Free Print and Go Halloween Reading Worksheets for Grades 3–6

By the time October rolls around, you’ve probably noticed two things: your students are buzzing with Halloween excitement, and your lesson plans could use something fresh to keep that energy focused. You might be scouring the internet for fun Halloween reading worksheets to use as bell ringers, early finisher activities, or homework during October. 

But let’s be real…those crossword puzzles and coloring pages might be cute, but they just don’t offer enough academic value. With the right resources, you can harness that spooky-season energy and turn it into meaningful literacy practice for grades 3–6.

Finding materials that are both fun and academically rigorous isn’t always easy, especially when you’re juggling planning, grading, and everything in between. 

We’re here to help! Instead of spending hours hunting for new, spooky content, ReadWorks is happy to share a curated list of 25+ free, high-quality Halloween articles…all designed to save you prep time while building vocabulary, comprehension, and critical thinking.

​If you’ve been searching for engaging, rigorous, and classroom-ready content for October, these articles and Halloween reading worksheets are exactly what you need.

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→ Want to access all 25+ Halloween Reading Resources for grades 3-6 in one convenient place? Grab the FREE bundle here.

​Why Use Halloween Reading Worksheets?

Bringing seasonal themes into your lessons isn’t just about adding a little fun. It’s about making learning feel relevant. When students are already thinking about costumes, bats, and spooky stories, weaving those topics into your reading block makes the work feel purposeful (and a lot more exciting)!

Halloween reading worksheets allow you to:

• Motivate reluctant readers with spooky themes and suspenseful plots.
• Differentiate instruction using both fiction and nonfiction texts.
• Target comprehension skills like main idea, inference, and sequencing.
• Encourage discussion and writing connections after reading.
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And best of all, every resource linked below is free, printable, and easy to use – perfect for those busy October days when your time is limited.

​Fiction Passages for Spooky Story Lovers

Do your students love a mystery series? This 6-part fiction series is filled with suspense, cliffhangers, and spooky descriptive language – perfect for your October lesson plans. 

Don’t forget to begin each passage with the pre-reading vocabulary activity!
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• A Shadow at the Celebration (Our Family Ghost #1) – A perfect introduction to a spooky series.
  
  
  
• Stalked by a Shadow (Our Family Ghost #2) – Builds suspense and challenges students to make predictions.
  
  
  
• The Second Task (Our Family Ghost #3) – Great for sequencing events in a narrative.
  
  
  
• An Impossible Ask (Our Family Ghost #4) – Perfect for inferencing practice.
  
  
  
• A Familiar Face (Our Family Ghost #5) – Explore character relationships and themes.
  
  
  
• A Song from the Past (Our Family Ghost #6) – Wraps up the ghostly adventure with rich discussion points.
  
  
  

And for a shorter, standalone spooky read, try:
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• Amy’s Halloween Secret
  
  
  
• The Disappearing Room
  
  
  
• Jenna and the Black Cat
  
  
  
• The Spookiest Attic

These are excellent additions to your October reading block, especially when paired with writing prompts like, “What would you do if you were the main character?

Nonfiction Articles for Curious Minds

For a richer learning experience, we recommend pairing a nonfiction article with a fiction story when possible. Not only does this broaden your students’ understanding and vocabulary, but it also encourages cross-curricular learning opportunities. 
These articles connect Halloween themes with real-world facts, science, and history.
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• Why Do Bats Live in Caves? – Perfect for science connections.
  
  
  
• All About Bats – Great for text features practice.
  
  
  
• Bat News – Combines informational text with current events.
  
  
  
• A Real-Life Bat Man – Students will be fascinated by this true story.
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• History of Halloween – Perfect for tying into social studies.
  
  
  
• Imagination and Fear – Great for classroom discussions about emotions and psychology.
  
  
• Halloween Leftovers – A lighthearted informational read to balance out scarier content.
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These nonfiction articles and Halloween reading worksheets are perfect for teaching summarizing, identifying main ideas, and comparing text structures.

→ Grab the full FREE bundle of Halloween articles for grades 3-6 here.

​Built-In Supports for Reading Success

One of the best things about these ReadWorks Halloween reading worksheets is that you’re not just getting a passage (or a time filler), you’re also getting ready-to-use activities that support multiple layers of reading development. 
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Each article includes:

📖 Pre-Reading Vocabulary

Before diving into the text, students review key vocabulary words. This step is essential for building background knowledge and setting students up for success. By previewing tricky words, you reduce frustration and give students the confidence they need to focus on comprehension. Try making this interactive: have students predict word meanings or use them in spooky-themed sentences before reading.

✅ Multiple-Choice Comprehension Questions

Each passage comes with a set of comprehension questions that target skills like main idea, detail, inference, and vocabulary in context. These questions give you a clear window into how well your students understood the text. Use them for independent practice, small-group review, or quick formative assessments. They’re also a great way to build test-prep skills in a stress-free, seasonal format.

💬 Discussion Prompts

​The discussion questions invite students to think beyond the text and make meaningful connections. These are perfect for encouraging text-to-self, text-to-text, and text-to-world reflections.

​Use them to guide rich classroom conversations, model citing textual evidence, and strengthen speaking and listening standards. For added engagement, consider turning them into debates or Socratic seminars – students love sharing their perspectives when the topic is Halloween!

​Teacher Tips for Using These Worksheets

To make the most of these spooky articles and Halloween reading worksheets, try these strategies:
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• Mix fiction and nonfiction. Use a spooky story one day and a bat article the next. This keeps students engaged while exposing them to multiple genres.
  
  
• Incorporate partner reading. Many of these passages are ideal for paired discussions, which encourage collaboration.
  
  
• Use them for test prep. With built-in comprehension questions, these worksheets mirror the kinds of tasks students will face on standardized tests, but in a much more engaging format.
  
  
• Assign as homework or sub plans. Because they’re print-and-go, you can rely on them for low-prep days or emergency lesson plans.
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• Pair with writing. After reading, have students write alternate endings, create summaries, or draft their own spooky tales.

Final Thoughts

Bringing Halloween spirit into your classroom doesn’t have to mean sacrificing rigorous instruction. With these Halloween reading worksheets, you can spark excitement, save time, and give your students a mix of fun and meaningful literacy practice.

Whether you choose the suspenseful “Our Family Ghost” series, fascinating nonfiction about bats, or lighthearted seasonal reads, you’ll find something for every student in your class. 
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Print, go, and enjoy the October reading magic!

→ Explore ReadWorks’ entire library of FREE high-quality resources here.
→ Get your 25+ Halloween article packet for grades 3-6 here.