Adult Numeracy, Functional Maths, and GCSE Resources

Displaying 1 - 10 of 53 resources:

A topical resource based on a news story. Reading comprehension at approx. L1 plus a writing task with planning and email response sheet.

Embedded maths through reading the table. This resource also offers opportunities as a discussion starter.

Similar to the resource found here https://www.skillsworkshop.org/resources/shocking_sugar_levels_in_high_street_hot_drinks but based on a more recent news story. 

Editor's note

Level
Level 1
English
FE L1.9 Identify & understand the main points, ideas & details
FE L1.12 Recognise that language & other textual features can be varied to suit different audiences & purposes
FE L1.13 Use reference materials & appropriate strategies for a range of purposes, inc. to find word meanings
FE L1.18 Use knowledge of punctuation to aid understanding of texts
FE L1.14 Understand organisational / structural features use to locate relevant information
FE L1.24 Use format, structure & language appropriate for audience & purpose
FE L1.25 Write consistently & accurately in complex sentences, using paragraphs where appropriate
Maths
FM E3.21 Extract information from lists, tables, diagrams, charts; create frequency tables
Context
News, Politics & Government items
Catering Food Nutrition
Sport and fitness

This document has been created to support learners who work with handling and using pesticides within the framework of current legislation. The material supports the following outcomes:

Level
Level 2
English
FE L2.11 Identify when main points are sufficient & when specific details are important
FE L2.24 Write text of appropriate level of detail & length to meet needs of purpose & audience
FE L1.17 Read & understand a range of specialist words in context
FE L2.15 Use a range of reference materials & resources (e.g. glossaries, legends/keys) for different purposes
FE L2.16 Understand organisational features & use to locate relevant information in a range of sources
Maths
FM Complex multi-step problem(s)
FM L2.16 Calculate perimeters & areas of 2-D shapes inc. triangles & circles and composite shapes including non-rectangular shapes (formulae given except for triangles & circles)
FM L2.15 Calculate using compound measures inc. speed, density & rates of pay
Context
Gardening & Horticulture

A PowerPoint set of L1-L2 reading, maths and writing tasks. All are based on information a recent UK.gov Home Office fact sheet about Prevent and Channel*. The fact sheet can be found online or downloaded from this page. Main Functional Maths coverage is reading and comparing whole numbers and percentages, and percentage-fraction equivalents. Some questions involve calculating percentages or checking the figures that are quoted in the text (Level 2).

Level
Level 1
Level 2
English
FE L1.9 Identify & understand the main points, ideas & details
FE L1.17 Read & understand a range of specialist words in context
FE L1.24 Use format, structure & language appropriate for audience & purpose
FE L1.23 Write text of appropriate level of detail & length to meet needs of purpose & audience
FE L2.11 Identify when main points are sufficient & when specific details are important
FE L2.16 Understand organisational features & use to locate relevant information in a range of sources
FE L2.24 Write text of appropriate level of detail & length to meet needs of purpose & audience
FE L2.25 Organise writing for different purposes using appropriate format & structure e.g. standard templates, paragraphs, bullet points, tables
FE L2.27 Use language & register (e.g. persuasive techniques, supporting evidence, specialist words) to suit audience & purpose
Maths
FM L1.1 Read, write, order & compare large numbers (up to one million)
FM L1.8 Read, write, order & compare common fractions & mixed numbers
FM L1.13 Read, write, order & compare percentages in whole numbers
FM L1.14 Calculate percentages of quantities, inc. simple percentage increase / decrease by 5% & multiples of
FM L1.16 Recognise & calculate equivalences between common fractions, percentages & decimals
FM L2.4 Identify & know the equivalence between fractions, decimals & percentages
FM L2.6 Calculate percentage change (any size increase & decrease), & original value after % change
General
Generic resources for literacy, numeracy and beyond
Context
Health and safety
News, Politics & Government items

A reading comprehension based on the BBC news website with related writing activities, one at E3 (informal letter) and one at L1-L2 (email).

Editor’s note
There is also some maths thrown in for good measure! A great resource for the start of (spring) term.

Level
Level 2
Level 1
Entry Level 3
English
Functional English - writing
Functional English reading
Maths
General numeracy / maths
Context
Voluntary, Charity and Community
News, Politics & Government items

This is an Excel file with a basic odd/even activity. I took inspiration from Jean Thomas’ “Reveal the hidden shapes!” activity from 2005.

With this activity, the tutor can design a picture (or one learner can design a picture for another learner) and it produces a printable sheet. The learner then shades all the odd numbers on the sheet in one colour, and all the even numbers in a different colour – revealing a picture or a message.

There are no macros, so cross-compatibility with Excel shouldn’t be a problem.

Level
Entry Level 2
Entry Level 3
Maths
FM Context free underpinning
FM E2.3 Recognise & sequence odd & even numbers up to 100
AN N1/E3.1 place value <1000, odd / even, count in 10s /100s
AN N1/E2.2 Read, write, order & compare numbers to 100; odd even nos.
AN N1/E2.1 Count reliably to 100, count on in 2s and 10s

A Bonfire Night themed resource covering some aspects of literacy and numeracy.
The resource contains a basic reading comprehension about the History of Bonfire Night. This is followed by a numeracy activity where students have to buy fireworks for a display with a budget of £300. The final activity is a writing task and learners have to create a poster advertising the event.

I created this for an ILS (independent life skills) class but it could be used with Entry Functional Skills learners too.

Level
Entry Level 1
Entry Level 2
Entry Level 3
English
Functional English - writing
Functional English reading
Maths
Functional Maths - measures, shape & space
Context
Independent living
History, culture, museums, libraries

A short cloze exercise on the Olympic Opening Ceremony based on numbers (E2-L1), plus a writing activity at 2 levels (E2-3 and L1-L2).

Editor’s note
The cloze is also a clever way of embedding some maths (large numbers).

Level
Level 2
Level 1
Entry Level 3
Entry Level 2
English
Functional English - writing
Functional English reading
Maths
Functional Maths - numbers and the number system
Context
Sport and fitness
News, Politics & Government items

Students regularly tell me they cannot read bus timetables and just wait for the next one to come along! This activity asks learners to find the most appropriate bus for my journey.
I print the timetables (pages 2-8) out enlarged to A3 and stick them to walls of my classroom.

Update (June 2016)
Answer sheet (and error report for one question) kindly provided by Ray Sheerin and Jay Hall, Aylesbury, Bucks, Adult Learning.

Level
Entry Level 3
Level 1
Maths
AN MSS1/L1.3 Calculate with and convert between units of time
AN MSS1/L1.2 Read & measure time and use timetables
AN MSS1/E3.3
Functional Maths - measures, shape & space
Context
Leisure, Hobbies, Travel & Tourism

The main resource has four pages. Three of the pages contain a chart and a brief to a group of students to discuss and write some sentences saying what the chart tells them. The twist is that each group of 3 students has a different chart drawn from the same data as the groups next to them. The fourth page has the table from which the charts were drawn.

The charts used are: dual/clustered bar chart comparing types of drink sold on two days. A stacked/composite bar chart and a percentage bar chart of the same data.

Level
Level 2
Level 1
Maths
HD1/L2.1
HD1/L1.1
Functional Maths - handling information and data
Context
Retail Hospitality Customer service

Measures, shape and space activity suitable for Entry 1 learners.

Editor’s note
Used with a gingerbread house bought in Aldi (Christmas 2012) but similar houses are available in other stores.

Level
M8
Entry Level 1
Maths
MSS2/E1.1
Functional Maths - measures, shape & space
Pre-entry
pre-Entry N1/M8.6 Relate numbers to collections of objects reliably to five, & with support to 10
pre-Entry MSS1/M8.3 Describe and compare the lengths or heights of two items
pre-Entry N1/M8.3 Count reliably up to 5 items, & with inconsistencies, up to 10 items