Point of View/Perspective; Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall and Museum

Understanding point of view when reading is important because it leads to critical analysis of the text.  This is a target area for SLPs because it speaks to comprehension of material.  In the classroom, the teacher may discuss how a story can be told from a specific viewpoint, such as that of a worm in "Diary of a Worm" by Doreen Cronin.  Children will also learn how one story can be told differently, such as "The Real Story of the Three Little Pigs" by Jon Scieszka which tells the story of "The Three Little Pigs" from the wolf's point of view.  As children get older, they will move onto chapter books that have more complex viewpoints, including books such as "The Diary of Anne Frank," "Wicked," "Look Homeward Angel" and "The Great Gatsby."  In order to practice understanding point of view, I suggest role playing at the Soliders & Sailors Memorial Hall and Museum.  Your child can describe viewpoints of veterans and those from the home front that are profiled in the museum.  This is also a relevant task considering Memorial Day was this week.

Image retrieved from http://www.livingpittsburgh.com/2014/05/pittsburgh-memorial-day-celebration-at-soldiers-sailors/.

Look at exhibits and ask your child questions to get her thinking about possible viewpoints.

 

 Image retrieved from http://pittsburgh.ettractions.com/Soldiers-Sailors-Memorial-Hall-Museum/attractions/7674/.

Here are some questions to get your child started:
What do you think the men were thinking about when this picture was taken?
How do you think the men felt about being in the service?
Do you think the men were fearful of combat?
Why do you think the men chose to be part of the Air Force?

For the more advanced, ask your child to pick a man from the picture, and role play.  Have her pretend to be one of the men, and ask her what she would say to her family back home; ask her what she missed most about being home; ask her about the friendships she developed in the service; ask her what basic training was like.
 

 

 Image retrieved from http://www.yelp.com/biz/soldiers-and-sailors-memorial-hall-and-museum-pittsburgh.

The above is a cast of Abraham Lincoln.  To practice perspective, ask your child what Lincoln would say about problems that our country faces today (international relations, taxes, inequality).

 

Image retrieved from http://soldiersandsailorshall.org/.

Questions to ask with these treasures may include:
How did this man feel about being drafted?
What do you think his perspective was on serving his country?
How would this man view the role of women in the military today?

For the more advanced, ask your child to take on the role of a G.I. from one of the Axis powers from World War II.  Ask her to answer the above questions in that person's voice.

Changing gears: difficulties in seeing another person's perspective is common with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD).  Children with ASD often have difficulty perceiving what emotion another person is experiencing.  One way to target this is to pay special attention to facial expressions.

Image retrieved from http://veteranvoicesofpittsburgh.com/2012/03/.

Tell your child that this man is "happy" because he is smiling and showing his teeth, and because his eyes are open wide.  Review photographs of happy people several times with your child, repeating the same information.  Next, look at a photo of someone that is happy and ask your child how he is feeling (the answer should be "happy").  Finally, ask your child to identify a picture of a happy person on her own.

Image retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/in-pictures-15672939.

Tell your child that this man is "sad" because he is frowning, and he is crying.  Review photographs of sad people several times with your child, repeating the same information.  Next, looks at a photo of someone that is sad and ask your child how he is feeling (the answer should be "sad").  Finally, ask your child to identify a picture of a sad person on her own.  Note: this picture is not on exhibit at the museum.