Swine flu - literacy resources galore

In light of yesterday's news about the now pandemic status of swine flu anything that helps to spread accurate information and advice can only be a good thing.

So, unsurprisingly, swine flu resources are very popular on skillsworkshop.org this month (overtaken only by the Susan Boyle and Diversity resources!).

The latest, a set of 10 L1-L2 multiple choice reading comprehension questions (contributed by Elaine Slingsby) based on the Official UK Government leaflet, will be added to the site later today. (See large picture, right).

A further two resources (pictures below left and middle) have been available for the past month. One gives general teaching ideas for using the official leaflet with E2-L1 readers (3600 downloads since May 5th) and the second, contributed by Pam Benfold (Victoria, Australia), is a set of web research questions for L1-L2 learners (2100 downloads since May 10th).













I have also been informed of a useful simplified version of the UK leaflet (picture, above right) which looks ideal for reading work with E1-E2 learners (please note this is an ‘unoffical translation’). It's on a fascinating site, Simply Understand, run by Corinne Pritchard whose aim in life is to get rid of 'gobblydegook and jargon'.

July 08 Site Stats

I posted up the new site stats on Sunday; they're a bit late this month because I've been on holiday.

Just as last month (see the June 08 site stats post in this blog), I am again bemused by what's popular and what's not!

June's No1 (Andrea McCulloch's Dr Who resource) has been pushed to No 2 position by Laurence Fletcher's Entry 1-Entry 3 Health and Safety reading activities (1042 downloads).

I have no idea why Health and Safety should be so popular in the middle of the summer holiday period but the resource well deserves its pole position. Laurence has cleverly combined humour, cartoons, facts and fiction to provide practice in sequencing, prediction and comprehension - along with more standard health and safety instructions! The two stories are rather like modern-day fables - warning the reader of the dangers of shredders and bus windows - and will appeal to all ages and levels!

Missing elements

I’m cock-a-hoop about numeracy elements today. At long last - after more than seven years - the site has complete coverage of every single adult numeracy element (Entry 1- Level 2).

Thanks must go to Jane Kay for providing two separate resources that between them cover the last three ‘missing elements’.

MSS1/E2.8 Read and compare positive temperatures in everyday situations such as weather charts (a) understand that temperature is a measure of heat (or cold) (b) understand that weather temperature is measured in degrees Celsius in the UK (but that different scales exist).
MSS1/E2.9 Read simple scales to the nearest labelled division (a) understand that scales measure in different units (b) understand labelled divisions on different scales.
MSS1/E3.9 Read, measure and compare temperature using common units and instruments (a) know how to read a thermometer (b) understand that temperature can be measured on different scales, but that Celsius is the standard scale in the UK.

It wasn’t pure chance of course. Everyone who has contributed to the site receives a monthly newsletter which now includes a ‘wanted’ list. This month it was emailed to more than 150 contributors. The number of contributors now increases by about 8-10 per month although that will doubtlessly slow down over the summer break.

The monthly site stats are always updated just before the email is sent out and this sly tactic provokes friendly competition between some contributors (you know you are!).

For those of you that are not contributors - I have summarised this month's wish list (having first joyfully omitted the now redundant list of 'missing numeracy elements').

WANTED!
We now have resources for most elements of the adult literacy and numeracy curricula. However, elements that are not covered (or only covered briefly) include:
preEntry milestones 6, 7 (many literacy and numeracy elements)
Entry 2 listening, speaking and discussion resources. Especially:
SLlr/E2.1 listen for and follow the gist of explanations, instructions and narratives.
SLd/E2.1 follow the gist of discussions.
SLlr/E2.5 listen to and identify simply expressed feelings and opinions.
SLlr/E2.3 listen for and identify the main points of short explanations or presentations.
Level 2 speaking and discussion resources. Especially:
SLc/L2.2 make requests and ask questions to obtain detailed information in familiar and unfamiliar circumstances.
SLd all discussion elements i.e.
SLd/L2.1 make relevant contributions and help to move discussions forward.
SLd/L2.2 adapt contributions to discussions to suit audience, context, purpose and situation.
SLd/L2.3 use appropriate phrases for interruption and change of topic.
SLd/L2.4 support opinions and arguments with evidence.
SLd/L2.5 use strategies intended to reassure, e.g. body language and appropriate phraseology.
Level 2 reading
Rt/L2.4 Read an argument and identify the points of view.
Rt/L2.5 Read critically to evaluate information and compare information, ideas and opinions from different sources.
Rt/L2.8 summarise information from longer documents.
Handwriting resources for higher levels. Produce legible text Ww/E3.3 L1.1 L2.1.

So - there's no cause for me to rest on my laurels just yet!

In fact, I have a funny feeling that even if complete coverage was ever achieved - that glorious day would be instantly followed by the swapover to Functional Skills with a whole bunch of new curriculum elements describing the same old basic skills we all know and love...

I'll finish with the final, less-daunting section of this month's wish list.

Topical resources also needed for:
Beijing Olympics or general Olympics
General spring/summer resources e.g. camping, beaches, air flights, barbecues, swimming, etc.
Contextual resources for any vocational areas. E.g. beauty therapy, construction, motor vehicles, catering, hairdressing, care, plumbing, etc.
Any help with any of these (or any other) topics is always VERY MUCH appreciated

June 08 Site Stats

I posted up the new site stats yesterday evening. Each month, I never cease to be fascinated by what's popular and what's not!

For June, TV programmes were obviously the clear favourite with Andrea McCulloch's Dr Who resource (2000+ downloads) and Karen Bruin's Coronation Street (1300+) proving very popular. Close behind was Ginette Kriche's Spelling and Sentence Building (1200+).

It's interesting to note that between them these resources cover all five levels of the adult literacy curriculum from E1 to L2.