Skills For Life Specialist Homepage

Welcome.

This website is being developed with the aim of “supporting specialist tutors of literacy, language and numeracy to achieve level 4”. It aims to provide tools to support you to increase your own conceptual understanding of your specialism to a level above that at which you will be expected to teach.

This website has been developed by the Thames Valley PDN in conjunction with Thames Valley University. However, the materials found here are intended to be useful tools for you to use regardless of the university or awarding body you are studying with.

Your feedback is always welcome. Please let us know in what ways these materials have helped you in your level 4 studies and what aspects of the level 4 courses you need further support with.

News.

This website has not been officially launched and is not being promoted to current participants on level 4 courses. It is however “live” so that teacher trainers and Skills for Life specialists can comment on the appropriateness of the materials suggested and contribute with further ideas. We would be delighted to hear from colleagues willing to join with us in the development of this resource.

Numeracy

Literacy

Language

Numeracy.
Improving learning in mathematics
All post-16 providers should now have received two sets of resources from the DfES Standards Unit. These have been produced with two aims in mind. To help learners to adopt more active approaches towards learning and to develop more “connected” and “challenging” teaching methods. These resources have been well received by numeracy teachers and teacher-trainers alike.

If you have not yet received these resources call the DfES helpline on 014 259 1118.
View our numeracy content here.

Literacy.
RaW (Reading and Writing) is the BBC’s new literacy campaign. With outreach activity throughout the UK and broadcast content across every platform, RaW will not only be the biggest adult literacy campaign the BBC has ever undertaken, it will be the first to have entertainment at its core. TV, radio and online commitment is growing day by day, with links into the UK's favourite drama and entertainment programming to support and complement the campaign.

For more details and events near you visit www.bbc.co.uk/raw
View our Literacy content here.

Language.
Recent inspection reports on ESOL have been critical of the large number of unsatisfactory lessons observed. However, all is not doom and gloom. There are now more “outstanding “ lessons than in the past. The characteristics of outstanding lessons, as described by inspectors, are considered in the NRDC’s October 2005 issue of Reflect magazine.

To subscribe to the NRDC’s Reflect magazine visit www.nrdc.org.uk
View our Language content here.