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The story: The Last Porch Light

Finn and Cole were friends. On Halloween night, Finn dressed as a green dragon. Cole wore a silver astronaut suit.

They walked with Cole’s mom along a street in Southern California. Orange pumpkins glowed on the porches.

“Ready for our first house?” Finn asked.

Cole nodded, but he stayed one step behind. He had never said “trick or treat” to a neighbor before.

At the first door, Finn rang the bell. A smiling man held out a bowl of candy.

“Trick or treat!” Finn said.

Cole opened his mouth, but no words came out.

“That’s okay,” the man said kindly. He gave each boy a wrapped treat.

As they walked away, Cole looked at his shoes.

“I wanted to say it,” he said. “I felt too shy.”

“We can say it together at the next house,” Finn said.

They practiced quietly as they walked. Cole’s mom smiled and stayed beside them.

At the next porch, they stood shoulder to shoulder.

“One, two, three,” Finn whispered.

“Trick or treat!” they called together.

Cole grinned. “I did it!”

Soon, their buckets held many treats. At the last house, a little girl dropped her bucket. Wrapped candy rolled across the path.

“Oh no!” she cried.

Finn and Cole stopped. They helped her pick up the candy while the adults watched.

“Thank you,” she said. “I thought I had lost it all.”

On the way home, Cole’s mom asked, “What was your favorite part?”

Cole thought for a moment. “Saying the words with Finn. And helping that girl.”

“Mine, too,” Finn said.

At home, an adult checked their treats before they ate any. The friends sat together and talked about their night.

Their buckets were full. So were their smiles.

Words to know

A porch is the small area outside a front door.

A costume is clothing you wear to look like someone or something else.

Shy means feeling nervous around people you do not know well.

Kindly means in a caring and gentle way.

Find it in the story

1. What costumes did Finn and Cole wear?

Use a voice recording

2. Why did Cole stay quiet at the first house?

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3. What did the friends do when the little girl dropped her bucket?

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Think about the story

4. How did Finn help Cole feel brave enough to speak?

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5. Why do you think helping the girl was one of Cole’s favorite parts of the night?

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Your turn to write

Write 3–5 sentences about a kind thing you could do on Halloween. Who could you help? What could you say or do?

Use a voice recording

You can start with: “On Halloween, I could help by…”

Words to practice on paper

Use a pencil and paper. Say each word, copy it three times, then cover it and try writing it once from memory. Check your spelling. Practice five words today and five next time.

Today: night, light, door, candy, treat.

Next time: friend, pumpkin, costume, share, together.

Choose two words and write one sentence with each. You can draw a small picture beside a word to help you remember it.

About this story

This is a made-up story about two fictional friends. They are not related. A grown-up walks with them while they go trick-or-treating.

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AssignmentsGrade 3ReadingWritingHalloween