Adult Numeracy, Functional Maths, and GCSE Resources

A quick but very useful match-up activity that makes a good starter activity for financial literacy or employment skills courses - and it's bound to prompt discussion.

Editor's note

Written for an Australian audience but I have added a UK version on page 2.  Learners can draw lines to match the items or, for a reusable resource, the page could be laminated and/or cut into 12 cards. 

This exercise can be used in several different ways.  The cost of living crisis has hit everyone and this one pot pasta dish can save on gas/electric by making everything in one pan.  The main idea is to cost the ingredients as it is, but then think of alternatives to the original recipe. Then if you double the recipe up, how much are you saving by buying 500g of mince?  How much are you saving by buying a 4 pack tin of tomatoes?  Look at the different prices of dried pasta.  Look at how much frozen mince is.  This is about converting g - kg too.

I made this revision resource to support learners in a shorter number lesson. Includes step by step guides to rounding and other skills along with links to useful videos. Covers the following learning objectives: 

An Australian version (i.e. uses A$, Australian vocabulary and minimum wage details, etc.) of the popular Stash the Cash written by Andy Morrell in 2010. In addition to currency changes this version also includes an extra version of the calculations table and other changes. For example,  the table on page 3 has extra columns to make the mathematical operations explicit and to allow students to practise writing mathematical “sentences”.

A reflective iceberg (integrated, collaborative, engaging, balanced, economical, reflective and gradual) structure sheet for learners to complete. Six sections, each with prompts/exemplification: remembering, understanding, applying, analysing, evaluating and creating.

Learner reflection sheet for learners of Functional Skills with prompts to think about next steps.

Editor's Note

An inspiring and friendly-looking 2 page document. Ideal for Functional Maths and English learners from E3 upwards. Very useful! 

A good way for learners to understand the importance of using reverse calculations to check an answer to a previous question.  These check questions are appearing more and more in functional skills exams. I hope you find it as useful as I and my learners do.

Editor's note

These two PowerPoints cover the properties of  2D and 3D shapes (E2-E3) - faces, edges, vertices and line symmetry. This is assessed using a quiz in PPT1. Both PPTs then move on to recognising nets and drawing nets of cubes and cuboids (now found in Level 1 exams). The second PPT can be printed off and used as a workbook.  I have also included two links to You tube but you can use your own favourite shape/nets video links if you prefer.

Editor's note

I've just designed this ready for my new starts in September.  It is surprising how many learners come that get basic things wrong. 

As we know FS is all about reading the questions and showing workings out.  I always do 5 weeks of no calculators as for some they just do not get the borrowing / carrying over and this is of course important on the non calculator papers now.

There is also an E2-E3 version of this resource.

Editor's note