The One Game I Use Every Year to Teach Point of View Before State Testing
If you’re reviewing RL.6 for state testing and your students still can’t quite grasp point of view, I feel you. Every single year, without fail, this is the standard my students struggle with the most. They’ll look at a story and have no idea who’s telling it or how the narrator’s perspective shapes the way the story is told.
So, I finally stopped fighting it with direct instruction and worksheets, and I turned point of view into a game. And I’m not even kidding—it was a total game-changer. Let me walk you through exactly how I run it in my classroom and how you can too (plus, of course, it’s already created for you on my Teachers Pay Teachers store).
Why RL.6 Is a Sneaky Standard That Trips Students Up
Before I jump into the activity, let’s talk about why point of view can be so tricky. RL.6 asks students to:
“Explain how an author develops the point of view of the narrator or speaker in a text.”
That means students need to do more than just identify “first person” or “third person.” They also need to understand how that point of view affects the information they're given, how they interpret events, and how the narrator’s bias or knowledge can shape the whole story.
And let’s be real: if they’re struggling to even name the narrator’s perspective, there’s no way they’re ready to analyze how it shapes the text.
That’s where this game comes in.
Step 1: Point of View Task Card Challenge
I start the lesson by printing out a set of point of view task cards. Each card is written in a different perspective—some in first person, some in third person limited, and some in third person omniscient. I scatter them around the room to get students up and moving.
Here’s how it works:
Every student gets a recording sheet.
Their mission is to go from card to card and decide:
What point of view is this written in?
How do you know?
It’s part scavenger hunt, part race, part comprehension check. I tell students it's not just about speed—it’s about accuracy, too. If they just guess quickly and don’t think about it, they’ll have to redo those questions.
💡 Teacher tip: Add a timer or turn it into a partner competition to up the energy!
Step 2: Compare and Contrast Different Perspectives
Once we’ve warmed up with the task card challenge, it’s time for the second part of the lesson, and this is where the real magic happens.
I hand students two versions of a short text. Think of it like Frozen retold from two perspectives:
Version One: Told from Anna’s perspective
Version Two: Told from Elsa’s perspective
(That’s not literally the story I use, but you get the vibe.)
Students then:
Read both versions of the same story or scene
Compare and contrast what was different based on who was telling the story
Think critically about:
What information was included or left out?
How did the character’s feelings and thoughts shape what we, the reader, experienced?
Did the point of view change how we felt about what was happening?
This activity is powerful because it goes beyond surface-level understanding. It pushes students to analyze the impact of the narrator’s perspective and gives them something tangible to compare.
Why This Game Works (When Worksheets Don’t)
Let’s be honest—worksheet-style review for RL.6 just doesn’t cut it. When kids are passively reading and circling multiple choice options, they’re not actually engaging with the skill.
But when they’re reading, moving, talking, and thinking about how a story changes based on who’s telling it? That’s when the learning sticks.
Here’s what I’ve seen over and over again:
Students finally understand the difference between third person limited and third person omniscient
They start noticing point of view choices in their own independent reading
Their writing improves because they now see how perspective changes a narrative
Plus, they just have more fun. And let’s be real—if you’re prepping for state testing, engagement is everything.
What Standard Does This Cover?
This game is aligned to RL.6, which in most grade levels (especially upper elementary and middle school) focuses on:
Identifying the narrator’s point of view
Analyzing how that point of view shapes the story
Comparing multiple perspectives of the same event
And it also naturally reinforces writing standards like W.3 (narrative writing) and W.5 (developing and strengthening writing through planning and revision).
So yes, this little game? It’s doing a lot of heavy lifting.
Grab the Point of View Game for Your Classroom
You already know I’ve got you. I created this full point of view activity—task cards, student recording sheets, dual-perspective reading passages, compare/contrast questions, and all—in one easy-to-use resource on my TPT store.
🛒 You can grab it here → RL.6 Point of View Task Card Game and Comparison Activity
It’s ready to go, no prep needed. Just print, post the task cards, and go!
State Testing Doesn’t Have to Be Boring
I get it. We’re all crunched for time, trying to cram in review before the big test, and it’s tempting to default to review packets and silent work.
But this game? It gets students up, moving, and thinking. It actually helps them understand the standard instead of just memorizing it. And honestly, it makes teaching this standard more enjoyable for you, too.
If you try this in your classroom, I’d love to hear how it goes! Leave a comment or shoot me a DM on Instagram. Let’s survive test season together—and maybe even have a little fun along the way.
You got this, teacher 💛
