Dialogue: What's the Point of View?

Lesson Plan - Get It!

Audio:

What Makes a Character Special?

A character is a person, animal, or creature in a story. But not every animal or thing in a story is a character.

To be a character, they must be able to think, feel, or act.

• So, a robot that talks and saves the day?

That’s a character.

• A dragon that flies and breathes fire?

Yep, character.

• A banana that just sits in a bowl?

Not a character—unless it starts dancing!

Characters are a big part of every fiction story. You probably already know some great ones—like a curious monkey, a friendly snowman, or a silly sponge who lives in a pineapple.

Characters make stories fun, exciting, or even a little bit scary.

Now that you know what a character is, let’s talk about what they think and how they tell it.

Point of View: What the Character Sees and Thinks

• Have you ever had a friend tell a story about something you both did—but the way they tell it sounds totally different from how you remember it?

That’s because they have a different point of view.

In stories, point of view means who is telling the story and how they see what’s happening. There are two main kinds.

1. First Person – The character tells the story. You’ll see words like I, me, and we.

Example: I ran to the bus. I didn’t want to be late!

2. Third Person – A narrator tells the story. The narrator is not a character in the story. You’ll see words like he, she, and they.

Example: Sasha picked up the puppy and smiled. She had always wanted a dog.

Even when a character isn’t telling the story, they still have their own point of view. They think and feel things that are different from other characters.

Here’s a quick example.

Sara: “Happy birthday, James!”

James: “Why are you waking me up so early?”

They’re talking about the same thing—but Sara is excited, and James is grumpy. Same event, different points of view.

That’s what makes stories interesting!

How to Show Point of View When You Read Aloud

Characters don’t just say words. They say them in different ways, depending on how they feel and who they are.

That’s called dialogue—when characters talk in a story. When you read aloud, it’s your job to make each character sound different.

You can do that by changing your voice. Try making one voice soft, one loud, one squeaky, or one slow. Think about what each character would sound like.

Here’s how to do it.

1. First, figure out which characters are talking in that part of the story.

2. Then, think about how each one feels. Are they happy? Scared? Bored?

3. Now, give each one a voice that matches!

Reading aloud with different voices helps you keep track of who is talking and understand each character’s point of view.

• Want to see it in action?

Watch this read-aloud video for Do the Voices! by Melissa Issakov.

Up next, you’ll get to try it out with some fun examples!

Go to the Got It? section!