What Is First Person
First person is a narrative perspective where the narrator is a character in the story and tells the account using "I," "me," "we," and "us." The reader experiences events through this character's eyes, thoughts, and feelings. Examples include "I walked into the classroom" or "We discovered the secret together."
Why It Matters for Reading Development
Recognizing first person is a foundational comprehension skill that typically develops between grades 2 and 4. Struggling readers often confuse first person with third person, which disrupts their ability to track who is telling the story. This confusion directly impacts reading fluency and comprehension scores on assessments like DIBELS and the Fountas and Pinnell Benchmark Assessment System.
For students with dyslexia or processing difficulties, understanding narrative perspective requires explicit instruction. The Orton-Gillingham approach addresses this by teaching students to identify pronouns and their functions in context, not in isolation. When readers grasp first person, they can follow character motivation, anticipate plot developments, and answer comprehension questions more accurately. This skill also strengthens inferential thinking, which research shows improves overall reading comprehension by 20-30% when explicitly taught.
Teaching First Person to Struggling Readers
- Start with pronouns: Identify "I," "me," "we," "us" in sentences before discussing narrative perspective. Use color-coding or highlighting strategies.
- Use anchor texts: Books like "Charlotte's Web" (chapters told by the narrator) and "Junie B. Jones" (heavily first person) provide clear examples at different reading levels.
- Model thinking aloud: Say "I see 'I felt scared,' so the narrator experienced this feeling directly. The narrator is inside the story."
- Pair with IEP goals: If your child has an IEP targeting reading comprehension or fluency, include explicit first person instruction in their sessions.
- Practice comparison: Read the same passage rewritten in first and third person to highlight the difference. Many students need this side-by-side contrast.
Common Questions
- Should I teach first person before third person? Many educators introduce them simultaneously with clear contrasts rather than sequentially. However, if a student is significantly behind (reading 1-2 grades below level), focus on one perspective at a time before comparing them.
- How does first person relate to phonics instruction? Phonics teaches decoding; perspective teaches comprehension. They work in tandem. A student might decode "I was happy" correctly but not understand that the narrator experienced the happiness directly. Both skills matter.
- What if my child's IEP doesn't mention narrative perspective? Request it be added as a comprehension benchmark if your child struggles with character understanding or plot tracking. Most states' reading standards require this skill by end of grade 3.
Related Concepts
- Narrator , The person telling the story
- Point of View , The perspective from which a story is told
- Third Person , Narrative perspective using "he," "she," "they"