Also provides very good practice in reading instructions carefully.
For higher level groups it could be completed in teams as a speed test.

This resource uses a flow chart to help guide learners to the correct use of apostrophes.

Editor’s note
Updated Aug 2016. now includes irregular plurals such as ‘children’.

Mingle activity to use straight after the Christmas holidays to review past simple.
Learners ask each other questions to try to find one name of another learner to fill in each square. First to finish shouts “bingo!”
Review as a group and check questions using past simple.
Give a prize to the winner.

A quiz to help lower level learners recognise the names of parts of the body. The quiz can be done individually or in small teams; The names of body parts are on cards for each player/team. The tutor reads out clues to a part of the body. The learners choose the correct body part from their cards. There are three clues for each part. The players score for each correct answer: The highest points are for guessing after one clue and the lowest points for guessing only after all three clues.
This can be a reading, writing, online multiple choice or interactive whiteboard activity.

Cards which can be used as a plenary or warm up to match definitions and features to types of text.
Editor’s note
With Functional English mapping

This is a game to form new words using syllables.All these words have three parts to them and multiple words can be made using different parts in different order

I have used this with L1 and L2 learners and they love it. I let them work in groups – no more than 5 otherwise it gets a bit too busy and confusing.

You may need to have pre-taught some common prefixes and suffixes and rules; how prefixes never change the spelling of the root word they join, etc..

Some games to play with literacy or Functional English groups for revision.
Ideal for Entry 3-Level 2

Editor’s note
The students make the games, play them and then discuss them. A great combination!

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.