1st Reading Literature
RL.1.6
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Identify who is telling the story at various points in a text.
Strategy/Lesson Suggestions
Formative Assessment Suggestions
Name Tag Read Aloud. While reading a story aloud, wear a name badge
around your neck to show the name of the character telling the story. (A hat
or some other identifying prop can also be used). As the character telling the
story changes, change the name badge to reflect the next character telling the
story. Explain how you knew to change the name badge. After repeated
modeling, you may “forget” to change name badges and the students will
remind you the character changed. Ask how they students knew it was time
to change names. Books and name badges can be moved to an independent
reading area and students can practice this activity on their own.
Share a story where characters have much dialog. Then ask students various
questions about the thoughts and feelings of different characters in the
story. This will show the characters’ different points of view throughout the
story. Grouping: whole or small
Pointer/Thumb. Using a selection that involves two characters telling the
story at various points in the text, the teacher reads aloud to students. Prior
to reading, the teacher identifies that one of the characters is represented by
students holding up their pointer finger and the other character is
represented by holding up a thumb. At the beginning of the read aloud,
students hold up the finger that represents the first character telling the
story. Students listen for a change in the character telling the story and
switch fingers when they hear the change.
Identifying Who Is Telling The Story. Choose two books – one narrated by
the author and one narrated by a character. After reading one story, ask
students who narrated or told the story. Ask students to identify a sentence
that helps show who is telling the story. Continue the discussion by telling the
students that the next book is narrated or told differently. See if students can
identify who told the story and a sentence that helps show who is telling the
story. (Emery, 1996)
References:
Share a story with students. Write quotes of characters from the story on
sentence strips. Then have the students identify which character goes with
which quote. Grouping: whole, small, or partner
• This activity can be put in a center/station for students to complete
with a partner or individually after the story has been read.
• For those students that are ready, they could work with a partner
and develop the sentence strips of quotes themselves about a story
the class has read.
Students can create a picture of each character from the story and attach
them to a popsicle stick. When reading through the story a second time,
students can hold up the character to identify who is speaking. The teacher
can scan the group to check for understanding. If there are lots of characters
in the story, put the students with a partner or group of three and develop
the drawings and attach to popsicle sticks. They can work together to decide
which one to raise when the teacher is rereading the text. The character
sticks can be placed in a center/station for students to use while rereading
the text with a partner or small group. Grouping: whole or small
Emery, D. (1996). Helping readers comprehend stories from the characters' perspectives. The Reading Teacher, 49(7), 534–541.