General Resources

Internet Searching is a gentle introduction for those new to the internet (suitable for all levels from E2 upwards) based on the BBC home page.

Celebrating Diwali cleverly combines details about the Hindu festival with information on the common homophones: there – their – they’re.

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).

Summarises some of key points and is aimed at those who are switching from teaching Skills for Life adult numeracy to Functional Maths (FM).
The importance of the process skills is discussed (and how these should be considered when using any L1 or L2 skillsworkshop numeracy resource for teaching FM – particularly those of an investigative or problem-solving nature).
Also includes handy one page overviews of all the L1 and L2 FM pilot standards (performance skills, and coverage and range statements).

Investigate the possibility of a college stocking fairly traded products in its canteen. Covers many reading, writing, ICT, numeracy, speaking and listening skills inc. data handling, report writing, creating charts and questionnaires, giving a presentation, etc. Ideal for embedding all three functional skills (or literacy, numeracy and ICT) especially for business students.

A web research project that covers money and general reading / research / writing skills. You must plan a trip for 15 pre-school children.

Written for students who confuse these two words in their writing. Suitable for E2 or dyslexia support at any level. Also useful for introducing the omissive apostrophe. Includes info, examples and tips followed by practice exercises and self evaluation.

A a wonderful way to get across the importance of reading questions carefully. Cleverly combines 6 typical, misunderstood L1/2 multiple choice questions with related optical illusions. Makes a great introduction to a revision session.

My house is a fabulous tool to use at the beginning of the year. Gather useful ILP information during initial assessment. Sample house, blank house and full instructions / teaching ideas are provide. Suitable for literacy and numeracy students at all levels.

This ‘random number generator’ is an open ended resource that the author originally designed to use for mental maths (adding or taking away 10 from the displayed number). It was later used it as part of a ‘Question of Sport’ quiz (in the spelling round!): learners choose a picture and then spell the ‘random’ number that appears: 49, 32, 28, 46, 67, 55, 21, 74 and 13 (these be edited to suit and could also be linked to any set of numbered, pre-prepared quiz questions on any topic).