Point of View | Parent Activity Guide

What is Point of View?

Point of view (POV) is the perspective from which a story is told. It determines WHO is telling the story and WHAT readers can know. Fifth graders need to identify first person, third person limited, and third person omniscient POVs, and understand how the narrator's perspective influences how events are described.

On Florida's FAST assessment, students must identify POV and explain how it affects the reader's experience and understanding of events.

FIRST PERSON

I, me, my, we

Character tells own story

THIRD LIMITED

he, she, they

Knows ONE mind

THIRD OMNISCIENT

he, she, they

Knows ALL minds

Activities to Try at Home

📚 POV Detective

While reading together, play "POV Detective" at the start of each book or chapter:

"Is the narrator saying 'I' or 'he/she'?" (Identifies first vs. third person)
"Whose thoughts can we hear in this chapter?"
"Are there any thoughts we DON'T know? Whose?"

🎬 Movie POV Analysis

After watching a movie, discuss perspective:

"Whose story was this really? Who was the main focus?"
"Were there scenes where we saw things the main character didn't know about?"
"How would the movie be different if told by a different character?"

Example: In Finding Nemo, we see both Marlin's journey AND what's happening to Nemo - that's like omniscient POV!

🔄 Retell from Another View

Take a familiar story and retell it from a different perspective:

Tell Cinderella from the stepmother's point of view
Tell a family event from your pet's perspective
Retell a school incident from the teacher's viewpoint

This helps kids understand how POV changes what readers know and feel!

👥 Family Dinner Stories

At dinner, have family members tell about the same event from their own perspectives:

Each person tells what THEY saw and thought
Notice what details each person includes or leaves out
Discuss: "How is each person's version different? Why?"

This shows how real-life perspectives work just like story POV!

Questions to Ask While Reading

"Who is telling this story? How do you know?"
"What pronouns does the narrator use?"
"Whose thoughts and feelings can we read?"
"What DON'T we know because of how this story is told?"
"How would this scene be different if told by [another character]?"
"Does the narrator seem trustworthy? Are they telling us everything?"

Parent Tip: Two-Step Identification

Help your child use this two-step process:
Step 1: Look at pronouns. "I/me" = First Person. "He/she/they" = Third Person.
Step 2: Ask "Whose thoughts do we know?" If only one character = Limited. If multiple characters = Omniscient.

Remember: Just seeing "he" or "she" doesn't automatically mean omniscient - you have to check whose minds we can read!

Why Point of View Matters

First Person Effects

Readers feel close to the narrator
We only know what narrator knows
Other characters' true feelings are hidden
Narrator might be unreliable

Omniscient Effects

Readers see the "big picture"
We can know secrets characters don't
Creates dramatic irony
Less personal connection to one character

Informacion para Padres (Spanish Summary)

Que es el punto de vista? El punto de vista es la perspectiva desde la cual se cuenta una historia. Determina QUIEN cuenta la historia y QUE pueden saber los lectores.

Tres tipos de punto de vista:

Primera persona: Un personaje cuenta su propia historia usando "yo" y "me"
Tercera persona limitada: Narrador externo que solo conoce los pensamientos de UN personaje
Tercera persona omnisciente: Narrador que conoce los pensamientos de TODOS los personajes

Preguntas para hacer:

"Quien esta contando esta historia?"
"De quien podemos saber los pensamientos?"
"Que NO sabemos debido a este punto de vista?"

Point of View - Parent Activity Guide