What is a debate?
A debate is a formal discussion between two or more people expressing their opinions on a topic. The conversation happens with two different ideas shared by a group of people.
There is a healthy exchange of ideas and points of view in a debate where the kids can look at things from different angles. They are exciting and informative.
Debates expand your child’s knowledge about different topics and allow them to be patient and understanding of other’s opinions.
Why should you involve kids in a debate?
1. Enhance public speaking skills
To overcome fears, you must face them. There’s no other way.
Debating in front of a vast audience makes a child face their dreaded fear of public speaking and enhances their verbal communication skills. This builds immense confidence in them and improves their personality.
2. Increases critical thinking
For debates, excessive research happens. Your child can reflect on why and what they love the most.
This gives them a chance to analyse their choices and is a great way to boost their critical thinking skills.
3. Helps in organising thoughts
The art of debating requires immense planning, organising, and acting upon it.
Kids need to collect information from everywhere about the selected topic and then organise an entire action plan to form sentences.
This is indeed great for improving your child’s organisational skills.
4. Improves listening skills
During debates, you grow the habit of listening.
Listening is vital because you are expected to understand what the person has to say, even if their opinions do not match yours. Having a solid listening ability goes a long way.
5. Increases language skills
Debates for kids enhance their ability to listen while speaking. They have to listen to what other kids have to say and how they are forming their sentences.
This becomes a great learning process for them. They are improving their language skills by participating in debates.
6. Increases their tolerance level
If you get your kids to participate in debates from a young age, they will develop a tolerance for different opinions.
Their ability to understand people with opposite views increases and their level of understanding matures.
7. Develop their research skills
To present points for supporting the argument, your kid will need strong points to express.
Extensive research is needed. Hence, taking part in debates will enhance their research skills and make them better at it.
Debate topics for kids to talk about
Now that you are aware of the importance of debating skills for your kids, you can get your child to begin with a few topics.
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Should children be given a choice to select their bedtime?
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Should school burden primary kids with homework?
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Is it okay to lower the voting age to 10?
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Can we replace teachers with computers?
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Health v/s taste: Which is best for kids?
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How long should leisure time/playtime be in a day for kids?
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What time of the day should school start?
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Are uniforms necessary?
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Happiness or success: What should matter the most?
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Making sports compulsory for kids in schools
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Should they expel bullies from schools?
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Using corporal punishment for correcting kids
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Good grades determine a kid’s future
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Teaching kids the importance of kindness
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Donating pocket money to charity
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Punishing parents for their child’s mistake
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Banning junk food in the school cafeteria
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Exposing kids to social media at a young age
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Is it okay to cheat in examinations?
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Kids should know how to play at least one instrument
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Should kids be allowed to have pets?
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Grading kids based on their handwriting
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Are video games making kids violent?
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Peer pressure destroys a child
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It should be mandatory to have quizzes in school
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Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder
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Work smart or work hard?
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Kids shouldn’t be given pocket money
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Is a college degree necessary?
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Should they ban zoos?
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Social media can become an addiction
Bottom Line
Developing debating skills makes kids bright and boosts their personalities. Healthy debates benefit young minds.
Your child is more likely to develop creativity in the future. Their inquisitive brains are fed when they explore and learn about new things.
