As a teacher, you are responsible for helping students build their understanding of the world around them and the different forms of literature that exist. One important concept students need to understand for successful reading and writing comprehension is the narrative voice or narrator. Teaching students about different narrators can help them identify the point of view and purpose behind a story, essay, or article. Here are some ways you can teach your students about narrators effectively.
Introduce Different Types of Narrators
Start by providing your students with a breakdown of the different types of narrators that exist in literature. There are four main types of narrators that are most often used; first-person, second-person, third-person limited, and third-person omniscient. Explain each one in detail, using various examples from literature or film to make it easy for students to understand.
First-person narrators are characters that speak from their own perspective, using “I” or “we” pronouns. Second-person narrators address the reader directly, using “you” pronouns. Third-person limited is a point of view that is limited to one character’s experiences and thoughts, and the reader sees everything through their eyes. In contrast, third-person omniscience allows the reader to know what all of the characters are thinking and doing.
Teach the Effects of Different Narrators
Once students understand the different types of narrators, teach them about the impact of each one. Explain that point of view can enhance or limit a story’s tone, credibility, and even the audience’s reactions. For example, a first-person narrator may provide insights into the narrator’s thoughts, motivations, and personality. Meanwhile, a third-person omniscient narrator can provide a broad perspective that includes the thoughts and feelings of multiple characters.
By showing the pros and cons of each style, students can think critically about what narrators suit various storytelling purposes.
Actively Engage Students in Analysis
After providing an introduction to the concept of narrators, encourage your students to engage with texts actively. Encourage your students to ask critical questions about the point of view of stories they are reading, such as:
– Who is the narrator of the story? What is their perspective, and how does it affect how the story is read?
– Does the narrator have biases or credibility issues that could influence the reader’s reactions to the story?
– How would the story be different if a different narrator was used? Would the audience’s response change if the narrator was different?
– Are there more nuances to the story that can be exploited through different narrators?
By actively engaging with text, students enjoy a deeper understanding of how storytelling techniques can influence a reader’s reactions, motivations, and beliefs.
Encourage Students to Write From Different Narrator Perspectives
Finally, encourage students to write from different narrator perspectives to develop their creative writing skills. Encouraging them to play with narrators should result in developing the skills required for creating imaginative plots that capture different points of view.
Aside from that, assigning writing tasks in different styles to narrators can help students better understand how storytelling works. As they test out various narrators’ perspectives for storytelling, they’ll learn to appreciate the nuances of each type and identify motivations and goals for storytelling.
