Understanding the Point of View in Stories
Understanding the Point of View in Stories Objective: Students will learn to identify the narrator’s point of view in a story and explain how it influences the story’s meaning and events.
Learning Objectives
- Identify the narrator’s point of view in a story.
- Explain how the point of view affects the way a story is told.
- Describe how the narrator’s perspective influences the events and understanding of the story.
Materials Needed
- A short story appropriate for 8-year-old students (preferably one with a clear narrator point of view)
- Notebook or paper
- Pencil
- Chart paper or whiteboard
Key Vocabulary
- Point of View
- The perspective from which a story is told, such as first person or third person.
- Narrator
- The person or character who tells the story.
- First Person
- A point of view where the narrator is a character in the story, using words like ‘I’ and ‘me’.
- Third Person
- A point of view where the narrator is outside the story and uses words like ‘he’, ‘she’, or ‘they’.
Detailed Activities
Read and Identify Point of View
- Read the chosen short story aloud together with your child.
- Ask your child who is telling the story and what words helped them figure that out.
- Discuss whether the story is told from the first-person or third-person point of view.
- Write the point of view on the chart paper or whiteboard.
Discuss How Point of View Changes the Story
- Talk about how the story might be different if told by another character or from another point of view.
- Ask your child to think about how the narrator’s feelings or knowledge affect the story events.
- Have your child draw or write a short paragraph explaining why the point of view is important.
Parent & Instructor Notes
- Encourage your child to use the vocabulary words when discussing the story.
- Keep the tone supportive and ask open-ended questions to help your child think critically.
- If your child struggles, try simpler stories or focus on just identifying the narrator first.
Assessment Questions
- Who is telling the story?
- Is the story told from the first-person or third-person point of view?
- How does the narrator’s point of view help us understand the story better?
- What might change if the story was told from a different point of view?
Extension Ideas
- Have your child write a short story or paragraph from a different point of view than they read.
- Read two stories with different points of view and compare how the story feels or what details are shared.
- Watch a short video or watch a story read aloud and identify the narrator’s point of view.
Frequently Asked Questions
Try explaining point of view as ‘who is telling the story’ and use familiar examples like telling a story about their day from their own perspective.
It’s best to choose a story with a clear narrator’s point of view, such as a simple first-person or third-person story, so your child can easily identify it.
Remind them to listen for words like ‘I’ or ‘me’ for first person and ‘he’, ‘she’, or ‘they’ for third person. Practice with small examples.
Teacher’s Guide
Common Misconceptions:
- Children often confuse narrator with the author; clarify that the narrator is the story’s voice, not always the author.
- Students may think all stories are from the first-person point of view; provide examples of third-person narration.
- Some children might believe the narrator knows everything; explain the difference between limited and omniscient narrators simply.
Scaffolding Ideas:
For Struggling Students:
- Use shorter stories or picture books with clear first-person narration.
- Use role-playing to act out stories from different points of view.
- Provide sentence starters to help identify the narrator.
For Advanced Students:
- Introduce the concept of unreliable narrators in simple terms.
- Compare two stories told from different points of view and discuss how the story changes.
- Encourage writing a story from multiple points of view.
Pacing Recommendations:
- Spend the first 15 minutes reading and identifying point of view together.
- Use the next 15 minutes to discuss how point of view changes the story and record ideas.
- Use the final 15 minutes for your child to explain or write about why point of view matters, reinforcing learning.
Standards
- 8.RL.9 — Analyze how a narrator’s or speaker’s point of view influences how events are described in a text.
Printable Worksheet
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