This pack of materials is designed to help students working to improve their basic skills as part of their caring course. It is intended for use by students working toward such qualifications as caring for children, foundation care, and family and community care. An introduction lists relevant core skills units and basic skills standards. The six individual sections of the pack are divided into task sheets and fact sheets. The fact sheets give information and teaching material that is useful for students working toward the Units and Elements of Competence detailed in the corner of the worksheets. In some cases, the material focuses on the underpinning knowledge and understanding required for the unit. The task sheets can be used by students to demonstrate that they can perform the activity described in the relevant competence statement or statements, or they give practice in the underpinning knowledge and understanding for those statements. Students should read the fact sheets before undertaking the task sheets. Each main section has a self-assessment questionnaire that should be completed by the student and checked by the course tutor or basic skills specialist. The five sections cover oral communication, reading, writing, communication without words, application of number, and information technology. The material may be used in different teaching situations: open/flexible learning, group learning, distance learning. (YLB)