We’ve all stuttered nervously in front of an audience while giving a presentation, speech, or even while expressing our thoughts to the teachers in front of the entire class.
When you meet someone for the first time, you notice how they speak and it reveals a lot about them.
This is why the art of public speaking is vital, and by practicing public speaking early in life, one can learn how to stand out from the crowd and achieve great success in life.
Why do public speaking skills play an important role for kids?
In today’s competitive world, public speaking is one of the most important skills to have and it plays a critical role in the development of kids and also helps them with their careers in the future.
Public speaking for kids can improve their critical thinking, confidence, persuasion, and vocabulary.
Here are a few tips on how to develop speaking skills in public for kids:
1. Interactive public speaking activities-
To make it interesting for kids, involve them in fun and creative public speaking games. This will not only increase their interest but also build their confidence.
Activities such as making flashcards with various topics and asking the children to choose one and deliver a speech on it, or giving them a fictitious scenario in which they get to sell a product or present something will help them learn and enjoy at the same time.
2. Ted talks, speeches, and Podcasts-
The Internet has made everything so accessible that it is now possible to access and absorb content and develop skills from anywhere in the world.
Parents can introduce their children to various podcasts and TED talks, which will help them pick up on different qualities from different speakers.
It also helps them learn how to present themselves, talk, interact with the audience, inspire them, and improve their vocabulary.
3. Participating in competitions-
There are numerous platforms and competitions in which children can participate to improve their oratory skills, overcome stage fright, gain assertiveness, and become more competitive. They can work on this by participating in school debates, allocution, recitation, and local competitions.
4. Reading Books, News, and articles-
Making reading a habit can benefit children’s development in a variety of ways. Staying up to date with news and current events can help them improve their general knowledge and awareness of their surroundings. Reading articles and books can help them learn more about topics they are interested in, and build their creativity.
All of these activities can help them improve their vocabulary and make it easier for them to form proper sentences when speaking in public.
5. Working on personality-
Anyone who works on their personality develops quick self-assurance.
Tone, volume, style, and speaking speed are all things that can be improved. Other considerations, such as eliminating filler words and always smiling while speaking in public, can help a youngster improve their public speaking skills.
6. Practice-
You’ve probably heard the expression “practice makes perfect.”
Allowing a kid to record his speech on a smartphone so he can listen to it and see where he can improve his technique will persuade him to practice public speaking. There are many more methods you may use, as indicated above, to help him build interest and practice more frequently.
For children’s development and future, public speaking is beneficial. Like any other subjects taught in schools, it should be a part of a child’s daily routine.
Since public speaking is neither assessed nor considered a significant topic in schools, we tend to overlook it. Developing public speaking skills is a natural way for your child’s bright future.
BeyondSkool’s Leadership Communication course targets Public Speaking, Creative Writing, Debating, Dramatics, and more through interactive teaching methodology to boost Confidence, Communication, Intelligence & Emotional Quotient in children which are often overlooked in today’s academic world.
Our curriculum is designed while keeping in mind every kid’s ability to intake information and yet be challenging to them at the same time. Every aspect of public speaking, along with many other must-have life skills are covered in this Leadership Communication curriculum built by today’s experts for tomorrow’s future.
