Adult Literacy, Functional English, and GCSE Resources

I created this resource to try to engage my learners during lockdown. There are two reading tasks based on the same text, which I adapted for level 1 learners by using more basic vocabulary. The reading task can then be followed by the writing a blog task and I have included a step by step sheet to help with the writing task.

This reading resource is designed for Functional Skills English learners.  It is aimed at level 1 and level 2, although it may be adapted for Entry level 3 also.  The resource is comprised of two texts that suggest how teenagers and young people can look after their mental health during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.  Text A is adapted from the UNICEF website, and Text B is an informal email written from a worried friend to another.   The questions are written to model the reformed Edexcel Functional Skills exams, and are aimed to give learners practice in a range of  exam-style readi

Reading comprehension and writing tasks designed to prepare adults who are returning to education and taking Functional English at Level 1 or Level 2.

Level 1 reading comprehension is based on two texts about returning to education. This is followed by two writing tasks. Level 2 includes all the L1 texts and questions plus an additional lengthy text and questions that involve summarising, and comparing and contrasting two or more texts.

Editor's note

This set of steps (taken from Coady & Nation (1988)) with a worked example shows students one process for doing a ‘best guess’ of what to do when they come across a new word. Followed by a set of 10 exercises with some lovely, unusual words.

Editor's note
Fully mapped to GCSE and the new 2018 Functional English content

Aimed at Functional Skills Level 2 learners, this resource is also suitable for the new 9 -1 GCSE requirements (Reading A2 and A3).

It is designed to be done towards the end of a unit on reading skills as it draws together skimming, scanning, information retrieval skills and the ability to collate information.

This is a short explanation with examples of eight sorts of conjunctive adverb arranged by type. There is an activity to complete, as well as some stretch/research activities for differentiation.

Editor’s note
Fully mapped to L2 Functional English and GCSE English

This is new from Sept 2015 for L2 reading.
It is a list of writing techniques – the name of the technique, a description and an example.

Editor’s note (updated 7/5/2017)
Also ideal for GCSE English revision.
Covers 14 techniques: similes, hyperbole, alliteration, rhetorical questions, superlatives, personification, analogy, colloquialisms, cliches, onomatopoeia, oxymorons, imperatives, metaphors and emotive language.

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).

Hey diddle diddle is a short poem (with separate Level 1 and Level 2 help sheets / posters) to remind students about mean, median, mode and range.