Free Functional Math Worksheets for Special Education

I've taken a brief break from blogging while I write a Functional Math Curriculum (currently available as a Growing Bundle—aka the lowest price for a full-year curriculum).  While I've been busy drafting pre-tests, review games, Boom Cards, and data collection sheets, I thought I would compile a list of all the functional math resources that I currently have available for FREE.  

Let me say that again, FREE MATH WORKSHEETS you can download and use immediately in your classroom.  

So, if you want to spice up your lesson plans with some new resources, you've landed in the right place!  If your current library of practice worksheets isn't exciting for your special education students, then get ready to download some new resources that will! 

The list of 8 functional math resources is an incredible collection of free worksheets from someone who taught high school and transition special education and knows what skills students need practice with, NOT a worksheet generator website.  These are the resources I wish I had found during my 15 years as a special education teacher.  

Age-appropriate resources that address skills for modern teens and young adults at a lower reading level can be hard to come by (I know this from personal experience).  So, those needs are always at the forefront of my mind when I create resources, and the freebies listed below are no exception.  

What are Functional Math Skills?

Functional math is the math skills we use each day and need to function in the real world.  These skills are typically taught to students with special needs in place of traditional middle school and high school math concepts.  

Functional math is NOT algebra, geometry, trigonometry, or statistics.  Functional math spans many skill levels but sounds a lot like: 

When do I need to leave to make it to work on time?

• Backward planning and time management skills

I lost my debit card. How do I stop someone from accessing my money without canceling my debit card?

• Debit card and online banking features, such as turning off a debit card while lost/stolen

I need to buy a new phone.  How do I save money in a savings account? 

• Purposefully saving to afford larger purchases through budgeted and scheduled savings

Can I afford to rent this apartment if the rent is $700 and my monthly income is $1,500?

• Awareness of all sources of income and expenses, affordability of wants and needs, and budgeting 

Do I have enough time to get gas before my appointment?

• Estimating time to complete tasks and task prioritization

Is it worth it for me to spend $7 to get free shipping? 

• Using basic operations, addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, to spend smart

Can I afford to buy some flowers while I grocery shop? 

• Developing and dividing large monthly budgets into smaller weekly budgets and distinguishing between needs vs wants

What should I do about the transactions on my bank account that I didn't make?

• Reading bank statements and online banking/banking app transactions and advocating to customer service about financial needs

Will the hours I worked last week be on this paycheck or the next paycheck?  

• Understanding pay schedules, pay periods, and gross and net income

I need to return these pants because they didn't fit.  Do I still have time to get my money back?

• Reading a receipt for the return policy timelines, accounting for restocking fees, and preferred method for reimbursement

How do I transfer money from my Venmo account back to my checking account?

• Accessing all methods of payment, including cash, debit card, and digital payment options, like Venmo and Zelle

I need this item, but can't afford to buy it brand new.  What other options do I have?

• Finding different ways to meet needs and wants through both spending self-control and financial assistance options

I need to save money; which vanilla ice cream can I afford?

• Scanning different shelves to compare regular and sale prices when in-store and comparing costs between brands and different websites when shopping online 

I need help managing my money; who do I trust to help me make the right choices? 

• Seeking help from trusted and supportive people to spend, save, manage, and make smart choices regarding income, money, and financial decisions

How to Use Free Functional Math Skills Resources

Not sure what to do once you've downloaded and printed these resources?  You can use a functional math free resource in your teaching toolkit in many different ways.  

Here are a few ideas:

• Independent work for early finishers
• Sub Notes/Sub Plans activities
• Supplemental worksheets when a lesson runs short (or isn't as engaging as you'd hoped) 
• Math-focused activity after an assessment
• Quick preview of concepts in future lessons 
• Optional homework
• Extra credit (is that still a thing?)

Since functional math concepts are taught to middle school and high school students, as well as transition-age young adult education, and in vocational education classes, these free resources can be used with an entire grade level, making it easy to use no matter your class make up.  

And, answer sheets are ALWAYS included because you should spend those extra few minutes eating your lunch, not making an answer key! 

FREE Functional Math Resources:

FREE 5 Functional Math Worksheets

Budgeting, money management, shopping, vocational skills, and time math practice worksheets are all a part of this resource.  The best part- if you totally LOVE it, there's a Functional Math Daily Warm-Up Worksheet resource that includes a brand new worksheet to use every day of the school year.  A no-prep resource that's totally engaging and on-topic, a triple win!

FREE Functional Math (Sneak Peek Resource)

The two worksheets in this resource address budgeting, adding values, next dollar over, counting money with real dollar bills and coins, skip counting, and reading time on an analog clock.  This sneak peek is part of a resource complete with 36 worksheets, each with a new set of questions (aka perfect for using one time a week for a whole school year).  And, it comes in Canadian Money and Australian Money versions.  

FREE 10 Functional Math Skills Worksheet

This freebie resource is two pages packed FULL of functional math.  The functional math skills found in this freebie resource include- counting money, comparing prices, calculating income, hours to work to afford an item, time management, expiration dates, paying with a debit card, paying with cash, income vs. budget, and matching a label to a physical item.  That was a lot!  And it's FREE! 

FREE Money Skills Goal Bank

While this isn't a worksheet for your students, they will benefit from what's inside!  The money skills goal bank printable resource lists important money skills (beyond the default 'Dollar Over') that students who are old enough to have an IEP Transition plan should learn.  I wrote a blog post all about the Transition Skills Goal Bank, and the Money Skills freebie is just a small snippet of what's included in the whole goal bank!  

FREE Boom Cards Income Deck

Boom Cards are digital task cards that are a great way to change up your usual worksheet routine.  Boom Cards are a great way to practice functional math word problems. as you can set the questions to read aloud automatically, which allows the focus to be on the functional math skill and not the functional reading skill.  

It's free for educators to create a Boom Learning account and you can even use this deck completely free with your students, using the Fast Pin method.  If you're not interested in functional math related to income, check out the Creating a Budget, Handling Money, or Banking, Counting Money, and Paying Boom Cards decks, all of which are also FREE! 

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FREE Functional Math Budget Word Search

A break from the standard budget activity, this Budget Word Search includes all those key vocabulary related to one of this most practiced functional math skill.  The word bank includes vocabulary like limit, control, spend, and plan, among others.  

Join my email list to gain access to my Free Resource Library and download this resource.  

FREE Halloween Picture Reveal Google Sheet Activity

If you want a digital resource to engage your students that's also Halloween-related, this is it!  Students will answer 10 questions and each correct answer they enter into the Google Sheet will reveal part of a Halloween pumpkin.  This errorless activity is easy to assign to individual students or partners and the instant correct-answer gratification is a great way to keep students engaged to the end! 

Subscribe to my email list for exclusive access to my Free Resource Library to download this resource.  

FREE Consumer Math Skill Worksheet Preview (Sneak Peek Resource) 

This is a great resource for those few students who may have a strong foundation of functional math skills and are expanding to consumer math skills.  This freebie is a sneak peek at a 40-page Consumer Math Skill Workbook.  

Want MORE FREE resources?

Who doesn't, am I right?!? 

FREE 5 Functional Life Skills Worksheets

If you are looking for functional math worksheets, you'll probably also love these 5 FREE functional live skills worksheets! This resource includes functional reading, safety, vocational, cooking, and transition plan skills! 

Want More Functional Math?

For a functional math resource that goes far beyond a 10-minute solution, check out the FULL-YEAR Functional Math Curriculum.  

What’s a growing bundle?  This group of resources is currently includes just a few lessons but will become a full-year curriculum once completed.  So, by purchasing as a Growing Bundle, you are getting some of the lessons now and will get alllll the rest for FREE (aka the BEST price)!   The price will slowly increase as each new unit is added, so you’ll want to buy earlier rather than later to save the most $ $ $.   

• Calculate gross and hours and net income based on % deductions
• Compare jobs based on income, available hours, and earning potential (raise, promotions, longevity, etc.)
• Utilize a variety of banking and money options, including coins, cash, debit cards, and digital payments, to complete purchases and access information about personal finances 
• Manage money and money-related information to keep safe from others
• Create and honor budgets respectful of income, needs, and wants for a variety of financial scenarios
• Make informed decisions regarding spending and saving based on best value, best price, and current and future wants and needs.
• Develop an understanding of one’s financial situation, establish supportive people to assist in managing their money, and advocate for needs and wants
• Consider and interpret time and apply and manage spans of time when planning one’s immediate and future schedule
• Consider and adjust plans, speed, or tasks due to time when necessary
• Match, sort, and quantify forms of measurement to inform and complete tasks
• Apply numerical sense when completing life’s tasks 

• Banking, Counting Money, & Paying 
• Creating a Budget
• Handling Money Safely
• Income
• Needs & Wants
• In-store and online shopping

• Sale and discount prices
• Comparing prices
• Receipts and returns
• Restaurant ordering (dine-in and online) & tipping
• Saving and interest
• Financial support and services
• Reading a clock
• Prioritizing time
• Interpreting time
• Estimating and calculating time
• Backward and elapsed time
• Calendar: Days & Dates
• Numbers and counting
• Quantity, estimate, & time
• Sorting and matching

1. Pretest
2. Google Slide deck w/ videos
3. Slide deck listening guide (for notetaking) 
4. Warm-up questions
5. Reading passages 
6. Guided practices
7. Independent practices
8. Exit slips
9. Boom Cards
10. Review game
11. Assessment (PDF + Google Form)
12. Data collection
13. Functional math skill spiraling worksheets
14. Answer keys