Functional_Skills

Assignment 1.5 Claire Moyle FUNCTIONAL SKILLS Functional skills are part of a national strategy for improving adult literacy, language and numeracy, e.g., reading, writing, speaking, listening, these skills are also known as skills for life. The core elements of the functional skills are English, Maths and ICT. As a tutor I need to try and embed these skills into my specialist area of Beauty Therapy and to help my learners gain knowledge, skills and understanding in these areas. This is turn will help my learners to be more confident, effective and independent at work and in their home life. It has been researched that learners improve these skills with greater success when they are incorporated into the course they are already studying. The teaching methods I would use within the classroom will encourage literacy and language skills by listening and speaking, reading and writing, I would do this with Q & A sessions, open discussions, problem solving with contra-indicated clients and completing their workbooks. Record cards and consultations sheets all need to be correctly filled in by the learners. After completing each module I would give the learners a multiple choice examination. I would incorporate a library session and computer session for learners to obtain and evaluate information needed on specific modules. To embed mathematics within the course the learners each have a turn on reception, this involves taking cash payments, ordering quantities of products and calculating cost, working out percentages when giving discounts, giving receipts and working a till. Within my classroom I would set out practical tasks for the learners in measuring and mixing salon products e.g. Eyelash tints. Learners ICT skills are embedded by using our new computer system called Salon Iris. Each learner will have the opportunity to input clients information and book client appointments on this system. Although there are many different ways to incorporate functional skills within the Beauty Course, I have only stated a few as my learners would not for example go home and research information on a computer, some of them do not have access to computers and others work and state they do not have the time. Also the cost of a trip to various Beauty Salons & Retailers to compare product prices and discounts would be too expensive for some of my learners. Cost of products would also inhibit some of my learners if I were to give them a task at home with measuring and mixing products, hence why most of these teaching methods are performed within the classroom. 421 words