Rt/E3.4

Identify the main points and ideas and predict words from context
(a) Understand that some parts of texts may be more important to overall meaning than others
(b) Understand that the first sentence of a paragraph often introduces a new point or idea
(c) Understand that context and their own knowledge can help predict unfamiliar words

This is a reading comprehension based on a piece of text outlining the origins of Christmas trees in the UK with accompanying questions and a descriptive writing activity.

Level
Entry Level 3
English
Functional English - writing
AL Wt/E3.1 Plan & draft writing
Rt/E3.4
AL Rt/E3.1 Understand longer texts
Functional English reading
Context
History, culture, museums, libraries

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.

Level
Level 2
Level 1
Entry Level 3
English
Rt/L2.8
Rt/L2.3 Identify the main points and specific detail
Rt/L1.3
Rt/E3.4
Functional English reading
Context
News, Politics & Government items

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)

Level
Entry Level 3
Entry Level 2
Entry Level 1
English
Rt/E3.4
Rt/E2.3
Functional English reading
Context
Retail Hospitality Customer service
Painting Decorating & DIY
Gardening & Horticulture
Employment skills & Public services
Catering Food Nutrition

Nice selection of winter activities written for an E3-L2 Functional Skills group (best for E3-L1).
The main activities are a reading comprehension (about the history of poinsettias and how they came to be popular at Christmas time) and a cloze exercise based on an old Mexican religious legend. There are also some maths questions.

Level
Entry Level 3
Level 1
English
Rt/L1.3
AL Rt/L1.1 Understand continuous texts
Rt/E3.4
AL Rt/E3.1 Understand longer texts
Adult Literacy Rs/L1.1 Use implicit and explicit grammatical knowledge
Adult Literacy Rs/E3.2 Use implicit & explicit knowledge of word types/order to help with decoding/predicting meaning
Context
History, culture, museums, libraries
Gardening & Horticulture

A simplified text based on the classic film Bullitt. Ideal for group or individual reading. Accompanied by a paragraph sequencing activity and comprehension questions. Great for film buffs of all ages!

Level
Entry Level 2
Entry Level 3
English
AL Rt/E2.1 Follow main points of short texts
AL Rt/E3.1 Understand longer texts
Rt/E3.4
Context
Art Film Media Music Radio TV

A great warm-up activity. Students work in pairs to find information in holiday brochures. Easily adapted for your own brochures. Covers scanning, organisational features, detailed reading, etc. at E3-L2.

Level
Entry Level 3
Level 1
Level 2
English
Rt/E3.4
Rt/L1.3
Rt/L2.3 Identify the main points and specific detail
Rt/E3.5
Rt/L1.4
Rt/L2.6 Use organisational features and systems to locate texts and information
Rt/E3.6
Rt/E3.7
Rt/E3.8
Rt/L1.5
Rt/L2.7 Use different reading strategies to find and obtain information, e.g. skimming, scanning, detailed reading
Context
Leisure, Hobbies, Travel & Tourism

A fabulous set of differentiated reading activities for E1-E3. Order sentences to make a gruesome story, read and answer questions on manual handling (inc. graphical information), enjoy an amusing story about a health and safety inspector or a topical news report.

Level
Entry Level 1
Entry Level 2
Entry Level 3
English
AL Rt/E1.1 Read short familiar texts
AL Rt/E2.1 Follow main points of short texts
AL Rt/E3.1 Understand longer texts
Rt/E3.4
Rt/E3.9
Context
Health and safety

A hilarious cloze / comprehension exercise based on a real letter to a newspaper. Great for E3 reading, prediction and word order work.

Level
Entry Level 3
English
Adult Literacy Rs/E3.2 Use implicit & explicit knowledge of word types/order to help with decoding/predicting meaning
AL Rt/E3.1 Understand longer texts
Rt/E3.4

An exciting short story specifically written for a school PEP group (post 16, entry level programme) and designed to be fun and interesting (especially for boys) and short enough to be completed in a one hour session (although the extension dictionary/sentence exercises could go on longer). With 9 questions and extension dictionary and sentence activities.

Level
Entry Level 3
English
Fiction
AL Rt/E3.1 Understand longer texts
Rt/E3.4
Rt/E3.7
Rt/E3.8
Rw/E3.4
Rw/E3.3

Wheelbarrow Boy – Entry 3 comprehension is a wonderful short story specifically written for a school PEP group (post 16, entry level programme) and designed to be fun and interesting (especially for boys) and short enough to be completed in a one hour session (although the extension dictionary/sentence exercises could go on longer). With 10 questions and extension activities.

Level
Entry Level 3
English
Fiction
AL Rt/E3.1 Understand longer texts
Rt/E3.4
Rt/E3.7
Rt/E3.8
Rw/E3.4
Rw/E3.3