Teach Students to Analyze Characters Like Pros

Digging Deeper: Teaching Character Development and Analysis in Elementary Classrooms

One of the most powerful ways to help students become thoughtful readers is by teaching them to look closely at characters. When students notice how a character’s thoughts, feelings, and actions evolve, they begin to uncover the deeper meaning of a story. This skill builds comprehension, empathy, and critical thinking—all essential for strong readers.

But where do we start? By giving students clear strategies and tools to analyze characters and track their growth over time.

Why Focus on Character Study?

Characters are the heart of every story. By studying a character’s actions, inner thoughts, behaviors, physical identity, and how others react to them, students learn to interpret the author’s message and understand the story on a deeper level. They also begin to see how characters change over time—and why those changes matter.

Key Teaching Points for Character Lessons

1. Character Traits vs. Emotions

Help students distinguish between traits (permanent qualities like “brave” or “kind”) and emotions (temporary feelings like “happy” or “frustrated”). Encourage them to use text evidence—dialogue, actions, and descriptions—to support their ideas.

2. Noticing Characters Through Multiple Lenses

Teach students to observe characters from different angles:

• Actions: What choices do they make?

• Dialogue: What do they say and how do they say it?

• Author’s Stated Traits: Direct descriptions in the text.

• Physical Appearance: How does appearance reflect personality?

• Interactions: How do relationships shape the character?

3. Flat vs. Round Characters

Introduce the concept of flat characters (simple, predictable) and round characters (complex, multi-dimensional). Discuss why authors use both and how they impact the story.

4. Dynamic vs. Static Characters

Show students how dynamic characters grow and change, while static characters remain the same. Use graphic organizers to track these changes and connect them to the plot.

5. How Characters Confront Obstacles

Analyze challenges characters face and how their responses reveal traits or lead to growth. This helps students understand cause-and-effect relationships in the story.

6. Building and Writing Character Profiles

Encourage students to create profiles that include:

• Traits and supporting evidence

• Emotions and changes over time

• Relationships and turning points Profiles help students synthesize information and prepare for deeper analysis.

👉 Make this process simple and engaging!

Start by asking guiding questions:

• What is the character like at the beginning?

• What challenges do they face?

• How do their choices shape who they become?

Design lessons that will help students understand how characters grow and change throughout a story.

👉 Provide ready to use to tools that fit seamlessly into your instruction:

• Structured graphic organizers that help students visualize changes over time.

• Clear prompts and examples to support independent and group work.

• Flexible activities that work for any text, from picture books to chapter books.

Tools Will Make It All Come Together

All readers need tools to record, organize, and process their thinking. When students use graphic organizers, think sheets, and anchor charts, their thinking becomes visible—and over time, these strategies become automatic.

Ready to make character lessons engaging and effective?

👉 Take a look at the Tracking Characters instructional resources here