The Headless Horseman | Reading Comprehension | Year 2/3

The Headless Horseman – A Legend Rides at Midnight is a chilling non-fiction and narrative hybrid reading comprehension inspired by Washington Irving’s timeless classic, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Perfect for the Halloween season, this resource takes readers on a spine-tingling journey through eerie forests, ghostly legends, and the blurred line between imagination and fear.

Through vivid description and historical context, learners will explore how stories become legends — and why some myths continue to haunt us hundreds of years later.

What’s Included:

• 2 Pages of Reading Text (Dyslexia-friendly font)
• 2 Pages of Reading Comprehension Questions
• “Just Tick It” Adaptive Reading Task – perfect for emerging or reluctant readers
• Extension Activities for reflection, research, and creative response
• 5-Lesson Teaching Presentation (40+ slides, easy-to-teach and structured)
• 5-Day Lesson Plan with pedagogy notes and teaching strategies
• Audio Support of the text (ideal for EAL/SEND/ESL learners)
• Answer Keys for all questions and tasks
• Assessment Tracker to monitor reading objectives and progress

This Resource Explores:

• The origins of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
• The myth of the Headless Horseman
• Fear, superstition, and imagination
• How legends are passed down through generations
• Modern retellings and Halloween connections

Why Use This Resource:
This Halloween reading comprehension blends fiction and non-fiction elements to build reading stamina, analytical thinking, and imagination. Learners will be captivated by the mysterious events of Sleepy Hollow while practising key reading skills in retrieval, inference, vocabulary, and evaluation.

If you have questions, do not hesitate to email me at: bitesizeeducation01@gmail.com

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