One of the reasons our family belongs to a 4-H club is because of the wonderful opportunity it offers children in teaching important life skills. 4-H kids not only learn specific skills in areas of family and consumer science, but are also given the chance to develop leadership skills. This is done by providing club members with opportunities to hold club offices, give demonstrations, mentor younger children, sit on committees, and participate in public speaking competitions.
Children who are experienced in public speaking have a distinct advantage over those who are not. These students are comfortable in giving class presentations or demonstrating science fair projects. They enjoy performing in school plays and often serve as leaders in school government. Students who are comfortable with public speaking all tend to be outgoing students who aren’t afraid to accept a challenge.
Developing public speaking skills in children is an important life skill. Teaching them this skill is easier than you might think.
Public speaking begins at home
In 4-H, one of the requirements of each project is to give a demonstration in front of the club, your family, or even your classmates. Having a child demonstrate a skill to the family is an easy way to introduce him to public speaking.
The demonstration can be as simple as explaining how a new toy works, or how to give the dog a bath. The objective is for the child to explain a single concept to his family in a somewhat formal setting. By formal, I’m referring to the entire family being seated around the dining room table and giving the child their full attention.
Before giving the demonstration, the child should practice what he’s going to say before actually giving the demonstration to his family. Our kids used to practice in front of the dresser mirror, and would refer to notes they had made on index cards. The demonstration should be a couple of minutes long, and must clearly demonstrate a firm understanding of the activity.
The demonstration concludes with the audience asking the child questions, and having him answer back.
Speak at school
Younger students have “show and tell” days which is a great way to practice public speaking in a way that is both fun and stress free. Your child can bring his new toy or pet to school, and spend several minutes in demonstrating the item to the class. Have him practice a few times at home before speaking in front of his classmates. This will help him gather his thoughts and figure out how the talk should begin and end.
Just because a child outgrows “show and tell” doesn’t mean that he still can’t do a class demonstration. My children often gave demonstrations at school on specific subjects they had researched for 4-H or Science Olympiad competitions. Their teachers were happy to give them the floor as “guest lecturers” as long as the subject was interesting and educational.
Encourage involvement in school clubs
Joining a school club is a fabulous way to develop public speaking skills. Debate clubs, junior toastmasters, science clubs, student council, and drama clubs are just a few student clubs that give children the opportunity to speak and give demonstrations in a public setting. Encourage your child to become an active participant, and be willing yourself to sit in as a practice “audience.”
Speaking in front of a large group can be a terrifying experience, even for adults who are often called to speak in front of a large groups. By introducing a child to public speaking at a young age and encouraging him to practice those skills when possible, he will master this important life skill in a way that is both easy and fun.
