Household Product Warning Labels: Reading Signal Words Safely

This reading warning labels set teaches students to read the signal words and warnings on household products: DANGER, WARNING, CAUTION, "keep out of reach," "use in a ventilated area," and "do not mix."

Why I made this: A student once asked if mixing two cleaners would make them "work twice as good." My students could read the product name but not the warnings on the back. This set reads only the warning part, one word at a time.

What's included:

• A 13-page PDF and an editable Word copy

• A teacher page with a three-level table and a 2-week plan

• 3 documents: two cleaner labels, a spray can label and a battery label, and a "what label words mean" card

• Level A ●: 10 cards with 2 choices, in 16 point type

• Level B ■: 10 cards with 3 choices

• Level C ▲: 10 short-answer cards

• 3 practice pages, an answer key, a data sheet with a 10-session graph, a try-it-for-real page, and blank cards

How to use it: Read the "what label words mean" card first, then each label, out loud. Work one level at a time and check with the codes. Level C can be spoken or written. Then read a real label with an adult at home, at school, or at a job site.

Who it's for: High school special education teachers, 18-21 program teachers, job coaches, and families teaching home and workplace safety reading.

Format: PDF, US Letter, 13 pages, plus an editable Word copy. Prints well in black and white.

How this is different: Community + Workplace Safety Signs Task Cards | Functional Reading Life Skills teaches posted signs. Workplace Incident + Near-Miss Report Forms | Functional Writing | Job Skills teaches reporting. This set teaches reading the warnings on product labels, with no use steps and no medicine labels.

Pairs with: Community + Workplace Safety Signs Task Cards | Functional Reading Life Skills; Workplace Incident + Near-Miss Report Forms | Functional Writing | Job Skills

Jeremy D. Gooch, 20+ years in education.