Hi everyone,
Spooky season felt like a good excuse to send you a story that gets a little stranger with every page.
This week, I’m sharing The Ninth Porch. Ruby and Marcus know their Halloween route by heart: eight houses, eight porch lights. This year, Ruby counts nine.
Download The Ninth Porch — the complete story and activities (PDF)
This week’s 22-page packet gives you The Ninth Porch in two versions: an easier read (A) and one with richer language (B). Both share the same activities, so students can read different versions and still join the same conversation.
You’ll find vocabulary, a story map, eight questions and a writing activity, along with teacher guidance and an answer key. The questions point students back to clues in the story, with sentence starters to help them get their thoughts onto paper.
For printing: Version B is on pages 5–9, Version A on pages 11–15, and the shared activities on pages 17–22. Pages 3–4 are for you. If you’re printing two-sided, include the blank page after your chosen story—page 10 or 16—to keep the activities on a fresh sheet.
You might go over the six vocabulary words together, read the story, then use the story map to get everyone talking. Pick whichever questions suit your group. The ending leaves plenty to discuss, and the writing prompt asks students to leave a warning note for next year’s trick-or-treaters.
It’s eerie rather than gory, and the ending stays unresolved. Have a quick read first to see whether it’s a good fit for your students.
I hope it brings a little October atmosphere to your reading time. If you use it, hit reply and tell me which clue got your students talking.
Happy spooky season,
 | Keegan Meredith Founder & Director • ORTHOS LITERACY Helping older struggling readers become stronger, more confident readers. |
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