What is Your Child Learning?
Sixth graders learn to analyze point of view (POV) - the perspective from which a story is told. Understanding POV helps readers recognize how different perspectives shape information, create bias, and affect emotional connection with characters.
On Florida's FAST assessment, students must identify different POV types, explain how POV affects reader understanding, and distinguish between narrator and author.
Key Vocabulary
Point of View (POV): The perspective from which a story is told
Narrator: The voice telling the story (NOT the same as the author)
First Person: Uses "I/we" - narrator is a character in the story
Third Person Limited: Uses "he/she/they" - follows one character's thoughts
Third Person Omniscient: Uses "he/she/they" - knows all characters' thoughts
Unreliable Narrator: A narrator whose account may not be fully trustworthy
Quick Reference: Three Types of POV
| Type |
Pronouns |
What We Know |
| First Person |
I, me, we, us |
Only the narrator's thoughts and observations |
| Third Person Limited |
He, she, they |
One character's thoughts only |
| Third Person Omniscient |
He, she, they |
All characters' thoughts - "all-knowing" |
Activities to Try at Home
📺 Movie/TV POV Analysis
While watching together, discuss perspective:
- "Whose story is this? Whose perspective do we follow?"
- "What do we know that the main character doesn't?" (dramatic irony)
- "How would this scene be different from another character's perspective?"
- "Is the narrator reliable? Do they have reasons to lie or be mistaken?"
Good examples: Movies that show events from multiple perspectives, or where the narrator's reliability is questioned.
📖 "Retell It" Game
After reading a chapter or short story, practice retelling from different perspectives:
- If it was first person, retell it from another character's view
- If it was third person, retell it as "I" (first person)
- Discuss: "What changes? What do we gain or lose?"
This shows how POV shapes what information readers receive.
🤔 Real-Life Perspective Exercise
When conflicts or disagreements come up (at home, in news stories, etc.), practice perspective-taking:
- "If you were telling this story, what would you say happened?"
- "How might the other person describe the same event?"
- "What might each person NOT know about the other's perspective?"
This connects literary analysis to real-world understanding.
📝 "Narrator vs. Author" Discussion
Many students confuse narrator with author. Clarify with examples:
- Author: J.K. Rowling wrote Harry Potter
- Narrator: The story is told in third person limited, following Harry's perspective
- The author creates the narrator - they are not the same person!
Questions to Ask While Reading
- "Who is telling this story? How do you know?"
- "What pronouns does the narrator use? (I/me vs. he/she/they)"
- "Can we hear what multiple characters think, or just one?"
- "What doesn't the narrator know or tell us?"
- "How would this story be different from another character's POV?"
- "Do you trust this narrator? Why or why not?"
Parent Tip: Beyond Just Pronouns
Students often think POV is just about whether a story uses "I" or "he/she." Help them go deeper:
The real question is: Whose MIND can we access?
- First person: Only the narrator's thoughts
- Third person limited: One character's thoughts
- Third person omniscient: Multiple characters' thoughts
If you can read multiple characters' minds, it's omniscient. If you're stuck in one head, it's limited (or first person).
Effects of POV on Readers
First Person Creates:
- Intimacy with the narrator
- Limited knowledge (we only know what "I" knows)
- Potential bias or unreliability
- Suspense (mystery about others' thoughts)
Omniscient Creates:
- Complete picture of events
- Dramatic irony (reader knows more than characters)
- Understanding of multiple perspectives
- Distance from any single character
Suggested Books for POV Discussion
- "The Outsiders" by S.E. Hinton - First person (Ponyboy's perspective shapes everything)
- "Wonder" by R.J. Palacio - Multiple first person narrators (shows how POV shifts change understanding)
- "Percy Jackson" series - First person with humor (Percy's voice is distinctive)
- "Harry Potter" series - Third person limited (we follow Harry's perspective)
- "Holes" by Louis Sachar - Third person omniscient (narrator knows past and present)
- "Refugee" by Alan Gratz - Multiple third person limited (three different perspectives)
Informacion para Padres (Spanish Summary)
Que esta aprendiendo su hijo? Los estudiantes de sexto grado aprenden a analizar el PUNTO DE VISTA - la perspectiva desde la cual se cuenta una historia.
Tres tipos de punto de vista:
- Primera Persona: Usa "yo/nosotros" - el narrador es un personaje
- Tercera Persona Limitada: Usa "el/ella" - sigue los pensamientos de UN personaje
- Tercera Persona Omnisciente: Usa "el/ella" - conoce los pensamientos de TODOS
Concepto importante: El NARRADOR no es el AUTOR. El autor crea al narrador como un personaje o voz.
Preguntas para hacer:
- "Quien esta contando esta historia?"
- "Que pronombres usa el narrador?"
- "Podemos saber lo que piensan todos los personajes, o solo uno?"
- "Como seria diferente esta historia desde otra perspectiva?"