Adult Numeracy, Functional Maths, and GCSE Resources

A detailed lesson plan accompanied by a PPT and a lesson objective checker sheet. The lesson recaps place value and introduces students to decimals and using money in practical situations.

I have found that many numeracy students get scared when you mention terms like percentages or fractions. I therefore developed this introductory activity for my new level 1 numeracy students. They are mostly young parents who were disengaged at school and have no mathematics qualifications.

They are usually nervous when they attend the first session so I try to boost their confidence and reassure them that the course will not be like school.

This worked well as a bit of revision on measuring for a mixed class E2-L2. Also makes a good warm-up activity.
I’ve used different colours for easier and harder answers, so you can differentiate when you give the cards out (blue ones are supposed to be a bit easier, red ones a bit harder, and purple in between).

This lesson is designed to embed adding and subtracting, ratio and proportion, etc. whilst looking at the important issue of alcohol consumption and units. Students are able to look at the RDA of alcohol consumption, binge drinking, etc. in the introductory PPT. They can then complete maths worksheet which involves calculating and adding units, converting units and reading data.
It includes a video clips, visual imagery and written notes.
Fully mapped to, and ideal for, L1 Functional Maths.

Super set of 15 multiple choice literacy questions followed by 15 multiple choice numeracy questions. All cleverly based on the accompanying text about Led Zeppelin: ‘I come from Ice and Snow’, Led Zeppelin 1970. Written as revision material for L2 Access to Music students but suitable for any learners with an interest in music.
The literacy questions cover comprehension, spelling, vocabulary and purpose of text. Numeracy covers money, time, scale maps, substitution, percentages, area, range, median, and conversions.

Five wonderful sets of multiple choice revision questions covering Level 1 ratio, mean & range, fractions, percentages, and number (mostly place value & rounding). Each set consists of 9 cards and is individually mapped to the numeracy curriculum.
Cut up into cards and use as required. Use individual sets for targeted revision or mix with other sets of cards for general revision.

A numeracy or Functional Maths worksheet that uses data handling, rounding, days and dates, percentages and fractions related to the Radio 1 presenter Chris Moyles.
It is based on The Guardian’s Infomania page in ‘The Guide’.
Also useful as revision material.
Could be used for a discussion on Chris Moyles and musical taste.
Questions are aimed at Level 1 with some at Entry 3 or Level 2.

Find out and record everyone’s favorites from a diverse list of foods. Use as an icebreaker in any Entry Level literacy, numeracy, Functional Skills or ESOL lesson.

Also ties in well with lessons on diversity, healthy eating, collecting data, making / taking simple surveys, tallies, counting, asking questions, etc.

Mapped to Functional Maths and SfL adult numeracy, Functional English (speaking, listening and communication) and SfL adult literacy.

A set of posters / cards / checklists designed to prompt discussion, check learning and keep a record of student progression. Designed for Entry Level Functional Maths and English learners in an FE setting but suitable for all levels and subjects.
This resource was inspired by discussion on the NCETM (National Centre for Excellence in Teaching Mathematics) site about “understanding versus doing” and I would like to thank the forum members for their ideas and feedback.

This PDF is an amalgamation of methods and worked examples, sorted by topic, for both L1 and L2 Adult Numeracy/Functional Skills (some sections are also suitable for Entry 3). It is not intended as an exhaustive resource, but more of a selection of “hot topics” and exam-friendly examples (some of which are paraphrased from actual past papers).