Halloween Reading Comprehension Pack for Lower KS2, Upper KS2 and KS3

A complete Halloween-themed reading comprehension unit containing six original fiction and non-fiction texts, differentiated across Lower KS2, Upper KS2 and KS3.

Designed for whole-class teaching, guided reading, independent work, intervention, assessment, homework or seasonal October lessons, the pack develops a wide range of reading skills while keeping pupils engaged with atmospheric and age-appropriate Halloween topics.

Included in the pack:

Teaching PowerPoint introducing retrieval, inference, vocabulary and evidence
2 Lower KS2 texts — 1 fiction and 1 non-fiction
2 Upper KS2 texts — 1 fiction and 1 non-fiction
2 KS3 texts — 1 fiction and 1 non-fiction
Comprehension questions for every text
Full teacher answer guide
Model responses for higher-level questions
Reading skills overview pages
Differentiation and support guidance
Reading Detective reference resource

Texts include:

The Lantern in the Window — Lower KS2 fiction
Why Do We Carve Pumpkins? — Lower KS2 non-fiction
The Last Trick-or-Treater — Upper KS2 fiction
How Halloween Changed Over Time — Upper KS2 non-fiction
The House at Number 13 — KS3 fiction
Why Do Humans Enjoy Being Scared? — KS3 non-fiction

Reading skills covered include:

retrieval
inference
vocabulary in context
sequencing
summarising
comparison
evidence
explanation
prediction
writer’s methods
language analysis
structure
viewpoint
evaluation

The progression across the pack means younger pupils can practise core comprehension skills while older pupils move into increasingly sophisticated inference, analysis and interpretation.

The teacher guide includes direct answers, acceptable variations, evidence suggestions, model summaries and possible responses for questions where more than one interpretation may be valid.

Ideal for:

English lessons
guided reading
Halloween literacy
reading intervention
independent learning
cover lessons
homework
informal assessment
October enrichment activities

Age range: approximately 7–14
Suitable for: Lower KS2, Upper KS2 and KS3
Resource type: Unit of Work