Halloween Math & Reading — Answer Key
Part A: Multiple Choice
Circle the best answer for each question.
1. Ella made 16 popcorn balls for her party. Her friends ate 9. How many are left?
A) 6
B) 25
C) 7
D) 8
16 - 9 = 7. If 9 of the 16 popcorn balls are eaten, 7 are left over.
2. Read: "The old wooden gate squeaked as it opened." What does squeaked mean?
A) Broke apart
B) Made a high-pitched sound
C) Moved very fast
D) Fell to the ground
'Squeaked' is the high, sharp sound an old hinge or wheel makes — like 'eeek!' It is the sound of the gate opening, not its motion or damage.
3. Sam found 6 candy corns and 8 gummy worms. How many pieces of candy does he have?
A) 13
B) 14
C) 2
D) 15
6 + 8 = 14. You can split 8 into 4 + 4: add 4 to 6 to make 10, then add 4 more to get 14.
4. Which word means almost the same as scary?
A) Funny
B) Calm
C) Frightening
D) Colorful
'Frightening' and 'scary' both mean something that causes fear — they are synonyms. Funny, calm, and colorful describe very different feelings.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the correct answer on each line.
1. 12 witches minus 4 witches equals 8 witches.
12 - 4 = 8. Taking 4 away from 12 leaves 8.
2. A spider builds a sticky web to catch flies.
Spiders make sticky webs out of silk to trap flies and other bugs. Once a fly is stuck, the spider can eat it.
3. 9 plus 3 plus 5 equals 17.
Add in order: 9 + 3 = 12, then 12 + 5 = 17. You could also see 9 + 5 = 14, then 14 + 3 = 17.
4. On Halloween night, the streets are filled with children in costumes.
On Halloween, kids go outside wearing costumes to go trick-or-treating. Costumes are the special dress-up outfits people wear for the holiday.
5. 16 minus 8 equals 8.
16 - 8 = 8. This is a doubles fact because 8 + 8 = 16, so half of 16 is 8.