Important Tips to Improve Public Speaking of Your Kids
Although being able to speak in front of an audience is a valuable skill, many young students (some older students too) are terrified of doing it Many people continue to struggle with this well into adulthood.
Some children are born with a natural talent for speaking and gravitate toward careers in public speaking, while others shudder at having to stand in front of people and communicate with them. Speaking in front of an audience helps young people develop their leadership skills and communication skills, more generally, their self-esteem and confidence, their ability to plan and organize their thoughts, and their ability to express their ideas in front of a crowd. It is a necessary ability that one must acquire and perfect, and it is one of those skills that will help them along the way of their educational journey and their professional career.
The following are some suggestions for practicing public speaking with children.
GAMES & ACTIVITIES
When it comes to developing their abilities in public speaking, children can choose from a wide variety of fun games and activities.
- Story Time with Cards: To begin, write the characters’ names, locations, and things that appear in the story on separate playing cards. Please put all of the cards into the bowl, have your child choose any two cards, and then tell them a story connecting the two words on the cards. Children will benefit from this in terms of the preparation of speeches and the practice of speaking with prompts.
- Word Spin: involves writing words that are entirely at random on separate pieces of paper. Words such as “happy birthday,” “cheesecake,” “chair,” “slide,” “fairy,” “unicorn,” “good morning,” and so on are some examples. When you have a sufficient number of cards, put them in a box and then ask your child to choose one so that you can discuss the background of a particular word or object. With the help of this game, we intend to stimulate their imagination and inspire them to speak fluently and spontaneously.
- Q&A With the Expert: Write as many engaging and thought-provoking questions as you can place them on separate pieces of paper, and then allow them to conduct an interview.
- Debate: Older children will have fun playing this game, this helps them develop their ability to think quickly on their feet and teaches them how to talk from both sides of an issue. You should compile a list of subjects, then give your child the task of speaking confidently for thirty seconds in support of the topic and thirty seconds in opposition of it.
- Playing the Road Game: involves having conversations with your child about what they see in terms of shapes, colors, and what’s going on in the world around them in just one minute. You can play this game while behind the wheel, strolling through the park, or riding public transportation. By this children can hone their observation skills, which is essential for an effective communication
- The Woot Game: Pick a common connecting word that’s used in conversation most of the time, such as “like,” “it,” or “be.” Provide your child with a subject to talk about for thirty seconds. The word ‘woot’ is recommended to be substituted for the selected words every time they appear in the speech. Ex.: It’s a beautiful and sunny morning! Woot!
- The Imaginary Game: this is a game that can be played in a group with members of the same family or even with neighbors. Ask each participant to think about a plant, animal, or bird for one minute before discussing what they came up with. The other group members will inquire about its dimensions, hue, location, and the like, among other topics.
Chettinad Vidya Mandir Coimbatore – Best CBSE School in Coimbatore