Looking to keep vocabulary practice fresh and festive this month? We’ve partnered with Vocabulary.com to share three fun October-themed word lists. From spooky Halloween terms to current events words, these lists complement Education.com’s ELA worksheets, boosting reading, writing, and vocabulary skills.

Explore Vocabulary.com lists

1. Wicked Words of Grave Importance for Halloween, October 31

Tired of the same old spooky and creepy terms? This Halloween-inspired list digs up eerie but fascinating words like eldritch, phantasm, and hallow to help students expand their vocabulary and bring haunting stories to life.

2. Ripped from the Headlines: October 2025

For curious readers who love connecting language to the world around them, this list spotlights key terminology pulled straight from recent news and culture stories. It’s a fun, thought-provoking way to help kids strengthen comprehension and critical thinking while learning words they’ll actually see in the real world.

3. Octoberfest! Our Freshly Harvested Lists from the Fall Calendar

Celebrate all things autumn with vocabulary inspired by the month’s many highlights, from baseball and books to fossils and Halloween. This seasonal roundup adds color to your word lessons and gives learners a reason to get excited about new vocabulary tied to October events.

Pair with Education.com ELA worksheets

Complement your learner’s vocabulary practice with Education.com worksheets that reinforce key literacy skills through reading and writing. These worksheets are perfect for homework, classroom exercises, or independent practice to help students apply new words in context.

Elementary school:

Adjectives to Describe Emotions

Invite kids to use adjectives to describe different feelings as they write their own sentences. This open-ended activity helps students better understand their own emotions and those of others while developing stronger grammar and writing habits.

Adjectives to Describe Nature

Students use a word bank of nature-related adjectives to write descriptive sentences about the natural world. As they craft their sentences, learners broaden their vocabulary and improve their written and verbal communication skills.

Adjectives to Describe Weather

Learners use weather-related adjectives to write sentences about the weather, circling the adjectives they include. Designed for grades 2–4, this activity helps learners apply grammar skills in context and make their writing clearer and engaging.

Finding Word Meaning: Context Clues & Text Features

Fourth and fifth graders practice identifying the meaning of unfamiliar words while reading a passage about the wild turkey. By rereading for understanding and using a glossary and word bank, students build strong vocabulary and nonfiction reading skills.

Middle school:

Expanding Sentences: Exploration

Encourage fifth through eighth graders to turn simple sentences into detailed descriptions. As students add details about where, when, why, and how, they’ll practice using adjectives and noun phrases while writing about exciting topics like treasures and shipwrecks.

Other Ways to Say It  

Help middle school writers expand their vocabulary and strengthen their grammar skills with this set of seven worksheets! Each activity challenges students to replace common verbs, adjectives, and adverbs with more vivid and descriptive alternatives, so they can become more confident and expressive communicators.

Looking for more English Language Arts resources? Explore our Learning Library of over 12,000 ELA worksheets, games, activities, and more.