Public speaking ranks high on the list of things that people are afraid of. Don’t let your child develop that fear. If they get a chance to participate in public speaking for kids, encourage them to go for it. The good news is that this skill can be perfected over time.
6 Public Speaking Tips to Teach Your Kids
If you are wondering how to raise a confident speaker, the following tips should help you.
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Know Your Audience
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Practice, Practice, Practice
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Focus on Delivery
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Be Presentable
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Learn to Manage Mistakes
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Relax Before the Speech
1. Know Your Audience
Is your kid giving a public speech before their classmates, their teachers, or complete strangers? This will help them craft a speech that caters to that particular audience. They can decide on the choice of words, speech style, what information they need to give, and the best way to engage the audience.
2. Practice, Practice, Practice
An effective way for your kid to tackle public speaking anxiety is to prepare the speech well. Ensure they set aside at least an hour every day to practice their speech. Let them practice in front of the mirror or record themselves to see where they can improve.After they are confident and comfortable with the speech, introduce a few distractions when they practice. This will help them be prepared for the same on the day of the speech. They won’t panic and forget if some distractions do pop up.
3. Focus on Delivery
Once the kid is confident with the content of the speech, help them focus on the delivery style. Teach them to speak clearly and boldly without stuttering. The pace shouldn’t be too fast or too slow.
Tell them to vary their pitch and speed while delivering the speech. This will keep the audience engaged. At the same time, the body language and gestures should also be pleasant.
4. Be Presentable
Pick out an appropriate outfit for the speech. Whether you like it or not, appearance does influence how the audience perceives the speaker. Let the kid choose a comfortable yet sophisticated outfit that makes them feel confident.
5. Learn to Manage Mistakes
No matter how well prepared a child is, let them know mistakes may occur on the main day. Tell them that it happens to the best of speakers, so they shouldn’t panic if they stumble. Most of the time, the audience doesn’t even realise that the speaker made some error.
However, if the kid’s mistake is noticeable, teach them to acknowledge it and move on. Tell them the audience is more forgiving than they would assume.
6. Relax Before the Speech
Give your kid an important reminder before their speech - relax and have fun. Let them know that if they are enjoying themselves, the audience will too. If they are too stressed, it may affect their speech.
Help them learn a few relaxation techniques they can practice before getting on stage.
It’s normal to feel nervous before giving a speech. With the right tips and techniques, kids can ace public speaking and deliver a memorable speech.
