Teaching children around ages 9-12 to use Microsoft PowerPoint to create simple presentations is a great way to help them learn to organize their thoughts and use an important software program. Introducing children to technology helps prepare them for the workforce, as well as college. Here are some tips for teaching your child to create a simple PowerPoint presentation.
Pick a subject. The first part of teaching your child to create a PowerPoint presentation is to choose a subject for which to create it. Help your child narrow down his or her idea to something specific. This will make creating the PowerPoint presentation easier. For instance, if your child wants to do the presentation on dogs, try to get her to choose a specific breed or a more specific topic such as dog grooming.
Choose a use. How will the PowerPoint presentation be used? Will your child just let the viewers click through the slides silently, or will the presentation be presented orally by the child? Combining a PowerPoint presentation lesson along with a speech presentation is a great way to teach two important skills at once.
Do some research. Before actually creating the PowerPoint presentation, your child will need to research the topic. Use trusted internet sources and library reference materials to find information on the topic. Help your child learn to locate the information he needs to create the PowerPoint presentation and also how to choose what information to use in creating the project.
Teach the technical aspects. After your child has done his research and collected plenty of information about his topic, you will need to do some lessons on the technical aspects of PowerPoint. Walk your child through creating a simple PowerPoint including creating backgrounds, adding new slides, and inserting text boxes and pictures. All you need to teach are the basics at this point.
Create the presentation. Now your child is ready to create the actual PowerPoint presentation. Help him to organize his thoughts to be placed in the presentation. Explain that not everything he is going to say (if he will present it orally) needs to be on the slides. Talk about font size and how it is important for the audience to be able to read the slides. All of this is important information for your child to learn to prepare him for college or the workforce.
Present the finished product. When your child is done with his PowerPoint she may present it orally. If that is your plan, assemble an audience of relatives, friends, and neighbors to view the PowerPoint and oral presentation. Check out your local 4-H program which may offer a speech and demonstration competition where your child can present the PowerPoint to an even larger audience.
Being technologically savvy is so important for everyone in today’s world. Help your child get a head start by teaching her to create a simple PowerPoint presentation.
