Halloween Writing Prompts

Halloween writing is here! Writing with a theme is a great way to capture the holiday spirit while continuing to work on academic skills.

Scroll down to find some holiday-themed writing prompts for your students.

  1. If you were with a group of friends who all wanted to tell scary ghost stories, but one friend didn’t, what would you do, and why?

  2. What 3 pieces of advice would you give other kids about staying safe on Halloween?

  3. Write two facts and two opinions about Halloween.

  4. Write step-by-step directions on how to carve a pumpkin. Use signal words such as first, then, next, after, finally.

  5. Write a descriptive sentence for each of the following words: haunted; cauldron; spell; broomstick; spooky; neighborhood; treats; disguise. (CHALLENGE: Write a mini-story that includes all of these words.)

  6. What are the first five words that come to mind when you think of Halloween?

  7. Make a list of ways trick-or-treaters can be respectful on Halloween.

  8. Write a well-written paragraph about why you like or dislike Halloween.

If you’d like to download a version to distribute to students or keep at a literacy center, I’ve got you covered! Click here to grab your free printable.

The Cinquain: A Must-Have Writing Tool

If you’re looking for a writing tool that targets parts of speech practice and has a clear line from start to finish with a basic structure that allows room for plenty of creative expression, you might want to consider bringing the cinquain to class.

There are many types of cinquains, but the one I focus on with my students is the didactic cinquain. It is a simple cinquain that has five lines and uses word count rather than syllable count to compose each line.

The structure looks like this:

Line 1: What is your topic? Write it as a single noun.

Line 2: Describe the noun from Line 1 using two adjectives.

Line 3: Write down three action verbs that relate to the noun from Line 1.

Line 4: In four words, put down your thoughts or feelings about the noun from Line 1.

Line 5: What is a synonym for the noun from Line 1? 

EXAMPLE 1:

snowstorm

fluffy, white

flurrying, falling, accumulating

warm and cozy inside

blizzard

EXAMPLE 2:

soup

hot, delicious

steaming, stirring, sipping

perfect cold weather meal

minestrone

EXAMPLE 3:

excavator

big, powerful

scooping, digging, shaping

moving across the land

construction truck


Why I Love Them

Using this type of cinquain has many benefits for both the reluctant AND adventurous writer.

  1. The cinquain lends itself well to warm up writing exercises and getting those creative juices flowing.

  2. The cinquain isn’t too intimidating. (We know that can’t be said of all poetry!) The cinquain provides structure, and with only 5 lines, completion is near in sight. Students can see the finish line.

  3. Writing a cinquain encourages students — regardless of ability — to practice using appropriate and descriptive nouns, adjectives, verbs, and synonyms.

  4. Since cinquains are relatively short in length and can be completed in one writing period, they are the ideal confidence-boosting piece; students know when the writing period is over, they will have accomplished a completed piece of poetry.

  5. With practice, cinquain writing can be a fun and creative way to reflect and document just about anything. Consider starting a cinquain journal!

ThE list of topics to write about is endless… here are some suggestions:

  • A hobby or sport

  • A favorite food or drink

  • A holiday or celebration

  • The weather

  • A past vacation

  • A friend or family member

  • A favorite animal

  • Current mood

  • A field trip

  • Book or movie review

  • A topic in an academic content area

How to Use CINQUAINS in the Classroom

Once a formal, explicit mini-lesson on the cinquain in completed, there are many ways to incorporate them into your classroom and curriculum.

  • Writing warm up (no assigned topic)

  • Assigned topic to be used for a bulletin display

  • Writing journal for weekly cinquain entries

  • Class book on an assigned theme (holiday, field trip, season, etc…)

  • Holiday gifts for parents (as a bookmark or framed writing piece)

  • Comprehension check for content area topics

I hope this post inspires you to use cinquains with your students, and I’d love to know how it goes.

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Summer Words from A to Z

Summer is HERE. School has finished for the year, camp is getting started, pants have been swapped for shorts, and no matter what effort I put into cleaning my car, there will be a reliable trace of sand until the fall - at the earliest. That means it’s time for my post on summer vocabulary.

This post is a compilation of summer words. Here are a few ideas on how to use them:

  1. Choose several words to alphabetize. This is a skill that ALWAYS needs some practice. For younger students that need extra support, choose only a few words that begin with different letters. With students that need less support and are up for more of a challenge, choose words that begin with the same letter, encouraging students to alphabetize by second and third letters.

  2. Choose a few nouns from the list and ask students to list as many adjectives as they can think of to describe each noun.

  3. Pick 8-10 words and ask student to write a short autumn story using all of the chosen words. For students needing more support, they can write a descriptive sentence for each word.

  4. Choose several words and write each one on a separate scrap of paper. Fold the papers and put them into a bag or container. Students take turns choosing a paper and describing the word on the paper for others to guess.

  5. What words may students not know? Choose a handful of words that might be new. Discuss the meaning of the word and have them use it in a sentence, and illustrate it. Have them discuss with a partner how each word relates to summer.

A: adventure; air conditioning; amusement park; anchor; August

B: barbecue; barefoot; bathing suit; beach; bee; bicycles; birds; blackberries; blistering; blueberries; boardwalk; boating; boats; bonfire; bucket; buoy; butterfly

C: campfire; camping; canoe; cap; capris; carnival; cooler

D: dew; diving; diving board; dragonfly

E: explore; enjoy

F: fair; farm; fireworks; flashlight; flip flops; flowers; Frisbee; fruit

G: garden; gardening; goggles; golf; grass; grasshopper

H: hat; heat; hike; hot; humid; hummingbird

I: ice cream; iced tea; Independence Day; insects

J: jellyfish; July; jump rope; June

K: kayak; kick board

L: Labor Day; lake; lawn; lawnmower; lemonade; life jacket; lifeguard; life vest; lightening

M: mosquito; mower; muggy

N: nap; nest; nostalgic

O: oar; ocean

P: paddle; paddle board; pail; peaches; picnic; plums; pool; popsicles; postcard

Q: quench

R: raft; rash guard; raspberries; rays; reading; repellent; roller blades

S: sailing; sand; sandals; sandcastle; sandpiper; scorching; seagull; September; shade; shorts; shovel; sleeping bag; s’mores; spade; starfish; stargazing; sting; strawberries; summertime; sunblock; sunburn; sundress; sunflower; sunhat; sunny; sun rays; sunshine; sun shower; suntan; surf; surfboard; sweltering; swim camp; swimsuit; swimming

T: t-shirt; tank top; tennis; tent; thunder; thunderstorm; tomatoes; towel

U: umbrella; underwater

V: vacation; vegetable garden

W: wading; wasp; water; water bottle; water slide; watermelon; waves; wildflowers; wheelbarrow

X: eXplore

Y: yacht

Z: zap; zinc oxide

Are there any other words you’d add to this list?