Adult Numeracy, Functional Maths, and GCSE Resources

Reading and related activities focusing on a simplified version of a BBC news article reporting the results of the 2021 Australian Census. Ideal for practising reading strategies including:  relating images to text, using headings, skimming, scanning and using context to predict. My (Australian) students found it challenging but were engaged in the content. Lots of possible ways it could lead into other written and oral activities. Numbers and a graph involved so can also be used to revise numeracy concepts such as percentages and extracting information from graphs.

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.

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).

Little starter activity for E2 learners to use odds and evens in a common real life scenario. Could be cut and stick or learners just write in numbers, for a quicker activity.

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.

A collection of worksheets asking students to cut out and put the items in order using a given criterion. More able students can measure the items.

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.

I have created this to enable learners to estimate and calculate and to emphasis the (financial) costs of smoking.
Editor’s note
With Functional maths mapping.

This is a good starter activity to introduce measures, shape and space. It is also useful in dividing classes into small groups.

Using the templates I created I printed them on to card of different colours. I gave the shapes to the learners as they entered the room and told them to find the table with the same shape on it. When they reached the table they found the shape and some questions to answer.

After five minutes I asked for feedback from the learners.

Editor’s note
With Functional Maths mapping

I made this resource to check prior learning of a group I took over from another lecturer. It could work well for assessment, revision or as an extension task.

Editor’s note
Major update May 21. NEW answer sheet is also now available (contributors only) with detailed curriculum mapping for Reformed Functional Maths - visit our ANSWER SHEETS page for more information.