A new series of comprehensive Functional Skills Maths books now available from talented mathematician and teacher Marsida Horeshka who you may already know from her popular Functional Skills maths site https://marscademy.com/(previously known as Maths Made Fun). The three Entry Level books are now available on Amazon (and soon from other booksellers).
ALERT (Adult Literacy ESOL Resources Training) is a website that provides free adult education resources. There are ESOL, literacy and ICT resources available from levels E1 to L2. Please feel free to download any resources you may find helpful - and of course, please free to add your own!
Editor's notes
There are some wonderful resources here - especially for Entry ESOL and Literacy. Resources include interesting topics such as Chinese New Year, St Patrick's Day, The Great Famine, etc. Well worth a browse.
We at MESH (Migrant English Support Hub) run the LEYH (Learning English in Yorkshire and the Humber) website, as well as its sister site Learning English Plus, which includes a staffroom and resources section. We have started producing our own resources which are locally referenced to Yorkshire and the Humber, but which are useful nationwide too.
Scroll down the English for Action page until you reach section 6. Here you can find the download link to this superb 76 page toolkit, along with a brief overview. I don't know why I have only just come across this resource! IMO, it makes inspiring and fascinating reading for all teachers, not just ESOL specialists.
Level
Entry Level 1
Entry Level 2
Entry Level 3
Level 1
Level 2
English
General literacy / English
ESOL
General ESOL
General
Staff development
Study Skills and General Teaching
Generic resources for literacy, numeracy and beyond
I am absolutely fascinated by this blog written by Lauren Piovesan, the founder of ESL Reads. Despite spending two decades simplifying texts - a task that I enjoy and sometimes find a challenge - I've never really analysed what I'm doing.
Although written for EAL (English as an Additional Language) teachers this is a useful guide for both experienced and new teachers of ESOL, adult literacy (Functional Skills English) and indeed vocational subjects.
An incredible collection of free worksheets from OUP. Designed to support the excellent book ‘Maths the Basics’ by June Haighton et al (see our separate entry about this book) but can be used independently. I haven’t looked at them all ( there are more than a 100 - plus answer sheets!) but they seem to cover Entry Level 3 to Level 2.
In addition there are many other useful downloads including tips and hints for non-specialists on delivering Functional Skills maths, English and ICT and much more.
Eye witness accounts can now pop up in the L2 assessments and there is very little guidance or examples of this genre. This useful task comes with a sample written response (of a strong pass) and examiner feedback which really helps the learner (and their teachers!) understand what is required.
Download help
Upon following the link, select “Resources” not “Sample assessment material”. Then scroll down until you see the download file (which is a zip file).
Level
Level 2
English
FE L2.27 Use language & register (e.g. persuasive techniques, supporting evidence, specialist words) to suit audience & purpose
FE L2.23 Communicate information, ideas and opinions clearly, coherently and effectively
FE L2.24 Write text of appropriate level of detail & length to meet needs of purpose & audience
FE L2.26 Convey clear meaning & establish cohesion using organisational markers effectively
FE L2.28 Construct complex sentences consistently & accurately, using paragraphs where appropriate
I’ve only briefly skimmed through but some of these new mastery resources for L1 & L2 Functional Maths (and GCSE resits) look amazing! Includes full 33 hour (22 x 1.5 hr lessons) schemes of work, lesson plans, handouts and slides.
Language feature spotting in songs - Eurovision through the ages edition! 8 songs that have all won Eurovision and use various language features. Suitable for L1 and L2.
Editor's note
Very topical and jolly 3 minute video. Lyrics appear clearly, word by word, on screen. Covers rhetorical questions, simile, repetition and more. Teachers will probably want to watch in advance and formulate their own question prompts. PS. Some of these songs made me feel old!
Level
Level 1
Level 2
GCSE L1-5
English
FE L1.12 Recognise that language & other textual features can be varied to suit different audiences & purposes
FE L2.14 Understand how textual features/devices can shape meaning for different audiences/purposes
The Science of Reading blog is well worth a look - especially the Tuesday Teaching Tips.
For example, the entry for Tuesday April 25th included a useful morpheme chart & a lovely idea of pulling out & deeply analysing specific vocabulary over a period of several days (in this case the word 'siphon'!).