Nelson Thornes have published a very attractive Functional Skills Maths Childcare workbook. It covers levels from Entry 3 to Level 2 and all the maths is set in the context of childcare. Topics include Body Mass Index, Child Protection Legislation, Childcare provision, Children in Need, National Child Measurement Programme, Staffing Ratios and lots more. This book will not only be useful to Childcare students but will be an invaluable resource for teachers and lecturers with mixed groups of students looking for ways to make maths relevant and “functional”.
I particularly like the section on measuring babies which looks at length and head circumference and uses a centile chart for boys weight during their first year. I like the way each section includes questions at three different levels, making differentiation a doddle!
I originally posted “The only down side with the book is that there are no answers. How do students working on their own know that they have got the calculations right? Busy teachers still have to work out all the answers!” but I stand corrected. The answers are all freely available by registering on the website at