Point of view explained for parents (Australia)
Point of view (often shortened to POV) is who is telling the story — whose voice and eyes we follow. After a book that starts “I lost my hat at the oval…”, a child might say “We’re looking through the kid’s eyes — they say I.” After “Sam lost his hat at the oval…”, they might say “Someone outside is telling us about Sam — he / his.” The teach-through is oral first: “Whose eyes are we looking through?” before worksheet labels (first person / third person). Australian Prep–Year 6 classrooms practise it from early “who is talking?” talk through denser books; it usually deepens in Years 3–6 as narrators get trickier and children notice how POV shapes what we know (and what stays hidden).
That is a different job from author’s purpose (why the writer wrote it — persuade / inform / entertain) and from theme (the big idea / message under the story). Point of view asks: Who is telling this, and what can we see because of that? It is also not inference, not main idea, not summarising, not sequence, not cause and effect, not compare and contrast, not text features, not fact vs opinion, and not a creative-writing POV how-to. Fluency (reading fluency, robot reading) frees attention for noticing the narrator; it is not POV itself. And this page is not the full comprehension strategies at home umbrella — this page owns point-of-view / narrator teach-through, Prep–Year 6 (link phonics when sounding out is the blocker).
Point of view vs author’s purpose vs theme
Mixing these labels causes homework friction. Keep tools clear:
| Idea | What it is | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Point of view | Who is telling the story / whose eyes; oral Whose eyes are we looking through? | “I / we” (first) vs “he / she / they” (third) |
| Author’s purpose | Why the writer wrote it | “Mostly to entertain us” (author’s purpose) |
| Theme | Big idea / message about people or life under the story | “Friendship matters” (theme) |
| Main idea | What the text is mostly about (often informational gist) | “How bees make honey” (main idea) |
| Summarising | Short retell of the important bits | “Lost, looked, found” (summarising) |
| Sequence | Order of what happened | “First… next… finally…” (sequence) |
| Inference / connections / questioning / visualising / clarifying / vocabulary / cause-effect / compare / text features / fact-opinion / predicting | Other meaning habits | Different jobs (inference, making connections, questioning, visualising, clarifying, vocabulary, cause and effect, compare and contrast, text features, fact vs opinion, predicting) |
So POV is not “why did they write this?” and not “what did we learn about people?” Kitchen: “Who is talking / whose eyes?” (point of view); “Why did they write it?” (author’s purpose); “What did we learn about people or life?” (theme).
What Australian schools mean by point of view
Programs vary. Teachers may say point of view, POV, narrator, who is telling the story?, first person, third person, or second person lightly when a text says you. Parent translation: help the child name who is speaking and whose eyes we share, using everyday pronouns first (I / we vs he / she / they) — without a jargon quiz every bedtime.
Typical moves: finish a short story; ask Whose eyes?; notice I / we or he / she / they; ask What do we know because of that narrator? (and What don’t we know?); keep the tone curious.
The Australian Curriculum: English expects growing skill at discussing how stories are told. Follow this fortnight’s classroom language. Year maps: Prep reading, Year 2, Year 3, Year 4, Year 5, Year 6. A Year 1 Phonics Check is about decoding — not a POV quiz. Stay curious — not NAPLAN coaching, and not a creative-writing guide.
Decode first (mostly), then ask “whose eyes?”
Working memory is limited. Useful POV talk needs decent decoding (or a calm read-aloud). When almost every word costs effort, “Who is telling this?” becomes noise. If sounding out is still fragile, start with phonics, phonemic awareness, tricky / heart words, and decodable readers before pushing first-/third-person labels.
On a tough night: use an easier picture book or a short read-aloud for one Whose eyes? — or free the brain with a calm re-read first (fluency, robot reading). Never paper over a word-guessing habit — children still need to engage with the print that carries the pronouns, not invent a narrator from the cover alone.
Oral “whose eyes are we looking through?” — before POV labels
Point of view sticks better when talk leads the tick-box — same spirit as homework without tears.
Oral first (Prep–Year 2 especially): you model (“We’re looking through Mia’s eyes — she says I and my”); invite one noticing (I or he/she); enjoy the book.
Then print (as decoding allows): one short story; “Whose eyes are we looking through?”; try light labels if they help (first person / third person); ask what we know because of that narrator; if they invent without reading, return to the print (guessing). If the worksheet turns tense, go back to oral.
Skip the rigid jargon quiz. Everyday language first — I / we vs he / she / they — then school labels when they stick. One clear “whose eyes?” with a pronoun clue beats three forced labels. This page is not a creative-writing POV how-to — reading for narrator only.
Toolkit: first vs third (and “you” lightly)
One helpful parent sentence: “Who is talking — and what can we see because of that?”
- First person — I / we / my / our (inside a character’s voice)
- Third person — he / she / they / his / her (someone outside telling about characters)
- Second person (light) — you (rare in storybooks; more in instructions or playful “you are the explorer” texts)
- What we know — first person shares feelings; third person may show more than one character (or stay close to one)
- What stays hidden — a first-person narrator may not know what others think
- Evidence — “Which words show who is talking?” (I, he, she…)
Fiction example: I hid behind the bin and hoped Sam wouldn’t see me. → first person; we know the hider’s fear. Sam hid behind the bin and hoped Mia wouldn’t see him. → third person; we watch Sam from outside. Multilingual homes: name “whose eyes” in the home language first, then one English sentence with a pronoun. Sibling habits in the table are different jobs. Not a creative-writing deep dive.
Home games (5–10 minutes, keep it friendly)
Stop while playful. Prefer spoken Whose eyes? before formal POV worksheets.
- Whose eyes? — after a short story: who is telling it?
- Pronoun hunt — spot I / we or he / she / they on one page
- What we know — name one thing we know because of this narrator
- What we don’t know — name one thing the narrator might not know
- Not purpose / theme alone — author’s purpose, theme
- Not sequence / summary / main idea alone — sequence, summarising, main idea
- Not cause / compare / text features / fact-opinion alone — cause and effect, compare and contrast, text features, fact vs opinion
- Not the whole strategies quiz — one clear “whose eyes?” beats a toolkit barrage (umbrella)
Prefer matched picture books and short stories. Keep it kind.
What "going fine" can look like (generous variation)
By late Prep through Year 6, many children can say who is telling a short story, notice I vs he/she, and (later) say something about what that choice lets us know. Confidence deepens in Years 3–6 as narrators get subtler.
Timelines vary — multilingual homes included. Soft sketch only. Watch decoding, fluency, author’s purpose, theme, and the comprehension strategies set (Prep; Year 2 and up).
When POV talk stays sticky (careful, non-medical)
If POV talk still collapses after matched stories and light home play — every answer confuses who is talking with why the book was written, or they freeze at every first-/third-person label — talk kindly with the teacher. Share concrete examples (“cannot say whether the story uses I or he”).
Check foundations: phonics, phonemic awareness, decodables, fluency, guessing, and book difficulty. See when to worry about reading, Is my child behind in reading?, and how to help a struggling reader. Hearing and vision checks are ordinary early supports.
This guide does not diagnose dyslexia, speech–language disorders, or any medical or learning condition. Only schools and qualified specialists make those assessments. Tips here are general parent strategies — not a treatment plan or NAPLAN coach.
FAQ
What is point of view in reading?
Who is telling the story — whose voice and eyes we follow — usually starting with oral Whose eyes are we looking through? Everyday pronouns (I / we vs he / she / they) before worksheet labels.
Is point of view the same as author’s purpose?
No. Author’s purpose is why the writer wrote it (persuade / inform / entertain). Point of view is who is narrating. Kitchen: “to entertain us” vs “told with I.”
Is point of view the same as theme?
No. Theme is the big idea / message about people or life. Point of view is who tells the story that carries that idea.
First person vs third person — in plain words?
First person uses I / we. Third person uses he / she / they. Second person (you) shows up lightly in some texts — notice it when it appears, without making it the main homework fight.
How is this different from comprehension strategies at home?
Comprehension strategies at home owns the set. This page owns point-of-view / narrator teach-through: oral Whose eyes?, first vs third everyday language, how POV shapes what we know; Prep–Year 6.
Is this a creative-writing POV how-to?
No. This page teaches reading for narrator / point of view — not how to draft first-person stories.
When do Australian schools teach this?
From early “who is talking?” talk in Prep through subtler narrators in Years 3–6. Follow classroom language this fortnight.
Must my child use the exact worksheet label?
No. A clear “told with I” or “someone outside is talking about Sam” with a pronoun clue beats a forced jargon word with no link.
A calm next step
Point of view clicks with one short story, oral “Whose eyes are we looking through?”, everyday I / he-she noticing, and a light chat about what that narrator lets us know before worksheets. Try one “whose eyes?” tonight. If you also want a low-pressure look at early reading skills at home, Ziado's free check is a one-off, roughly 10-minute adaptive diagnostic with partial results only — no account and no card. The full placement unlocks after signup. It is not a POV quiz, not a dyslexia or speech screen, not medical advice, and not a NAPLAN practice test. Explore Ziado reading afterward if you want adaptive practice. Individual and Family plans start with a 14-day free trial of the full app — see pricing.
Point of view is whose eyes; what a character is like sits in character traits for parents.
Point of view is whose eyes; simile and metaphor sit in figurative language for parents.
Point of view is whose eyes; where and when sit in story setting for parents.
Point of view is whose eyes; beginning–middle–end sits in story structure for parents.
Point of view is whose eyes; the driving problem sits in story conflict for parents.
Point of view is whose eyes; speech marks and speakers sit in story dialogue for parents.
Point of view is who tells the story; author’s attitude / how the writer sounds sits in author tone for parents.
Curious which reading skills need practice?
Ziado's free check is a one-off, roughly 10-minute adaptive diagnostic with partial results only - no account, no card. It is not a point-of-view quiz, and not a dyslexia screen.
Start the free reading check