General Resources

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 really useful handout with an example text that clearly demonstrates how readers can use both context and knowledge of word roots / prefixes / etc to tackle unfamiliar vocabulary without using a dictionary or glossary. The sample technical text is about gliding.

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.

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.

Key features of good essays is not only an excellent piece of study skills advice (for Level 2 students and beyond) but is also an ideal text for feeding into Wordle and creating paired sentence writing exercises.