Short Stories for Reading Comprehension

The Radio – ESL Short Story Lesson Plan (B1–B2) When Nate begins hearing strange noises from a broken radio in his garage, he thinks it’s just faulty wiring — until the voice on the radio says his name. The Radio is a suspenseful short story lesson that combines mystery, fear, and imagination to keep students […]

A playful black-and-white dog bursts from the woods—and then speaks. Hey Boy! blends wonder with a creeping menace as Jaron faces a dangerous choice. This B2–C1 lesson includes the full story, 12 comprehension questions with model answers, a 12-item vocab pack, five exercises, discussion prompts, a role play, and creative-writing tasks. Download the full lesson

Aisle Three — ESL Lesson (B2–C1) Hook your class in minutes with a compact, twisty supermarket story about memory and guilt. This lesson packs close reading, a 12-item vocab set, 5 practice exercises + answer key, discussion prompts, a short play, and writing tasks—all low prep, high impact. Download the full lesson here: Download the

The Fog — ESL Lesson Plan (C1) A complete, print-ready lesson built around an original horror short story. Best for C1 (Advanced) learners; suitable as a stretch for strong B2. What’s inside Introductory Questions Full story text of The Fog Reading Comprehension Questions Essential Vocabulary Discussion Questions Targets reading, vocabulary, speaking, and writing—while developing inference,

What Did I Do? — an ESL Lesson on Social Media Challenges (B1–B2) A teenager is pulled from her class by police after a shoplifting “challenge” is caught on video. As the clip goes viral, she faces humiliation, peer pressure, and real consequences. About this lesson Level: B1–B2 (Intermediate) Learners: Teens & young adults Focus:

This lesson plan is inspired by the storytelling style of Charles Dickens, with colourful character names, rich descriptions, and occasionally convoluted language that adds charm and humour to the narrative. Because of this style, the vocabulary is sometimes challenging, and the sentence structures are more complex than in everyday English. For that reason, this lesson

What would you do if a mysterious company offered you a job—on the spot, with no questions asked? The Job is a gripping short story that pulls students into a world of mystery and moral ambiguity. This lesson plan is designed for intermediate to advanced English learners and includes everything teachers need for a complete

This lesson is built around a suspenseful short story that explores fear, memory, and the boundary between dreams and reality. A Fear of Spiders follows a man named Nigel who wakes from what seems to be a terrifying dream — or is it something more? The story is rich in atmospheric detail and emotional tension,

The Visitor – ESL Reading Lesson Plan (B1–C1 Level) Level: Intermediate to Advanced (B1–C1) Skills Focus: Reading, Vocabulary, Speaking, Writing, Critical Thinking Who is this lesson for? This lesson is designed for English language learners at intermediate to advanced levels. It’s ideal for classroom use, online teaching, or self-study. Teachers can use it for group

Lesson Plan: Like, Subscribe, Follow This advanced English lesson is designed for C1–C2 level learners who want to improve their use of figurative language, expand their vocabulary, and explore important themes related to influencer culture, social media pressure, and digital identity. The lesson is based on the short story Like, Subscribe, Follow—a gripping narrative about