Point of View | Parent Activity Guide

What is Point of View?

Point of view (POV) is WHO is telling the story. It affects what information readers can know. Think of it like a camera - where is the camera positioned, and whose eyes are we seeing through?

On Florida's FAST assessment, fourth graders must identify point of view AND explain how it affects what readers know about characters and events.

Key Vocabulary

First Person: A character tells their own story using "I, me, my, we" - we only know their thoughts

Third Person Limited: Outside narrator using "he, she, they" - follows ONE character's thoughts

Third Person Omniscient: All-knowing narrator - can see into MULTIPLE characters' minds

Narrator: The voice telling the story (may or may not be a character)

Quick Reference Chart

POV Type	Pronouns	What We Know
First Person	I, me, my, we	Only the narrator's thoughts/feelings
Third Person Limited	he, she, they + names	Only ONE character's thoughts
Third Person Omniscient	he, she, they + names	MULTIPLE characters' thoughts

Activities to Try at Home

📚 Pronoun Hunt

While reading together, play "Pronoun Detective":

Look at the first paragraph of any book
Circle or highlight pronouns: I/me/my OR he/she/they
"I" words = First Person; "he/she" words = Third Person
For third person: count whose THOUGHTS we can hear!

🎬 Movie POV Discussion

Movies are great for POV discussions! Watch a scene and ask:

"Whose story are we following right now?"
"Can we tell what that other character is thinking?"
"What would be different if we saw this from another character's view?"

📝 Retell from Different Views

Take a familiar story (like Little Red Riding Hood) and retell it:

First from Red's perspective (first person): "I was walking to Grandma's..."
Then from the wolf's perspective: "I was so hungry..."
Discuss: What information changes? What do we learn differently?

🔍 "Whose Mind?" Game

While reading any book, periodically stop and ask:

"Whose thoughts can we hear right now?"
"What does [character] think about this? Do we know?"
"Why CAN'T we know what [other character] is thinking?"

This builds understanding of how POV limits or expands reader knowledge.

Questions to Ask While Reading

"Is the narrator a character in the story or an outside voice?"
"Does the narrator use 'I' or 'he/she'?"
"Whose thoughts and feelings can we hear?"
"What information do we NOT have because of this point of view?"
"How would this scene be different from another character's perspective?"
"Why do you think the author chose THIS point of view?"

Parent Tip: Limited vs. Omniscient

The trickiest distinction is between third person LIMITED and OMNISCIENT. Both use he/she/they. The key difference:

LIMITED: "Maya wondered what her friend was thinking." (We only know Maya's mind)

OMNISCIENT: "Maya wondered about her friend. Meanwhile, her friend was nervous about asking Maya a question." (We know BOTH minds)

Count the minds you can access - that tells you which type!

Why Point of View Matters

First Person creates intimacy - we feel close to the narrator but can't know others' true thoughts
Third Person Limited follows one character closely but from outside - we know their thoughts but see them objectively
Third Person Omniscient gives the full picture - we know everyone's thoughts, creating dramatic irony when characters don't know what readers do

Suggested Books for POV Practice

"Diary of a Wimpy Kid" by Jeff Kinney (First Person - Greg's perspective)
"Charlotte's Web" by E.B. White (Third Person Omniscient - multiple characters' thoughts)
"Hatchet" by Gary Paulsen (Third Person Limited - follows Brian closely)
"Wonder" by R.J. Palacio (Multiple First Person narrators - great for comparing perspectives!)
"Percy Jackson" series by Rick Riordan (First Person - Percy tells his own story)

Informacion para Padres (Spanish Summary)

Que es el punto de vista? Es QUIEN cuenta la historia. Afecta que informacion pueden saber los lectores.

Tres tipos principales:

Primera persona: El narrador usa "yo/mi" - solo conocemos SUS pensamientos
Tercera persona limitada: Usa "el/ella" - solo conocemos los pensamientos de UN personaje
Tercera persona omnisciente: Usa "el/ella" - conocemos los pensamientos de TODOS

Preguntas para hacer:

"Quien cuenta esta historia?"
"De quien podemos escuchar los pensamientos?"
"Que NO sabemos por el punto de vista?"

Point of View - Parent Activity Guide