Understanding First, Second, and Third Person Point of View

Khan Academy

This educational video provides a clear and engaging introduction to the literary concept of Point of View (POV). Using a digital blackboard style, the narrator breaks down the three primary modes of storytelling: First Person, Second Person, and Third Person. The video explains the grammatical indicators for each (pronouns like I, You, He/She) and the narrative implications of who is telling the story, such as the limitations of a narrator's knowledge. The content explores key themes of perspective, narration, and reader engagement. It uses distinct examples for each type of POV—an exciting morning for First Person, a guided meditation for Second Person, and a humorous sibling prank for Third Person. The video highlights how changing the POV changes the information available to the reader, demonstrating that a First Person narrator can only share what they personally experience, while a Third Person narrator can often see into the minds of multiple characters. For educators, this video is an excellent tool for English Language Arts lessons focused on reading comprehension and creative writing. It serves as a perfect primer for discussions about how an author's choice of narrator shapes a story. Teachers can use the specific examples provided to model how to identify POV in literature or as a prompt for writing exercises where students rewrite a scene from different perspectives to understand character bias and narrative distance.