General Resources

A simulation of the AV and FPTP voting system first used in an Entry Level Functional Maths and English class on Referendum day May 5th 2011.

Students vote for their favourite chocolate and compare the results when using the two different systems.

Resource includes AV and FPTP ballot papers, ballot box labels and a polling station poster. Plus links to voting information videos and easy-read referendum information leaflets.

This is a fun, short warm up activity to energise learners at the start of the lesson. It asks students to make a decision on a question and either stand up or sit down depending on their views.

I use it with my Foundation learners, as I teach them maths at 9am in the morning and sometimes they need a short activity to engage them!

Two different versions are included. Some of the questions are not for the faint-hearted but all can be easily edited to suit your own learners.

A really interesting quick quiz – originally written to get e2e learners interested in numbers but makes an ideal warm up activity for any group (at any level).

A multi-functional resource for Literacy or Numeracy. Sample TV listings by day, programme, start and end times, channel and genre. Use for alphabetic or numeric sorting, skimming and scanning exercises, literacy social sight vocabulary for days of the week, numeracy exercises for calculating time, etc. This resource contains some sample exercise questions to use which can be developed further according to need. I laminated the sheets and then cut up into days so lower level learners can move the elements around. Higher level learners can work from the whole page sheets as well.

A great PPT quiz – the emphasis in on maths (questions on number of matches played, groups etc.) but it also includes general knowledge questions. All question can be easily adapted if they are too easy / difficult.

A clever spreadsheet that creates a set of 15 loop or ‘follow me’ cards. Comes with a prewritten set of cards based on multiplying and dividing by 10, 100 and 100 but can you can easily add your own questions and answers on any topic.

A fabulous set of illustrated instructions. Makes a great activity for literacy and numeracy classes (reading instructions, measuring, shapes, etc.) at many levels.
For an easy to use template please see Bryan Fitzpatrick’s accompany resource below.

An E1 kinaesthetic resource for 2-4 players – also ideal for dyslexic learners at higher levels.

Questioning for understanding is a really useful help sheet that encourages learners to ask relevant questions (any topic, any level). Based on Kipling’s “What and Why and When, And How and Where and Who” with teaching ideas and useful links.

For a related resource using the same idea to investigate and write newspaper reports please see Ellie Walsh’s Looking at Newspapers (below).

Handy reference for Entry Level ESOL and Literacy learners. Helps with Alphabetical order, upper / lower case and vowels / consonants.