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| Step up and speak up |
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1. Have your child speak to YOU Start with a small audience that is familiar to your child – YOU! Give your child your full attention and smile (keep away the ‘exam’ face if you can 2. Start short, start familiar Giving a speech or presentation is something that your child will have to do at various points during his or her academic life, so it is good to develop some basic skills from a very early age. For starters, your child needs to get used to speaking for several minutes at a time, without interruption. To do this, have your child share some thoughts about something he or she likes, such as a particular toy, a book, a television programme or even a recent family outing. You can help your child think of and prepare what points to say, and how to structure them. At the very minimum, a speech or presentation needs to have these parts. Help your child to plan what needs to be said in each section. In its simplest form, a beginning states what the presentation is going to be about. Saying it out loud also serves as an internal ‘check’ for your child to stay focused and follow the planned structure of the presentation. Upon closing the presentation, your child may need to invite questions and be prepared for some answers. Do rehearse this where possible by anticipating some common questions or checking with the teacher on what to expect for this segment. 4. Use your child’s language Quite often, parents will help their children prepare speeches or presentations that sound ‘stiff’; a child may even give the impression that he doesn’t understand what he is delivering. A student often does a better job with a speech when it is written and delivered in his or her own ‘language’. By all means, help your child prepare by doing research, writing down points etc. but get your child to craft the speech using language that he or she is comfortable with and knows how to use. If you do introduce new words and phrases into the speech, ensure that your child knows what they mean and how to use them. 5. Use props effectively If you have the option of including objects, slides, photos or even videos in the speech or presentation, make effective use of these items. For example, you can group sets of points around a particular object, photo or slide. Doing this may also help your child know what to focus on at any one time, and structure the presentation better. 6. Speak to a room, not a person In a classroom situation, your child will need to speak loud enough for everyone to hear. Get your child used to speaking loudly AND clearly. At home, you can stand at the end of the living room or kitchen doorway while your child is rehearsing. If your child feels nervous at the thought of speaking to a whole room of people, get them to focus on a point on the back wall of the room. When they are more comfortable, they can practice making eye contact with different members of the audience to help build that ‘rapport’. 7. Slow down, don’t be a bullet train Some children (and adults too), in their anxiety to get the session over with, willl speak as fast as they can, and in the process, stumble over words, get their points mixed up, or even forget what they intended to say. One way of helping your child overcome ‘bullet-train delivery’ is by practising with a countdown timer – ask them to speak slowly enough such that they will complete their sentences within the time intended – and not earlier. With some practice, they will get the hang of the correct ‘speed’ of delivery. 8. Break ‘stranger’ shyness Many children who fear public speaking are generally shy to engage in conversations with people they don’t know, even if it is someone they see very often, such as the school bus driver or food vendor at the school canteen. Give your child little opportunities to talk to people in structured, safe situations to help build up their confidence in addressing strangers. For example, let your child order food the next time you eat at your usual café or fast food restaurant, or get him or her to ask the salesperson for help the next time you go shopping together. 9. Don’t be afraid to… PAUSE Giving a speech or presentation is not a non-stop marathon. The audience needs time to absorb and process what your child is saying as well. Help your child to work in ‘pauses’ – for example, in between groups of points, slides and photographs. If he or she is using cue cards, this can be the time to refer to the cards and gather thoughts before going on with the presentation. 10. Get ‘psched’ up! Having a ‘glass is half full’ mentality helps a lot here! Before the session, encourage your child to take a deep breath, stand up straight and tell themselves, “These people are glad I am here, and are looking forward to hearing about what I have to tell them.”
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) If this is the first time your child is speaking at length, let him or he finish the speech/presentation without interruptions, though you can take note of areas for improvement and feedback AFTER the session.Gradually, involve other family members, relatives and friends to enlarge your child’s ‘practice audience’.