It happens often when children are called upon to give a speech or address a room full of people; they hesitate and get nervous. Not only children, but also many adults fear speaking publicly because of low confidence and low self-esteem. Children can improve their confidence as they practice public speaking skills more. Children can form connections, make friends, take new challenges and initiate new assignments all on their own through this skill.
It is one of the highly important skills that a child must have at an early stage. It is also because public speaking benefits them in the long run of their professional journey. It is parents’ job to encourage their kids to be confident in any situation they are in. Public speaking basically helps them express their opinions and knowledge in front of others. When allowed to express themselves, overcoming the feeling of being “hesitant” is important so that children can put their voice forward and express their opinions in front of others.
In this blog, we will witness why public speaking should be taught to children at an early stage.
Top Ways to Improve Public Speaking Skills in Children At An Early Stage
Public speaking does not mean doing formal presentations and speeches; it also means being able to speak confidently, irrespective of where you are. It’s the everyday part of life which one must learn if they want to progress in life both personally and professionally.
Public speaking skill comes in handy in different aspects of life. It’s not inherently important for academic and professional success, but it’s also a crucial skill so that you can speak confidently and put your opinions forward. Children can improve their overall communication skills through public speaking as their confidence gets better with time. We will look at a few strategies which parents can use to improve public speaking skills in their children.
- Parents can improve public speaking skills in children by engaging them in informative speaking. This can be possible by asking them Simple questions like “what happened in school?”, “How did the class go?”, “What did the teacher teach you today?”, “What did you learn in today’s English class?”, etc. Such engaging questions allow children to organise their thoughts clearly and speak. You can also engage children in informative speaking by sharing facts with them and asking them to give their opinions. You can summarise stories for them at home. It helps them develop a coherent thought process and explain topics more intuitively. Overall, informative speaking helps children develop public speaking skills.
- As parents, you should persuade your children to participate in real-life exercises. This is where you can present the logical arguments and ask them to respond with confidence and clarity. You should listen to their counterpoints and address new questions so that they can critically think about the topic and answer as best they can.
- You should keep an entertaining speaking habit with your children, such as telling them an impressive story, reading a funny poem and mimicking cartoon voices for them. This encourages them to try such activities for themselves, through which they can improve their emotional expression and tone modulation.
Final Thoughts
Children often struggle with stage fright, which is a major reason why they don’t communicate effectively when speaking publicly. It is also the lack of practice that kids struggle with that leads to limited communication skills. By speaking persuasively and clearly, children will perform better in group discussions, debates, presentations, academic speeches, etc. They will also have an easy time developing friendships in the class that will help them adapt to new environments. To find the top schools in Jaipur offering effective programmes and personalised learning to improve communication skills in children, you can browse the TopSchoolsJaipur website.
