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Throughout fall and the month of October, it’s prime time to engage your English language arts classes with eerie reading passages and haunting writing activities. No matter what you’re teaching, these Halloween reading activities are sure to engage your middle and high school classes.

Creep out your students with the classics

It comes as no surprise that pumpkin projects and fall-themed lessons are abundant in autumn, but nothing screams Halloween more than a good scary story. Teach your middle and high school students eerie classics like Edgar Alan Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart” and Shakespeare’s Macbeth.

Tell Tale Heart. Adapted Close Read Halloween Fun. Full Unit for ELA ESL Sp. Ed.
By Textsforesl
Grades: 6th-12th
Standards: CCSS RL.6.1, RL.6.3, RL.6.4, RL.6.6, RL.7.1, RL.7.2, RL.7.4, RL.7.6, RL.8.1, RL.8.3, RL.8.4, RL.8.6, RL.9-10.1, RL.9-10.2, RL.9-10.3, RL.9-10.4, RL.11-12.1; W.6.1, W.6.1a, W.6.1b, W.6.1c, W.6.2, W.6.2c, W.6.2d, W.6.3, W.7.1, W.7.1a, W.7.1b, W.7.1c, W.7.2, W.7.2b, W.7.2c, W.7.3, W.8.1, W.8.1a, W.8.1c, W.8.2b, W.8.2c, W.8.2d, W.8.3, W.9-10.1, W.9-10.1c, W.9-10.2, W.9-10.3, W.11-12.1, W.11-12.1a, W.11-12.1b, W.11-12.1c, W.11-12.3; CCRA.R.1; CCRA.L.1; CCRA.L.4

This adapted text version of “The Tell-Tale Heart” makes Edgar Allen Poe’s classic accessible to more readers, including ESL, ENL, and Special Ed. The unit includes five days of lesson plans.

The Monkey’s Paw Short Story Unit
By Teaching Muse
Grades: 7th-9th
Standards: CCSS CCRA.R.1, R.2, R.3, R.4, R.5, R.10; CCRA.W.7, W.9, W.10

Take your students through the twists and turns of this haunting short story by using these reading activities about vocabulary, plot, sequencing, theme, and mood. 

The Tell-Tale Heart: Reading Quiz
By Onto the Next Chapter
Grades: 7th-10th

This free digital knowledge check or assessment will help you gauge just how much information your students can tell you about this tale. 

MACBETH Introduction History Informational Texts, Activities PRINT and EASEL
By Diana Bailey
Grades: 9th-11th

Get spooky with Shakespeare this fall through his tragic play, Macbeth. This resource includes historical context, vocabulary activities, and critical thinking questions.

LORD OF THE FLIES FINAL EXAM
By SchoolinLife32 X TeachLove
Grades: 9th-12th

Test your students’ reading skills with this final assessment of the eerie book, Lord of the Flies. While not explicitly Halloween-themed, the creepy motifs and themes certainly meet the criteria for haunting. 

Listen to some frightfully fun podcasts

Bring modern urban legends into the classroom through a format known for its creepy explorations: podcasts. And align your lessons with CCSS for speaking and listening, while you’re at it.

Scary Podcasts: Lore and Urban Legends
By Engaging and Effective
Grades: 9th-12th
Standards: CCSS RL.9-10.2, 9-10.5; RI.9-10.1, 9-10.3, 9-10.4, 9-10.5, 9-10.6, 9-10.7, 9-10.8

The murder mystery podcast is a modern-day phenomenon that can make your high school Halloween lesson plans more engaging. Bring a historical twist by using it to teach students about urban legends. 

Explore eerie folktales from around the world

The first half of October is not only Halloween season, but also Hispanic Heritage Month, so take the opportunity to bring in spooky stories from other cultures, if you have the chance to do so.

La Llorona Story – Spooky Halloween Alternative – Hispanic Heritage Month
By MrsReaderPants Library Lessons
Grades: 7th-10th
Standards: RL.7.2, RL.7.3, RL.7.9, RL.8.2, RL.8.3, RL.8.9, RL.9-10.3, RL.9-10.6; W.7.3, W.7.3a, W.7.3b, W.7.3d, W.8.3, W.8.3a, W.8.3b, W.8.3c, W.8.3d, W.9-10.3, W.9-10.3a, W.9-10.3b, W.9-10.3d

Engage your students with this spooky Mexican folktale, “La Llorona.” This unit includes an illustrated story, discussion questions, and a creative writing prompt.

Engage students with suspenseful reading passages

While your middle and high schoolers may not be trick-or-treating, they’ll love getting into the spooky spirit with a few tales that are generally ghoulish. 

High Interest Low Level Reading Passages Comprehension Inference Middle School
By Catch-Up Learning
Grades: 6th-11th
Standards: RL.6.1, RL.6.2, RL.6.3, RL.6.4; RI.7.1, RI.7.2, RI.7.4; CCRA.R.1, R.2, R.3, R.4

Keep your students hanging in suspense with this comprehensive, differentiated ELA bundle. Each gripping story has comprehension, inference, and spelling activities, plus a graphic organizer, to ensure your students’ success.

Scary Short Story Units – Horror Stories – Halloween Reading Comprehension
By Creative Classroom Core
Grades: 7th-12th

This bundle contains three scary short stories, including “The Birds” by Daphne DuMaurier, “The Elevator” by William Sleator, and “Click Clack the Rattle Bag” by Neil Gaiman. Each is a Halloween reading comprehension unit with questions, annotation activities, graphic organizers, answer keys, and more.

Find more spooktacular Halloween reading activities

With so much student excitement around Halloween, it’s a great opportunity to explore how you can capitalize on that energy to make a positive impact on students’ learning. From Halloween math activities to Halloween escape rooms, there’s a plethora of spooky Halloween activities for every content area available on TPT.