Public Speaking Skills for Children

Experience in public speaking develops a child's communication skills.

Public speaking is a dreadful challenge for many adults, so just imagine how terrifying it can be for children. However, that doesn't mean they should avoid the situation. Encourage your children to embrace the challenge of standing in front of their peers and expressing themselves. Public speaking can help children develop useful skills that will serve them throughout life.

Body Language

Public speaking teaches children how to utilize body language to add emotion and emphasis to parts of their speech. Hand gestures contribute a lot to a message; after all, it's hard for a speaker to engage an audience when his hands are in his pockets or hanging at his sides. Although it may be difficult when the child is nervous, keeping eye contact with the audience will add credibility and sincerity to the presentation. In addition, correct posture makes the child feel and appear more confident while speaking.

Vocal Tone

Monotone speakers rarely draw a crowd. Experience in public speaking can teach children how to adjust the vocal volume, pace and tone to suit the conveyed message. Public speaking also encourages careful pronunciation of words -- especially when the speaker is dealing with a challenging and unfamiliar term. While practicing the speech, the child's vocabulary skills might even receive a boost.

Organized Ideas

When speaking, children need to present information to an audience in an organized fashion, especially if the crowd is unfamiliar with the subject. Public speaking experience teaches a child to create a mental outline and convey information in logical order. The child may also learn to use metaphors and examples to aid the audience's understanding.

Humor

During public speaking, children will learn that mistakes are inevitable. One of the best ways to recover from a slip-up during a speech is to use humor. Developing a strong sense of comedic timing can also help the child connect with the audience and command attention.

Interacting with the Audience

Let's face it, not everyone in life is agreeable. After a speech, a young speaker will have to respond to questions and criticisms of peers and teachers. Public speaking can teach a child how to respond politely and support his opinion with evidence.

References

• Six Minutes; The 25 Public Speaking Skills Every Speaker Must Have; Andrew Dlugan; October 2007