Storytelling: The Horned Women

 

Storytelling in the English Classroom: The Horned Women by Lady Wilde

Perfect for a Halloween‑themed Reading Activity (6th Grade – B1 Level)

Storytelling is a powerful way to nurture language skills, spark imagination, and bring culture to life in the English classroom. For students in 6th of Primary Education, choosing the right story can turn reading practice into an exciting adventure. This is why “The Horned Women,” a traditional Irish folktale collected by Lady Wilde, makes an excellent choice—especially around Halloween.

🍂 Why This Story?

“The Horned Women” is a captivating piece of Celtic folklore, filled with mystery, cultural elements, and a touch of supernatural tension that is perfect for engaging pre‑teens. The text aligns with a B1 CEFR level, which means:

  • Vocabulary and structures challenge students appropriately
  • Themes are intriguing but accessible
  • The story supports the development of reading comprehension skills at an intermediate level

Beyond language learning, the tale introduces students to Irish folklore, enriching their cultural understanding of an English‑speaking country—an important curricular goal in language learning.

Its eerie atmosphere and supernatural elements also make it ideal for a Halloween lesson plan, where suspenseful stories naturally boost student motivation.

📖 Introduction to the Reading

I selected “The Horned Women” because it merges cultural tradition with engaging storytelling. As a Celtic lore narrative, this tale exposes students to:

  • Mythical elements from Irish heritage
  • Rhythmic, evocative language
  • New and challenging vocabulary related to magic, fear, and mystery

These elements are not only motivating, but they also encourage students to expand their vocabulary and make inferences as they read.

To support the storytelling experience, both the text and audio version of the story are available at Storynory, an excellent resource for authentic children’s tales:

👉 Read and listen here:
https://www.storynory.com/a-spooky-irish-story/

🧵 Summary of The Horned Women

This atmospheric Irish folktale tells the story of a wealthy woman who stays up late one night carding wool while everyone else in her house sleeps. Suddenly, she receives a visit from twelve eerie women, each one entering the house with horns on her head. The horned women set to spinning, chanting strange rhymes, and soon place the housewife under a spell.

They command her to fetch water using a sieve, an impossible task. Helpless, she goes to the well, where the spirit of the well appears and offers guidance. Following the spirit’s instructions, she manages to break the witches’ enchantment and rid her home of the intruders.

The horned women flee back to their mountain, leaving behind a cloak that becomes a treasured family heirloom. The tale ends as a reminder of a night where courage, quick thinking, and the supernatural collided.

Quizzlet activity to work on the vocabulary

Match the words to their definitions or practice with the following link to a vocabulary quiz on “Quizlet”: 

https://quizlet.com/es/1124098367/the-horned-woman-vocabulary-from-the-story-flash-cards/ 

Word 

Definition 

  1. sieve 

 

  1. chest 

 

  1. crumbs 

 

  1. wooden beam 

 

  1. lodge 

 

  1. Heirloom  

 

  1. Spirit of the well  

 

  1. Flee  

 

  1. Eerie 

 

  1. Clashed 

 

Bibliographic references

Larsen-Freeman, D., & Anderson, M. (2011). Techniques and Principles in Language
Teaching. Oxford University Press.

quizlet. (2025). https://quizlet.com/es. https://quizlet.com/es

The Horned Woman: written by Lady Wilde and adapted by Bertie for Storynory

Universidad Internacional de la Rioja,
(2025). Written Skills. Written Materials for the EFL Primary School Classroom. Unit 6. Unpublished material

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