Public Speaking is speaking in front of a group of people in a structured manner, it can be talking in front of strangers or talking in front of people you know (friends/ family), not necessarily always on the stage. For example, giving a speech in front of class/ at family celebrations/ in an auditorium with a lot of people, answering a question in the class by standing up, singing a song in front of guests who come home for dinner etc.

Public speaking is a very important skill for kids at a young age. Through public speaking skills, kids get better at critical thinking, communication, listening skills, etc. In order to encourage children to do something different, you need to be patient and take small steps. Here are a few things you can try: 

Find their Interest Area:

Talk about the different activities that are related to public speaking with your child. Some kids are not interested in giving speeches but they are interested in debates, storytelling, etc. Find their interest area.

Develop Curiosity:

Once you find the interest area, try to encourage them to explore more and understand what skills they would like to improve.

public speaking

Begin with Listening:

Once your child has started to develop curiosity, make them listen to good public speeches online. Encourage older children to take inspiration from TED talks on topics that interest them and they can learn from them. Active listening plays a major role.

Strengthen Family Bonding using Active Listening

Practice Storytelling:

Stories are something that excites most kids. Encourage your kids to read a lot of stories. Stories, when used in speech delivery, can help to catch the audience’s attention. Knowing how to make stories in their speeches will make speeches more fun and interesting for children. 

Utilize Every Opportunity:

Encourage your children to grab every chance to perform, either at school by participating at competitions like speeches, debates, elocution etc.  or any social event. This will help them develop their public speaking skills.

Know more about our Public Speaking Course for Kids