Adult Literacy, Functional English, and GCSE Resources

Reading comprehension based on a BBC website report of New Year round the world. The first part requires specific answers (i.e. Shanghai rather than China) to require learners to think about their answers rather than copy out general lumps of text. The second part asks higher level, more analytical questions.
I am using as an introductory topic to New Year sessions.

Editor’s note
A simplified E2 version of this resource is now available – scroll down to See also.

This is a series of short job ads for a hotel (+ one for a school caretaker). Simple language and uncluttered layout..
Good for introduction to language of employment. I have used these with E1 to E3 and they work well as a differentiated resource

Higher levels can gauge implict information, especially for the school caretaker advert in writing covering application letters to include attributes such as working with children, being trustworthy and reliable etc)

A short description of the famous Australian horse race followed by comprehension questions. Includes suggested answers.

This is an exercise designed to have learners find particular information in a table. They then have to enter some information on circuit details forms – they also have to use an atlas or similar to identify the correct national flag for each circuit.

This is a popular resource for all-male classes where they already may have an interest in Formula One. It can make a great classroom display as well. As an extension, they have “plotted” the circuits on a blank world map, which helps for general knowledge/geography.

An E3-L1 Functional Skills reading resource modelled on C&G assessments. The activities are based around two documents, one from the BBC news website and the other a leaflet advertising a private police service. May prompt discussion on the nature of crime, punishment and the role of the police force in society.

This is a news article about the sinking of the Costa Concordia. It is focused on an account of the situation as reported by the local mayor.
The article is accompanied by questions about what might be inferred from the account, what might be the mayor’s opinion and whether or not the account is biased. The questions have been used with adults studying for Edexcel Functional Skills at Level 2.

This is a news article about the death of Whitney Houston followed by a series of questions which ask the reader to decide whether statements in the artice are true, false or inferred.

I have used it with several groups of adult learners who were working towards Edexcel level 2 Functional Skills. They really enjoyed discussiong the article. I did make an answer sheet but I changed it so many times in the light of discussion with different groups that I decided it was best to let them make up their own minds.

This resource helps learners hear rhymes and recognise corresponding letters/digraphs, rimes and onsets etc. Take simple limericks and poems and get your learners to put them together.

I created my own limericks to match work we had been doing on long vowel sounds (it is not that difficult to do once you get started). Well-known poems and nursery rhymes also proved particularly popular as many knew them already by heart from childhood and some were doing them now with their children.

This is a short reading adapted from an online news report. It includes a short vocabulary exercise – matching words and phrases with the same meaning, an ordering question, and some comprehension questions for discussion. Answer sheet included.

Editor’s note: fully mapped to E2 Functional English

A short reading adapted from an online news report. Exercises include comprehension questions, placing sentences in the correct order, matching words and phrases and a fill the gap exercise. Answer sheet included.

Editor’s note
Fully mapped to E2 Functional English (reading) with extra teaching tips.