Public Speaking for Kids

Public speaking for kids is an important component of their education. Children can learn to enjoy public speaking before they become fearful adults who finally realize the importance of public speaking skills when it is too late. Some of the benefits of taking public speaking are building leadership, planning, and preparations skills. If done with a supportive group, it builds self esteem and self confidence. Public speaking combines nearly all the language arts into one product - writing, composition, reading, grammar, spelling, and speech. If you homeschool and your child speaks in front of a group, it gives your kids a chance to accept feedback from someone other than their parent.

Professional adults often mention the importance of public speaking skills in the workforce. We have made public speaking lessons and activities a big part of our homeschool plan because these skills will most certainly be useful as they get older.

Toastmasters International has a Youth Leadership Program may be available in your area. Toastmasters members coach youth in different public speaking activities.

4H is another organization that can help develop public speaking for kids. 4H opportunities vary from program to program, but speaking skills can be honed by giving talks at club meetings, participating as a club officer, directing a club business meeting, observing others doing a speech, and in many states participating in a speaking contest, often known as "presentations".

Presentations are usually a demonstration or talk that uses posters and other visual aids or "props". Preparing to do a presentation requires research, organization, writing, practice and polishing. Doing a presentation is not just a learning process, but it also makes the "student the teacher" by allowing them to share things they have learned with others. Our 4-H club actually focuses on presenation skills, so our members get alot of practice.

Rebecca is teaching our club how to make soap.

In our county, we have a day where all the club members come together and give their presentations in front of a panel of judges made up of local community leaders. Those who do well, are advanced to the district level, and the winners at the district level go on to compete at the state level.

Sarah won 3rd at state
for her presentation on dog training.

It is amazing to see how much the kids have improved as they have frequent opportunities to speak in front of other kids and parents. Their writing skills have improved and their talks are longer and more complex. Kids who would barely speak loud enough to hear they started, are now speaking up with confidence.

If you are interested in public speaking lesson plans, Steven R. Lewis wrote a guide that you may find helpful if you are teaching public speaking for kids. You can find it here.

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