Last updated: October 2026

Hi lovely teachers, parents and homeschoolers, and welcome!

Looking for fall classroom resources you can use this week? Here are four free fall reading comprehension and SEL worksheets for ages 3–8, each paired with a calm, low-stimulation read-along video of a picture book by an independent author. They’re made for preschool, kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade (nursery to primary 3 in the UK), and they work just as well for school counsellors and at home.

Our mission here is to spark a love of reading, writing and art through social-emotional learning (SEL). Every story is animated with the author’s permission, and after each one I chat with the characters about its big ideas and morals, so the video does some of the SEL for you.

There are two gentle, not-scary witch stories for Halloween, a five senses story for any time this fall (or autumn, as we say in the UK), and a Thanksgiving story about gratitude. Together they explore gratitude, inclusion and mindfulness, and each one comes with reading comprehension and SEL questions, a look inside the free worksheet, an easy activity and a little about the author. Short on time? The quick guide below shows which story to use when.

Quick Guide: Fall Reading Comprehension and SEL Worksheets at a Glance

Here’s the whole set on one page, so you can pick the right story in seconds.

Why Fall Stories Are Perfect for Social-Emotional Learning (SEL)

It’s often easier for children to talk about how a character feels than about how they feel themselves. That makes picture books one of the gentlest ways into social-emotional learning. So each story here works as a set of fall SEL activities, with questions and a hands-on activity that build SEL skills alongside reading comprehension.

Each story maps to CASEL‘s five core SEL competencies:

• self-awareness
• self-management
• social awareness
• relationship skills
• responsible decision-making

That means they slot easily into SEL, character education or PSHE lessons.

SEL supports learning, too. A major review of 213 structured, school-based SEL programmes, covering more than 270,000 students, found an average gain of 11 percentile points in academic achievement (Durlak et al., 2011). A few stories and worksheets aren’t a full programme, but they’re a gentle place to start.

Gentle Witch Stories for a Not-Scary Halloween SEL Week

Want the magic of Halloween without the frights? These two witch stories bring all the fun of broomsticks and spells to Halloween season, and they double as lovely Halloween SEL activities. One is about appreciating what you have, and the other is about empathy and being yourself. Neither one is actually about Halloween, so they also work for schools and families that don’t celebrate it.

Grandma Gets an Upgrade by Janice Hostetter

After a plane, other witches and birds zoom past her broom, Grandma Witch decides it’s time for an upgrade. She and her granddaughter Wren meet a salesman who shows them a whole lineup of upgrades to try, from jetpacks, a submarine and a hot-air balloon to a motorbike, a plane, roller skates and even a fire-breathing dragon. But nothing feels quite right, and Grandma realises her trusty old broom was perfect for her all along. It’s a funny, not-scary witch story and a fresh take on “the grass isn’t always greener.”

Watch, print and support the author: Download the free Grandma Gets an Upgrade worksheet. Grandma Gets an Upgrade read-along page · Buy Grandma Gets an Upgrade to support Janice here.

SEL focus: responsible decision-making and self-awareness. Children think about why Grandma stopped enjoying her broom, weigh up the pros and cons of each upgrade, and practise being thankful for what they have, including how to kindly encourage a friend who isn’t.

Why I love it: This is such a classic moral, being grateful and content with what you have, told in the most fun way through Grandma Witch and her granddaughter Wren. It’s perfect for autumn and Halloween season, and it’s beautifully concise. Children’s books often struggle to balance the story with the lesson, but here every word is either fun or informative, so nothing is wasted and nothing drags.

I also love how Grandma is drawn. Grandmas in picture books are so often gentle and a little fragile, but this one is gloriously wild. She zooms about on a motorbike, flies a plane and glides along on roller skates, to name just a few. And there’s a childlike randomness to the story that keeps it wonderfully fun. You never know what’s on the next page: it could be a fire-breathing dragon, or the pair might be off in a submarine!

Reading comprehension and SEL questions:

• Before: Have you ever wanted something new, even though what you had already worked just fine?
• During: Which upgrade would you pick for Grandma, and why?
• After: Why did Grandma decide to keep her old broom?
• SEL check-in: What’s something you already have that you’re thankful for?

Words to know: upgrade, salesman, unstoppable, ungrateful (not being thankful for what you have)

What’s in the free worksheet: 8 questions (two with lettered parts) and a drawing activity.

• Story recall: which upgrade goes so fast it makes Grandma dizzy, which one needs its own barn, which is slow but unstoppable, what went wrong with the submarine and the hot-air balloon, and what turns out to be the best option
• Feelings and reasons: how Grandma feels as the plane, other witches and birds zoom past her, and why she doesn’t enjoy her broom as much as she used to
• Big-picture thinking, like “Do you think if you look hard enough for what’s wrong with something, you will always find something wrong? Why?”, and why it’s important to be thankful for what we have
• A kindness question: what would you tell a friend who was being ungrateful for something they have?
• A drawing activity: pick your favourite of the rides the salesman showed Grandma and draw yourself travelling with it, thinking about where you’d go and what it’s like to use

Curriculum links: Reading: asking and answering questions about key details (Common Core RL.K.1, RL.1.1), describing characters and major events (RL.K.3, RL.1.3) and understanding a story’s central message (RL.1.2).

Try this after the story: Hold an “old but gold” show-and-tell. Each child brings (or draws) something old they love, like a teddy or a favourite jumper, and explains why it’s perfect just the way it is. It pairs beautifully with our free needs and wants worksheets. They go with an interactive video on our Learn with Karyn channel, where I get my very first job and learn to put needs before wants.

If Grandma Witch made you smile, Janice’s book Anything You Put Your Mind To is another story about a grandmother’s love, in which a little girl shares her big dreams with a very wise grandma. Find more of her picture books at bumblebeebookshelf.com.

The Fairytale Witch and the Quest for Her Sparkle by Leanne Weston

Bon is a little witch who doesn’t quite fit into her witchy world. She’s autistic, and while her Coven sparkles, Bon doesn’t, so she sets off on a rhyming quest to find her own sparkle: the thing that helps her feel safe, happy and truly herself. Along the way she meets many amazing creatures, each with their own unique way of sparkling. They kindly share their sparkle with her, but it doesn’t quite feel right. Bon is based on Leanne’s own autistic daughter, Bonnie. That makes this a sparkly, not-scary witch story for Halloween season that also works beautifully as a picture book about autism and being yourself.

Watch, print and support the author: Download the free Fairytale Witch worksheet. The Fairytale Witch read-along page · Buy The Fairytale Witch to support Leanne

SEL focus: social awareness and self-awareness. Children practise empathy, notice the similarities and differences between themselves and Bon, learn how to include and support autistic classmates, and celebrate what makes each person unique.

Why I love it: This is such an amazing read for children. What I love most is that the story itself never labels Bon. Instead, it shows us how she behaves, how she sees the world and how the world responds to her, sometimes unkindly and sometimes with real kindness. That makes it feel true to life, while still leaving readers with an optimistic message and a hopeful solution. It teaches inclusion without ever feeling like a lesson, and it puts a safe space for Bon to be herself, and to have fun, at its heart.

The bond between Bon and her mother had me tearing up. I can’t think of a more beautiful way to show unconditional love. And the illustrations are, much like Halloween candy, a real feast for the eyes and the imagination.

Loved by families and classrooms: Amazon UK reviewers describe it as a gentle, natural way to start conversations about autism, including one autistic parent of an autistic daughter. Leanne says it has also found its way into classrooms across the UK:

“All of her friends refer to the story as ‘Bonnie’s book’ and read it regularly. It’s also been included in countless classrooms across the UK as part of the curriculum to help children understand autism, and that is such an amazing thing to be part of, knowing that Bonnie’s story is helping children understand Autism and helping autistic children across the UK to be recognised, included and supported by their peers. It’s more than I ever could have hoped for.”

Reading comprehension and SEL questions:

• Before: Have you ever felt like you didn’t quite fit in? What helped?
• During: How do you think Bon feels when the other witches sparkle and she doesn’t?
• After: Why didn’t the sparkle the creatures shared feel quite right for Bon?
• SEL check-in: What could you do if you saw a friend who felt left out?

Words to know: coven (a group of witches), unique, differences, sparkle

What’s in the free worksheet: 11 questions and an art challenge.

• Story recall: what movements Bon likes to do, how the Coven reacted to her having fun and being herself, which creatures she met and what made each one sparkle, and where she finally found her own sparkle
• Feelings and thinking: how the Coven’s reactions made Bon feel, why the other witches were sparkling but Bon wasn’t, and why the creatures’ shared sparkle didn’t quite feel right
• Personal connection: what’s similar and different between the child and Bon, and questions like “When people can be themselves and feel loved, they start to sparkle. What are some ways you can help your friends and family to sparkle?”
• An autism awareness task: children ask a parent or teacher what autism means, then write down some of the special qualities, strengths, likes and dislikes of autistic people
• An art challenge: imagine you’re friends with Bon and draw a picture of how you’d help her sparkle

Curriculum links: Reading: asking and answering questions about key details (Common Core RL.K.1, RL.1.1), describing characters and how they respond to challenges (RL.K.3, RL.1.3, RL.2.3) and understanding the central message (RL.1.2). UK: supports PSHE work on respecting differences.

Try this after the story: Create a class “sparkle wall.” Each child draws or writes what makes them feel safe, happy and most like themselves, then adds one way they could help a friend sparkle too.

“There weren’t any books for young children that I could find that explained autism and so I created one so that Bonnie’s friends and nursery classmates could learn about autism and have honest discussions with their parents and teachers about how they can help to include and support autistic children.”

Our Halloween Flipbook Notebooks

Our Halloween notebooks come with a FLIPBOOK animation that springs to life when you flick the pages, plus silly Halloween jokes and fun facts. Each one has 140 pages with Halloween-coloured lines, so there’s plenty of room for stories, doodles and notes. They make a unique Halloween gift for kids (and grown-ups who love Halloween), a fun boo basket filler, or a non-candy treat for class parties.

Shop our Halloween notebooks over on Amazon UK or Amazon US

A Five Senses Fall Story for Mindfulness and Gratitude

Thank Fall by Ciara L. Hill

Levi wants to capture everything he loves about autumn, so he sets off to make the perfect fall potion. He gathers his ingredients by noticing the season with all five senses: the colourful leaves, the cosy smells, the tastes and the people he loves most. A special bonus sense makes the potion truly magical. It’s a gentle story about slowing down and feeling grateful, and a lovely fit for a five senses unit or a simple mindfulness activity. Because it celebrates the season itself rather than any one holiday, it works in every classroom, any time this autumn.

That was a deliberate choice. As Ciara told me:

“I wanted Thank Fall to be about enjoying the season itself. Keeping the story free of specific holidays makes it an easy fall picture book for families, classrooms, and teachers to enjoy throughout the entire season.”

Watch, print and support the author: Download the free Thank Fall worksheet [ADD LINK] · Thank Fall read-along page · Buy Thank Fall to support Ciara.

SEL focus: self-awareness and self-management. Children practise mindful noticing with all five senses, think about how Levi feels, and name what brings them joy and who they’d share it with.

Why I love it: Thank Fall is one of my all-time favourite fall reads, and everything about it is simply gorgeous. It makes you stop and slow down, appreciating everything fall has to offer through all five senses, and truly embrace this fleeting season, just as Levi tries to capture all of its magic. Beyond the senses, I love how much of the story is about time with family and friends.

It nods to the traditions of the season without leaning on any one holiday, which gives it such a rounded view of autumn: roasting s’mores on the fire with family, dressing up with friends, going on a hayride, and everything in between. It feels as though Ciara gathered the happiest fall memories from everyone she knows and loves, stirred them together and bottled them in a story. Levi sets out to brew the perfect fall potion, and in a way, Thank Fall is Ciara’s own: a little bottle of autumn magic you can open again and again. It also invites children to do the same, pausing to reflect and getting creative by brewing fall potions of their own.

Reading comprehension and SEL questions:

• Before: What’s your favourite thing about fall? Which sense do you use to enjoy it?
• During: What do you think Levi will add to his potion next?
• After: Why do you think Levi wanted to bottle up his favourite parts of fall?
• SEL check-in: Take a slow breath and notice one thing you can hear right now. How does your body feel when you slow down?

Words to know: season, ingredient, potion, senses, bonus

What’s in the free worksheet: 10 questions and a “Draw Your Potion” page.

• Story recall and vocabulary: the words Levi uses to describe his favourite season, the different name fall has in some countries, why Levi wants to make a special potion, what he adds first and last, and the special bonus sense that makes it truly magical
• Feelings and opinions: how Levi feels while making his potion (and why), and which ingredient was the child’s own favourite
• “Your Magic Fall Potion”: children become potion makers and fill in what they’d add for each sense (see, hear, touch, smell and taste), then name their own bonus sense: “What brings YOUR heart joy?”
• A sharing question: if you could share your potion with someone, who would it be and why?
• A “Draw Your Potion” page for drawing their bottle with all the ingredients that make their fall extra special

Curriculum links: Reading: asking and answering questions about key details (Common Core RL.K.1, RL.1.1) and noticing words that appeal to the senses (RL.1.4). UK: links nicely to Year 1 science on seasonal changes and the senses.

Try this after the story: Turn the worksheet’s Magic Fall Potion into the real thing.

1. Go on a short noticing walk.
2. Fill a jar (or draw one) with something for each sense: a crunchy leaf to touch, a pine cone to smell, the sound of the wind.
3. Add a bonus ingredient, just like Levi: what brings each child’s heart joy? It might be a favourite memory, a person they love or a fall tradition. Then ask them to share what’s in their potion, why, and who they’d share it with.

Ciara, who is also a therapist, explains why this kind of noticing matters so much for little ones:

“Kids are taking in so much every day, and sometimes the simplest thing can help them slow down and be present. Using all five senses makes everyday moments more engaging, and it gives parents and teachers an easy way to bring sensory learning into a child’s day.”

For more hands-on ideas, try our quick sensory play ideas.

Want another calming tool? On our sister channel, Learn with Karyn, Bobbie the robot dog teaches children box breathing in an interactive video. It’s a simple way to calm big feelings by breathing in a square.

“I wanted Levi to slow down and really enjoy the little things that make fall feel like fall. The autumn potion was a fun way to turn those everyday sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and textures into a simple sensory experience for children.”

Find more of Ciara’s books at ciaralhillbooks.com.

A Thanksgiving Gratitude Story for Preschool and Kindergarten

Buzzby Gives Thanks by Abigail Kuhn

Buzzby the bee buzzes through Clover Meadow and meets woodland friends like Benny the Bunny, Dottie the Deer, Tom the Turkey and Mr. Owl, who are preparing for the big Thankful Picnic. Along the way, he discovers that Thanksgiving isn’t just about the food: it’s about gratitude, friendship, helping others and finding joy in life’s little blessings. With its calm pacing, cosy meadow setting and simple message, it’s ideal for preschool and kindergarten (ages 3–6). Its reminder that gratitude belongs to every day, not just one, means it works any time of year, and in UK schools it also suits a harvest festival or gratitude assembly.

Watch, print and support the author: Download the free Buzzby Gives Thanks worksheet over on the Buzzby Gives Thanks read-along page · And grab your copy of Buzzby Gives Thanks to support Abigail here.

Buzzby Gives Thanks Worksheet PDF

SEL focus: relationship skills and social awareness. Children practise gratitude, notice what the people who care for them do, and think about how spending time with loved ones makes them feel.

Why I love it: I’m always a sucker for a bee protagonist. They’re just so cute! I love how much time Abigail spends describing Clover Meadow, which gives you a moment to really picture yourself in a cosy autumn meadow. The message is simple but important, and told in such a sweet way, with a wide variety of woodland characters who are all thankful for different things. That makes it feel universal: no matter how different we are, we’re all thankful for something.

My favourite moment is the picnic at the end, where every animal contributes what they can. It’s the loveliest message of Thanksgiving: take part with whatever means you have, and bring it and share it. And it reminds us that time together matters most, and that gratitude should be part of everyday life, not just something we do once a year.

Reading comprehension and SEL questions:

• Before: What does it mean to be thankful?
• During: What are Buzzby’s friends thankful for?
• After: What’s one thing you’re thankful for today?
• SEL check-in: How do you feel when someone says thank you to you?

Words to know: thankful, gratitude, nocturnal (awake at night, like Mr. Owl)

What’s in the free worksheet: 9 questions and an art challenge.

• Story recall: how Buzzby knew it was time for Thanksgiving, the really good question he asked his friends, what he did with his overflowing gratitude, and what fun things the friends did at the picnic and how it made them feel
• Meet the friends: each woodland friend is thankful for something different (Benny the Bunny for his yummy food, Dottie the Deer for her children, Tom the Turkey for sharing the day with friends), and each question links it to the child’s own life: the food they’re most thankful for, what a parent or special grown-up does that makes them happy, and who they love to spend special holidays with
• A new word: “nocturnal”, explained through Mr. Owl, plus what time of day the child likes best
• A feelings question: how does spending time with people you love make you feel?
• An art challenge: draw something or someone you’re thankful for

Curriculum links: Reading: asking and answering questions about key details (Common Core RL.K.1, RL.1.1) and learning new words (RL.K.4).

Try this after the story: Host your own Thankful Picnic, just like the woodland friends.

1. Spread a blanket on the floor.
2. Let every child “bring” something to share, whatever they can: a drawing of a favourite food, a kind word or a song.
3. Go round the circle and share one thing you’re thankful for. Write or draw each answer on a paper square and join them together to make a class gratitude quilt.

Abigail does something similar with her own preschool class:

“One thing I love is the excitement around a holiday, and we like to have a Thanksgiving party the day before we get out. Parents all bring a food item to help out with the feast!”

If you try a class feast too, pair it with your gratitude circle, and check your setting’s allergy policy first.

More from the author: Abigail includes educational resources in the back of the book, and you’ll find more on her website, Clover Meadow Co., with lots of new things coming soon.

“The inspiration for Buzzby Gives Thanks came straight from the holiday itself. I wanted to show that Buzzby had things to be grateful for just as much as his friends did. Even though it might be hard to think of when things are tough, we all have something to be grateful for and it’s important to celebrate that fact.”

How to Use These Fall Reading and SEL Resources in Your Classroom or Homeschool

Here’s a simple routine that works for all four stories:

1. Watch the read-along together. Each video is short enough for circle time. You can catch the videos over on Storytime with Karyn!
2. Pause and predict. Stop at a key moment and ask, “What do you think will happen next?”
3. Ask the reading comprehension and SEL questions. Talk them through out loud first. For pre-readers, this builds listening comprehension, and you can jot down their answers. Older children can write their own. Finish with the SEL check-in as a quick feelings circle.
4. Print the free worksheet. You can find this over on our bookclub. Use it for independent work, a small group, an SEL lesson or a literacy centre.
5. Try the activity. Each story has a hands-on idea to help the message stick.

Talking about stories together is a natural way to build early literacy. Storytelling and group reading are among the approaches the Education Endowment Foundation groups under early literacy approaches, which add about four months’ progress on average across studies. And because the animation is gentle, with no loud sounds or flashy cuts, these read-alongs work well for sensitive and neurodivergent children too.

FAQs About These Free Fall Worksheets

Are the worksheets really free?

Yes. Every reading comprehension and SEL worksheet here is free to download and print for your classroom or home. Liking and sharing our Youtube channels videos will keep making this possible- we really appreciate your support!

Can I share these worksheets with other teachers?

Yes, please share the link to this page so they can download the latest version. The worksheets are free for classroom and home use, but please don’t resell them or upload them elsewhere.

What ages and grades are they for?

They’re designed for ages 3 to 8, roughly preschool to 2nd grade (nursery to primary 3 in the UK). Buzzby Gives Thanks is especially good for the youngest listeners.

How do these stories support social-emotional learning (SEL)?

Each story focuses on at least one of CASEL’s five core SEL competencies: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills or responsible decision-making. These social-emotional learning worksheets mix reading comprehension with feelings and reflection questions, and every story comes with an SEL check-in question and a hands-on activity.

Can school counsellors use them for SEL lessons?

Yes. They work well for small groups and SEL lessons. The Fairytale Witch is a natural fit for empathy, inclusion and understanding autism, and Grandma Gets an Upgrade for gratitude and contentment.

Are the Halloween witch stories scary?

Not at all. Both have all the fun of Halloween with no spooky moments. Grandma Gets an Upgrade is a gentle comedy about appreciating what you have, and The Fairytale Witch is a warm story about being yourself.

Our school doesn’t celebrate Halloween or Thanksgiving. Can we still use them?

Yes. Ciara wrote Thank Fall to celebrate the season itself, free of specific holidays, and neither witch story is about Halloween itself. Only Buzzby Gives Thanks is a Thanksgiving story, and its message about gratitude works at any time of year.

Can I show the read-along videos in class?

Yes. Every story is animated with the author’s permission, and you’re welcome to play the videos on your classroom screen, straight from YouTube or from this page.

What is Learn with Karyn?

Learn with Karyn is our sister channel. Storytime with Karyn brings picture books by independent authors to life as calm read-alongs. Learn with Karyn covers curriculum-aligned topics with modern twists for ages 5–7. Every lesson comes with an interactive video, where Bobbie the robot dog and I get children pointing, moving and joining in, plus free printable worksheets, which you can find over on the Learn with Karyn page.

How can I support the authors?

If your children love a story, the best thing you can do is buy the book, ask your school library to stock it, or leave a kind review on Amazon or Goodreads. It makes a real difference to independent authors.

More Free Fall Classroom and SEL Resources

• Watch all four back to back in our Fall and Halloween read-alongs playlist [ADD LINK].
• Join our free online book club for more read-alongs and printable worksheets at changetheworldwithkaryn.com.
• Subscribe to Storytime with Karyn for new calm, animated read-alongs.
• Explore Learn with Karyn, our sister channel, for curriculum-aligned lessons with modern twists, each with an interactive video and free worksheets for ages 5–7.
• Homeschooling? Try our affordable homeschool activities for kindergarteners.
• Share your children’s artwork. Every worksheet ends with a drawing activity. If your class makes sparkle drawings, autumn potions or thankful pictures, ask a grown-up to send them to changetheworld@karyn.uk (or through our Connect page) with the child’s name and age. We’d love to feature them in our artwork slideshow.
• Planning ahead for the winter holidays? Our Soulful Holidays read-along celebrates Christmas and Kwanzaa.

About Storytime with Karyn: I’m Karyn, an actress turned creative director, children’s book author and educator. On Storytime with Karyn, I bring picture books by independent authors to life with calm, low-stimulation animation, and pair each one with a free worksheet. I love sharing the work of amazing authors and sharing the love of reading with kids all over the world.

Happy autumn reading!

With magic,

Karyn