Laundry Care Labels and Washer Settings: Functional Reading for SEND

Laundry Labels + Washer Settings: a functional reading and maths set for high school life skills, SEND, and transition programmes. Read the care symbols, pick the right settings, and keep your clothes in good shape.

Why I made this: A lot of students leave school without ever reading the tag inside a shirt, and the first shrunken sweater is an expensive way to learn. The symbols are a small picture language with a few simple rules: dots mean heat, and an X means do not. Once students know the rules, the washer knobs make sense too. I added a laundromat sign because many young adults start out without a washer at home.

What’s included:
• A teacher page: why I made it, how to use both levels, and the skills covered
• Words to know: 10 key words, each with a picture
• 3 pages of practice documents: a care symbol chart, four clothing labels with fabric and care symbols, and a washer guide with laundromat prices and laundry safety rules. All businesses, names, and numbers are made up.
• 12 Level A questions, each with a picture and three answer choices
• The same 12 questions at Level B, with open answers and room to show the maths
• A real-life task: choose wash and dry settings for four labels, then read a label from real clothing
• An answer key that shows where to find each answer

How I use it: Read through the practice documents together, then give each student the level that fits. Both levels ask the same questions, so the whole class can check answers together. I use the real-life task as a wrap-up or right before a community outing.

Skills covered: reading care symbols for washing, bleach, drying, ironing, and dry cleaning; knowing that dots mean heat and an X means do not; reading a clothing label: fabric and care words; matching a label to a washer cycle, water temperature, and dryer setting; reading detergent cap lines; figuring laundromat costs; laundry safety: bleach, detergent, and the lint screen.

Part of the Functional Life Skills series: every set uses the same layout, so students know the routine when you move to the next set.

Pairs well with (search for The Transition Cliff on Tes): Life Skills Task Analysis Data Sheets.

Who it is for: secondary SEND, post-16 and adult life skills groups. Written for US grades 9 to 12 (UK Years 10 to 13) and young adults up to 21.

What you download: one printable PDF, 11 pages, A4. Answer key included. Please note the documents are American: prices are in US dollars.

From the author of The Transition Map (Jeremy D. Gooch).

Written by Jeremy D. Gooch, a teacher with 20+ years in education. All businesses, names, and numbers are made up.