Year 5 Halloween VIPERS Reading Comprehension

An original atmospheric Halloween story for Year 5, with a full SATs-style VIPERS reading paper, mark scheme and a ready-to-teach PowerPoint for modelling answers.

“The Lantern Path”: In the fishing village of Gullhaven, children keep lanterns burning on the cliff path every Halloween to keep the legendary Mist Hound away. This year Kit and Sami are on guard – and one by one, the lanterns start going out…

WHAT’S INCLUDED
✔ Illustrated reading booklet (original story, 4 pages)
✔ SATs-style answer booklet: 22 questions, 31 marks
✔ Full mark scheme with acceptable answers and content domains
✔ Teacher notes, vocabulary to explore, talk prompts and a VIPERS / content domain coverage grid
✔ Teaching PowerPoint: VIPERS key, vocabulary slide, story slides and one slide per question for modelling (answers in the speaker notes)

COVERS EVERY KS2 CONTENT DOMAIN (2a–2h)
Question types match the KS2 reading test: tick one, find and copy, true or false, sequencing, short answers and 2-mark and 3-mark explain questions that need evidence from the text.

PERFECT FOR
• Whole-class guided reading in the week of Halloween
• Shared reading and modelling VIPERS skills
• Reading assessment or SATs-style practice

Part of a series: Year 3 (Grizelda’s Giggle), Year 4 (The Skeleton in the Library), Year 5 (The Lantern Path) and Year 6 (The Thirteenth Riddle).

Written by a primary English Lead. If you enjoy this resource, I’d be very grateful for a review!