Point of View | Parent Activity Guide

What is Your Child Learning?

Seventh graders are learning to analyze point of view - the perspective from which a story is told. This goes beyond simply identifying "first person" or "third person." Students learn how POV choices affect what readers can know, how they create dramatic irony (when readers know more than characters), and how different perspectives can reveal different "truths" about the same event.

On Florida's FAST assessment, students must analyze how point of view shapes reader understanding and creates effects like suspense, irony, and emotional connection.

Key Vocabulary

First Person: The narrator is a character in the story, using "I" and "me"

Third-Person Limited: Narrator outside the story, but only knows ONE character's thoughts

Third-Person Omniscient: All-knowing narrator who can reveal ANY character's thoughts

Dramatic Irony: When readers know something that characters don't know

Unreliable Narrator: A narrator whose account may be biased, incomplete, or mistaken

Activities to Try at Home

📺 Movie/TV POV Analysis

Films and shows are great for exploring perspective because they make directorial choices visible:

"Whose story is this? Who's the main focus?"
"What do WE know that the main character doesn't?" (dramatic irony)
"When the villain is planning something and we see it, but the hero doesn't - how does that make you feel?"
"How would this story be different from another character's perspective?"

Example: Many mystery shows use limited POV so we discover clues with the detective. Horror movies often use dramatic irony - we see the danger before characters do.

📚 "Retell It" Challenge

After reading a book together or discussing a story your child knows:

Ask: "How would a different character tell this story?"
Try retelling a fairy tale from the villain's perspective (the wolf in "Three Little Pigs")
Discuss what we'd learn that we didn't know before, and what we'd lose
Notice how the same events look different depending on whose eyes we see through

👨‍👩‍👧 Family Event POV

Use real family situations to explore perspective:

After a family gathering, ask each person to describe a moment - note how perspectives differ
Discuss: "Did you notice something at the party that someone else didn't see?"
Point out: "If we wrote a story about today, whose perspective would reveal the most?"

Connection: This real-world practice shows why authors choose specific narrators - each perspective reveals and conceals different information.

🎮 Video Game Perspective

Many video games make POV choices explicit:

First-person games put you IN the character's eyes - you only see what they see
Third-person games show your character from outside - you can see around corners they can't
Discuss: "How would this game feel different from another view?"
Connect to reading: "Books do the same thing with whose thoughts we can access"

Parent Tip: Understanding Dramatic Irony

Dramatic irony is powerful in stories, but the term might be unfamiliar. Here's a simple way to explain it:

Dramatic Irony = When WE (the audience) know something important that a character doesn't know yet.

Examples your child might know:
- In horror movies: We see the monster behind the door before the character opens it
- In comedies: We know about the surprise party while the birthday person doesn't
- In superhero stories: We know the villain's plan while the hero is walking into a trap

That feeling of wanting to yell at the screen? That's dramatic irony at work!

Understanding the Three Main POVs

First Person ("I")

We're inside ONE character's head
Creates intimacy but may be unreliable
Can't know other characters' thoughts
Example: "I walked into the room and immediately knew something was wrong."

Third-Person Limited ("He/She" - one character)

Follows one character closely
We know their thoughts, but not others'
Creates suspense about other characters
Example: "Sarah wondered what her brother was hiding. His smile seemed suspicious."

Third-Person Omniscient ("He/She" - all characters)

All-knowing narrator can reveal any thoughts
Often creates dramatic irony
Readers know more than any single character
Example: "Sarah wondered what her brother was hiding. Jake was planning the best surprise party ever."

Books Great for POV Discussion

"Wonder" by R.J. Palacio - Tells the same story from multiple characters' perspectives
"The True Story of the Three Little Pigs" by Jon Scieszka - The wolf's first-person perspective changes everything
"Holes" by Louis Sachar - Third-person limited that shifts between time periods
"Fish in a Tree" by Lynda Mullaly Hunt - First-person narrator who sees herself one way while readers understand more
"Ghost Boys" by Jewell Parker Rhodes - Multiple perspectives on a tragic event
"Refugee" by Alan Gratz - Three first-person narrators from different time periods

Informacion para Padres (Spanish Summary)

Que esta aprendiendo su hijo? Los estudiantes de septimo grado aprenden a analizar el PUNTO DE VISTA - la perspectiva desde la cual se cuenta una historia y como afecta lo que los lectores pueden saber.

Terminos importantes:

Primera persona: El narrador es un personaje ("Yo camine...")
Tercera persona limitada: Seguimos a UN personaje
Tercera persona omnisciente: El narrador conoce TODOS los pensamientos
Ironia dramatica: Cuando los lectores saben algo que los personajes no saben

Preguntas para hacer:

"Quien esta contando esta historia?"
"Que sabe el narrador? Que NO puede saber?"
"Hay algo que TU sabes que el personaje principal no sabe?"
"Como seria diferente la historia si otro personaje la contara?"

Actividad: Despues de ver una pelicula, pregunten: "Que sabiamos nosotros que los personajes no sabian?" Esta es la ironia dramatica en accion.

Point of View - Parent Activity Guide