Adult Literacy, Functional English, and GCSE Resources

Written specifically for the new reformed English content which expects secure homophone skills at much lower levels than previously. Covers all the homophone spellings required at E2 using differentiated sets of cloze exercises. 7 sets each with 15 questions / sentences plus detailed teaching notes and an appendix listing all E1 & E2 spellings.

Short sets of words for alphabetic sorting.   These can be used with literacy or ESOL learners.  I found they worked well at the beginning of each session while learners were still arriving into the class.  They work well as individual or pairs exercises.

The first set works best when each list is cut up and laminated as individual words in each group, so learners can sort them kinaesthetically.  

Get your learners thinking outside the box with this unusual warm up quiz that works well at all levels

Also provides discussion prompts and makes a great introduction to spelling compound words.

Two reading comprehension exercises differentiated to EL1 and EL2/3 Functional Skills English.

Based on an article from Summer 2020 about the extreme weather in the UK.  Designed for a mixed ability class so that everyone could be working on the same theme.  Simple multiple choice answers for EL1,  questions for EL2/3 allow for practice in sentence writing as well as comprehension.

Resource focusing on the question 'Is the internet an addictive drug?'  The PowerPoint consists a video link and written stimulus to evoke thought and discussion.  Looking at the relationship we have with our phones versus people; our use of internet enabled devices, 'every minute of every day' and Social Media depression. 

Editor's note

A lesson to build learners' confidence to make meaning from texts, introducing the terminology: theme, motif, symbol and metaphor. 

The song uses quite simple language, which means the focus instead is on deeper analysis. It prompted really interesting discussions in our class, and tied to our theme of new beginnings and goal setting at the start of a new term.

Editor's note

These three simple resources are aimed for teaching the layout features and conventions of informal and formal letter writing.  There are three templates: 

A mixed set of L1-2 reading questions based on an interesting, quite technical article from the European Space Agency site. Some questions are straightforward Level 1 comprehension and vocabulary; others are more challenging and cover tone, style, language and organisational features. There is also a writing question where learners have to stick to a word count and rewrite information from the text in their own words. Might also be useful for low level GCSE. 

With FS curriculum mapping. No answer sheet.

A hangman style game created in Google Jamboard (a free animated whiteboard app). Based on a game I used to play on a traditional whiteboard with a cut-out crocodile and person (held in place with blu-tac!) and river created with a blue whiteboard marker. When Covid-19 and remote teaching came along, I needed something else.

You can access the jamboard here. 

A reading comprehension exercise differentiated Entry Level 2 and Entry Level 3 Functional Skills English. 

Based on an article from Spring 2020 about finding wild plants in towns.  Designed for a mixed ability class so that everyone could be working on the same theme.  [An E1 version is also available]. Questions cover almost all E2 and E3 FS Reading criteria and allow for practice in sentence writing as well as comprehension.